The blonde-haired woman turned toward Mark with a confident grin.
"Name's Aurora. When you get back to town, ask for me at the guild."
Mark scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Aw—yeah, yeah... I'll do that."
She gave him a wink before raising her hand. The massive monster, still pinned beneath golden spears, shimmered. Its form twisted into a golden orb that shrank rapidly before floating gently into her palm.
Without another word, Aurora dashed toward town, calling out over her shoulder:
"See you at the guild, cutie!"
Mark stood there stunned, his face frozen in disbelief.
Ding!
> [Mission 1: Defeat the King of the Midnight Forest – Complete]
[Reward: 3,000 EXP]
[LEVEL 2 Achieved]
New Ability Unlocked
Ash Transmutation – Your body can now manipulate ash to modify itself, allowing transformation into weapons or forms of your choosing.
Mark snapped out of his daze, blinking.
"Wait… a new ability? Hold on—why do I need to unlock them piece by piece? Wouldn't it be better to get all of them up front?"
> [Incorrect. Your body needs time to acclimate. If you received full access to all ash-based abilities immediately, your system would destabilize and you'd incinerate from the inside out.]
Mark's eyes widened. He clutched his chest, a shiver running down his spine.
"Okay… yeah, that sounds terrifying."
> [Indeed.]
Mark sighed. "Alright then, what's the next mission?"
> [Mission 2: Convince Aurora to lend you aid in your fight against King Nexus.]
His eyes lit up.
"Oh? So I get to see that blonde-haired beauty again. Well, makes sense—she seems insanely powerful. Alright, let's go."
He turned his skeletal steed back toward the town and trotted forward.
When Mark re-entered the city's outer edge, the devastation hit him like a wave.
Buildings were collapsed into splinters. Chunks of stone littered the ground. Civilians were digging through rubble, salvaging what was left of their homes. A small child cried beside a broken well, holding a cracked doll.
Water mages worked tirelessly to douse lingering fires. Earth mages reconstructed stone walls. Nature mages summoned roots to brace collapsing homes. It was chaos—but at least it was hopeful chaos.
Everyone, even the wounded, was pitching in.
Mark slowed his horse and whispered under his breath:
"… did i really save this place? "
Ding!
> [Don't be dismayed. Had you not intervened, the city would've taken even greater damage.]
Mark sighed and muttered under his breath, "I guess you're right."
He continued through the wreckage, weaving between mages and villagers. Spotting a nearby mage putting out a fire with water magic, Mark asked where to find the guild.
She pointed toward the town center. "That large mansion-looking place, the one with the floating crystals."
Mark thanked her, then made his way toward the building. He paused at the gates, gazing up at its towering structure—mansion-like, with glowing runes and dozens of floating crystals orbiting the roof.
"Man, this thing's massive… and what are those crystals?"
Ding!
> [Those are barrier crystals. They shield the guild from external attacks.]
"So that's why this place isn't damaged."
> [Correct.]
Mark entered the guild, passing by injured adventurers and Sisters of the Church tending to the wounded. The atmosphere was a blend of magic, medicine, and muffled groans. But near the front desk, a different scene was unfolding.
A swordsman towered over the receptionist, clearly agitated.
"This isn't the payment we agreed on, you bitch!"
The receptionist kept her tone calm. "Please, we'll get you the rest soon. Funds are low due to the rebuilding effort—"
"You think I'm stupid?! You're trying to rob me. Fork it up now!" he shouted, raising his hand to strike.
Before his arm could come down, a black chain of ash wrapped around it mid-air.
"What the hell—?!"
Before the swordsman could even turn around, Mark materialized a heavy hammer from swirling ash and slammed it into the back of the man's head. The thug collapsed instantly.
"Well, that guy was annoying," Mark muttered, stepping past the body to face the stunned receptionist.
Ding!
> [Note: If that were a normal human from Earth, you would've just killed him.]
Mark whispered back, "Yeah, I know…"
The receptionist blinked in surprise, then managed a grateful nod.
"Thank you for stepping in. But if you're here to claim a mission reward, I'm afraid we're out of funds for now."
Mark shook his head. "No, I'm not here for money. I'm here to meet someone."
The receptionist looked relieved. "Who are you looking for?"
"A blonde-haired woman named Aurora."
She froze. A long pause.
"I'm sorry, but the Guildmaster is currently busy."
