Beneath the cheerful melody of birdsong and the gentle rustle of leaves in the sun-dappled forest, a swift shadow darts like a phantom, weaving effortlessly, evading every fallen log and gnarled stump.
"Why don't we get a house or rent a room at Chobar[Cho-bar] Dadha. That way, I wouldn't have to always rush after breakfast... You know what, I will ask Mom if we can move somewhere near the Karst."
The view from the hill revealed a dramatic landscape: a colossal maw carved at the foot of the opposing slope, its entrance choked with traffic. Beyond lay a settlement of low-slung, modern houses, their 20th-century designs contrasting with the ancient cavernous karst that housed them.
"Ale[Ah-lay], are we grabbing our first mission today?"
"I am not sure if we can, I heard the process of registering and getting basic supplies from the Association takes a whole day."
"Seriously, why is everything so slow in our country?"
"I heard it was bad even before the Karst pandemic. Big countries with developed technology were able to minimize the damage, but for a small country like ours, it was demanding."
"At least they managed to persevere through everything and revitalize the civilization after reaching the verge of extinction".
"Yeah, but the modern ammunition and technology of that era were not enough to deal with monsters coming out of the karst until they figured out how to utilize and incorporate the magic crystals."
"I heard our teachers say that people of that era were not strong enough and couldn't handle the energy and weapons utilizing crystals."
Ale, a 14-year-old boy with a wheat-toned complexion, had a wild mop of black hair falling across his forehead, approached the office desk. Beside him was Acharya[Ah-cha-ar-yea], taller at five feet two inches and with a darker skin tone, who sported a dark brownish man bun. They stopped before the desk...
"And thanks to the bountiful harvest from the dungeon, we were able to build our constitution to match those creatures. Or you boys wouldn't be so strong."
Ale and Acharya with a titter, "Namaste, Komal[Co-mall] di".
A beautiful young girl in her early twenties waited on the other side of the desk. Her dark, lustrous hair was interrupted by a distinct streak of white hair, partitioned from mid to the right. Dressed in a crisp crimson red uniform with blue borders and a matching Garrison cap, a soft smile graced her lips as she looked at the boys.
"So did you fill out your form? pass it to me."
She checked, stamped, and typed in some information. With the click clack of the keyboard, "Oh, you boys did well in the finals, B or more in all exams, and overall grade of A. Not bad, not bad." Handing a few papers back, "back of the building, office number 205."
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As they entered the office, their eyes fell upon a peculiar figure. It was an imp. His skin was a vibrant red, and he stood just under four and a half feet tall; tiny horns like those of a nascent goat adorned his head. Despite his otherworldly appearance, he was impeccably dressed in black formal attire, a monocle perched on his eye, adding a touch of peculiar sophistication.
"Ah... Hand me the paper."
The imp began activating the device, adjusting an array of switches that brought the huge, two-foot crystal on top to life. He then retrieved a rectangular jade pendant, its surface glowing faintly, and placed it into a waiting socket on the device's opposite side. "Okay, put your hand over the crystal and channel your energy..." He handed the pendant to Ale, then retrieved a new one and placed it in the socket, signaling, "Next..."
"Alright, go back to the front desk, they know what to do..."
In unison, "Thank you, Mr.Imp."
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"I thought all demonoid monsters were bad."
"Well! Imps and Fae are curators of the dungeon, hence protected by the power of the abyss."
"What happens if we attack them?"
"Attack who?" Komal asks, looking suspiciously at the boys.
Smiling sheepishly, Acharya replies, "What happens if we attack the curator?"
A stern warning resonated from her, eyes wide and focused on Acharya., "Never, under any circumstances, attack a curator. If word reaches another curator, a bounty will be placed upon your head, and the entire dungeon and its inhabitants, along with the humans, will hunt you down."
"Even humans?"
"Yeah, why would humans attack their kind for some fae creatures?"
