Chapter 61: Adventurer’s Guild

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Adventurer’s Guild

Lorin carried the tray downstairs, still reminiscing about the process of touching the Magic Net just now. The feeling of discovering something new made him quite excited.

The little Dwarf was sitting at the bar, enjoying a delicious breakfast while chatting with Gustav. Seeing him come downstairs, Pip turned his head and asked, "Why are you up so early today?"

"You can’t blame him. I could hear your snoring all the way from downstairs. Charging you such a small amount of rent is a huge loss for me," Gustav teased.

"HAHA..." the short guy laughed dryly, lowering his head to take a sip of ale, pretending nothing had happened.

Lorin stepped forward, returning the tray to the old bartender. He glanced at the ale in Pip’s hand and said, "Drinking so early in the morning?"

The short guy shook the liquid in his cup. Thick bubbles constantly popped and splashed as he bobbed his head and said,

"What flows through a Barbarian’s veins isn’t blood; it’s last year’s malt and today’s strong liquor. Without this stuff, Pip wouldn’t even be able to lift a hammer!

"Just like a senior Barbarian once said: the first thing to do when the sun rises is to top up the alcohol that didn’t finish evaporating last night. This is tradition! It’s in our blood!"

With that, he downed the rest of the ale in his cup in one breath, then let out a satisfied BURP.

Lorin’s mouth twitched, wondering what kind of crazy fit the little guy was having this time. He sighed helplessly. "I’m going to complete the Rating for a ’Formal’ Warrior in a bit, and then see if there’s any work available. What about you?"

"Pip doesn’t have anything to do, so of course I’m coming along!"

"Alright."

The Adventurer’s Guild in Frost Valley City wasn’t far from the Furnace Tavern. After Lorin went upstairs to grab his Longsword, the two of them walked for a short while before arriving at the Guild’s entrance. It was a grayish-white stone brick building, significantly taller than the surrounding shops. A Guild crest hung on it: a hand gripping a sword with the tip pointing upward, surrounded by five stars. Most of the paint on the crest had chipped off, but the outline remained, recognizable from afar.

Lorin stood at the door and glanced at the Guild’s outer wall. When he used to go to taverns looking for work, he had passed by here countless times, but he had never gone inside.

"Let’s go." He pushed the door open.

The space inside was massive, a full three stories high. The roof featured an arched wooden beam structure, with several giant iron chandeliers hanging from the crossbeams, brightly illuminating the entire hall. As soon as they walked in, they could see a long row of counters directly facing the main entrance. Behind the counters was an entire wall of notice boards, plastered with quest requests. Yellow and white, new and old—some were pinned to the wall with thumbtacks, while others were casually stuffed into the gaps between the papers.

Numerous people dressed as Adventurers were bustling about. The air was filled with the mingled scents of leather, sweat, and weapon-maintenance grease. A one-eyed burly man walked past him, glancing at the two before heading straight for the notice boards to look for a quest. In a resting area in the corner sat a female archer wearing Leather Armor, looking down and gnawing on dry rations, seemingly waiting for her companions. Two red-haired Dwarves stood at the counter, cursing as they argued with the Guild receptionist about their reward. He even spotted a Half-Orc wearing a worn-out set of Chain Armor, standing in the hall with his arms crossed, doing who-knew-what.

To be honest, compared to Hiv’s rundown tavern, this was what he had always imagined the Adventurer’s Guild to look like.

Lorin walked straight toward an empty counter. Behind it stood a young woman with a round face. She wore a Guild uniform, with a copper nameplate pinned to her collar that read "Vanessa."

"Registering or taking a quest?" Vanessa flashed a practiced, obligatory smile.

"We both need to register. Also, can we undergo a class Rating here?" Lorin asked.

Vanessa showed a look of surprise. She took a serious look at the young man before her, and her smile became much more genuine. "Of course! What class Rating would you like to apply for?"

"A ’Formal’ Warrior."

"Alright! Does your companion need one too?" she asked expectantly.

Two Official Professional Ratings! This was an absolute windfall for her performance quota! Now she could finally afford that new dress she had her eye on the other day...

"He doesn’t need it for now, thanks," Lorin said.

"Alright..." Vanessa looked slightly disappointed. She lowered her head, jotted down a few notes in the ledger, then pulled out two forms from under the counter and pushed them over. "Please fill out these forms first. Additionally, the Guild’s annual membership fee is one Silver Coin, and the Rating evaluation fee is ten Silver Coins," she said.

It wasn’t exactly expensive, but considering the sheer scale of the Adventurer’s Guild, the total membership fees collected must add up to an astronomical sum.

Lorin looked down at the contents of the form: name, age, hometown, class, preferred weapon... It was all basic information. He took out twelve Silver Coins from his waist pouch, handed them over, and leaned against the counter to fill out the form.

"Wait a moment! Sir, did you fill this out incorrectly?" Vanessa looked bewilderedly at the form Pip had submitted, tapping her finger on the section for class and preferred weapon.

"That’s right! Pip is a Barbarian!" the little Dwarf answered.

"Uh, alright... No problem, I’ll register it for you right here, please wait a moment." She didn’t show any further surprise; it seemed the Guild’s training for receptionists was quite strict.

After registering, the little Dwarf received a colorless metal badge, signifying that he was an unranked Adventurer. Most of the Adventurers coming and going in the hall earlier were basically of this level. As for Lorin, he would only receive his badge based on the results after his Rating was completed.

Having filled out the form, he bypassed the counter, crossed the hall following Vanessa’s directions, and walked all the way to a wooden door leading to the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard was a modest square clearing, its ground paved with crushed stone and fine sand. Against the wall stood several straw training dummies. They were strapped in battered old Leather Armor that had seen god knows how many years of service, covered in countless blade scars and arrow holes. A square-faced middle-aged man was leaning against a weapon rack, holding a cup of tea, squinting as he basked in the sun.

"Mr. Glen?" Lorin walked over.

The middle-aged man opened his eyes, glanced at him, and then looked at the form in his hand. "Warrior Rating?"

"Yes."

"Put the form down anywhere. Take out your weapon and let me have a look."

Lorin placed the form on a nearby table and drew the Longsword Rusted Throat from his waist. The sharp blade gleamed with a dazzling, cold light under the sun, looking like it was on a completely different level from the junk on the weapon rack.

Mr. Glen flicked the blade with his finger, and the Longsword let out a crisp hum. He nodded in approval and praised, "Good sword! Pick one of the Combat Skills you are most Skilled at and attack the dummy."

He put down his teacup, walked over to the dummy, and added, "No need for flashy maneuvers. I’m only looking for speed and fluidity."