Mark stepped back in shock. "Wait—she's the Guildmaster?"
She stared at him, unimpressed. "Are you seriously saying you didn't know that?"
Mark raised both hands defensively. "I'm not from around here, okay? I met her after I helped fight off that monster outside the village."
The receptionist blinked, then burst out laughing.
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA! You? You seriously think I'm gonna believe that? You barely look like you could handle a goblin, much less the King of the Midnight Forest! That's gold."
Mark's face deadpanned, his patience cracking.
"…Maybe I should have let that swordsman knock her out."
Ding!
> [I agree.]
Then a voice rang out from the upstairs balcony.
"Hey! You're that guy!"
Mark looked up. It was Magnus, the energetic mage from the adventurer party he'd helped earlier. Without hesitation, she leapt over the railing and landed on the front desk, startling the receptionist into falling backward.
"Ouch!"
In unison, both Mark and the system thought:
"Kamara."
Magnus crouched on the desk and extended a hand with a grin.
"Name's Magnus. Pleased to meet ya."
Mark shook her hand. "Mark. Same to you."
He thought to himself, At least someone in here respects me.
Magnus nodded, then said, "I overheard your little convo. You're looking for Aurora, right? Come on, I'll take you to her."
Mark's shoulders relaxed. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
"No problem!" Magnus grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the stairs.
As they ascended, Mark turned and flashed a smug grin at the receptionist below.
She scowled and flipped him off without a word.
Mark just grinned wider.
Magnus led Mark down the hallway, grinning like a child.She stopped at a largeand Without knocking, she kicked it open.
"Yo, Aurora! You got a visitor!"
SLAM!
A book flew through the air and smacked Magnus square in the face.
"Gwah!" she grunted, stumbling.
The culprit, Alice, the stern knight and team leader, stood near a tall bookshelf with a deadpan expression.
"Magnus, can you please enter a room like you have sense?"
Magnus peeled the book off her face, muttering, "Come on, where's the fun in that?"
SMACK!
Another book nailed her in the forehead, knocking her flat on the floor.
Alice sighed, then turned to Mark with a raised brow.
"Who is this? Magnus, you know you're not supposed to bring random guests into the Guildmaster's office."
Magnus groaned from the floor, "But…!"
Before she could finish, the sound of shattering glass interrupted them.
CRASH!
From behind her desk, Aurora suddenly jumped through the window, glass trailing behind her cloak like petals.
"Oh! It's you from the forest," she beamed, landing gracefully behind the desk. "Sorry, I never got your name."
Mark, still overwhelmed, stammered, "Oh… It's Mark."
Aurora smirked. "Cute name. And look—everyone's here."
She leapt onto her desk and sat down cross-legged, her blonde hair catching the light from a floating lantern.
"First off, thank you for helping get that monster out of town. You've earned a reward, but… fair warning, it might take us some time to repay you."
Mark nodded. "Actually, I'm not here for a reward. I need your help.
"I was sent here by one of the Ancient Kings—Miss Flora—to recruit people to help fight Nexus."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Gin, the archer from earlier lounging near the back wall, burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! You've gotta be joking, dude! No one's seen the Seven Ancient Kings in over fifty years!"
THWACK!
A book smacked Gin directly in the face.
"Aww—damn it!" he groaned, rubbing his nose.
Aurora, still seated on her desk, didn't miss a beat.
"Sorry for my acoustic outburst," she said with an unapologetic smile, "but he's kind of right. Do you have any proof?"
Mark froze. He hadn't thought this part through.
Ding!
> [Show the Guildmaster the eye in your chest.]
"Oh, right…" Mark mumbled, reaching for his shirt.
He pulled it off, revealing the crystal blue eye embedded in the center of his chest. The mystical orb gleamed with a soft glow, pulsing like a heartbeat. The air around it felt different—older, more reverent.
Aurora's eyes widened.
"That's Flora's mark… the Sapphire Gaze. He's legit."
She stood up from the desk, her tone shifting instantly to serious.
She stepped forward, then bowed deeply before Mark.
"Knight of Flora, second greatest of the Ancient Kings and Queen of the Seven Great Clans of Gaia… what are your commands?"
Everyone in the room—Magnus, Alice, even Gin—followed suit, bowing their heads in solemn respect.
Mark blinked, overwhelmed.
"…What the—?" he whispered under his breath.