"It isn't about whether someone is human or fae," the voice emphasized. "Our survival depends on living in harmony with all who inhabit this dungeon. The Karst pandemic left us utterly dependent on its bounty. Another war would be catastrophic."
"He was just curious; he will never do that."
"I believe so. Hand over the papers... Now you are officially an adventurer. Go and grab the starting supplies from the supply centre."
"What is our adventurer rank?"
"I saw Mr.Imp put a jade pendant in the device, but somehow there are wood chips engraved on the sides, excluding the centre."
"Given our grades, we are probably gold-ranked adventurers."
"Nah! even higher."
Komal, annoyed at the boys, "Yeah, yeah! Those wood engravings show your rank. You always start with wood. now GO!"
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"Hello, sir, we are here for the rookie supply."
"Scan your pendant... here is your ticket, you can go grab the equipment and weapons from the room down the hall."
They walk down the hallway with multiple doors on either side and enter the designated office. They found themselves surrounded by the glint of steel and the ordered ranks of equipment, filling walls and armories alike. A figure emerged from behind an armory: a tall, muscular man with a thick mustache and with a resonant voice greeted them, "Can I help you boys with something?"
Waving the ticket side to side, "We are here to pick up rookie supplies."
"Haha! Did you guys decide on what kind of weapon you want, or want me to help you decide on it?"
"Well, we did use multiple kinds of weapons during our training, so we have some idea."
"Acharya is good with ranged weapons, and I used twin sticks for training most of the time, but I am thinking of getting a sword for a change of style."
"I need a short sword or dagger to use alongside a ranged weapon."
"Oh, can I get a small dagger too?"
"Alright, listen up," the man said, his voice deep, "Rookie supplies are limited. While you can buy pretty much anything you want from here or the smithy – they'll even make you something custom if you've got the coin – for now, I can set you up with a bow and a short sword." Looking at Ale, "Twin swords and a dagger for you, and you'll also get a standard equipment set each."
"Guess beggars can be choosers..."
.
.
.
"Also, don't forget to get some medicine balls and an aid kit from the infirmary while you are at it."
In unison, "Thank you for your aid..."
"So, you want to grab a quest today?"
"Yeah, let's grab something to eat while we head there... Hud!"
A semi-transparent window, which looks like a typical character sheet in an RPG game, pops in front of Ale.
"Oh yeah, let me register my weapons too... Hud!"
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The boys enter the same building they were in at the start of the day and head towards a large bulletin board with lots of pamphlets posted on it.
"No, it can't be true..."
"Yea-up, everything is rank-gated."
"Guess we have no option, we have to start with the hunt quest."
"Let's take several of these so we can accumulate credits to take rank-up tests."
"Association provided us with a small spatial bag... will this be enough?"
"We'll carry some sacks and a cart with us to move the haul, don't have funds to buy a bigger bag."
They go to the front desk and hand all the quest requests to Komal.
"Good to see you guys. You didn't go home yet?"
"Yeah, we decided to grab everything we can today and start our adventures from tomorrow, can't wait."
"So, you are doing these quests together?"
Both confused "yes"
"Then you need to register as a party, and it's better if you find a guild to join too. All general guild-related tasks can be handled here at the association, but being part of a guild has its benefits... Who wants to be party leader?"
"Me"
"Okay, put your pendant on the device here."
" Alright, Acharya, open your HUD and invite Ale to your party."
"You put your adventurer name as Acharya?" laughing.
"Don't question me, you put your name as Ale too."
"Welp... you are all set. Happy hunting."
They bowed their heads in a small gesture of respect. "Thank you, Komal di, until later."
" Alright, what are you going to do now?"
"I'm heading to the training grounds," he stated. "Need to get some swings in... familiarize myself with the length and weight of these swords."
"Alright, I'll head home and sort the quests out so it'll be easy for us tomorrow."
"Alright Kaa'thye(woody)"
"You are wood too dumbass... see you tomorrow."