Balin stared at Shinji with an unreadable expression, as if he were looking at an impossible bug in the system.
The entire Guild was frozen in silence, their eyes fixed on the number in the crystal orb.
Shinji, still completely oblivious, only felt an odd and intense quiet that made the hairs on his arms stand up.
Why is everyone so quiet? Did I accidentally trigger a cutscene? he wondered, ignoring the strange stares.
"Balin, what's wrong?" Shinji asked innocently. "What does that number mean? Is it some kind of lucky stat bug? It's not like it affects my combat prowess anyway, right?"
Balin simply shook his head slowly, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "That number... that's... just forget it. Listen to me, kid," Balin lowered his voice, his eyes fixed on Shinji's.
"Never, ever, tell anyone about that stat. Never!" His voice, full of a chilling mixture of fear and threat, made Shinji fall silent.
Before he could ask for more details, the Guild's heavy wooden door creaked open, and the silence was broken.
A woman walked in, and instantly, every eye in the Guild, including Shinji's, turned to her. She moved with a confident, graceful stride.
Her silver hair was tied in a doubletail, revealing her long, slender neck. She wore form-fitting leather armor that accentuated her full, beautiful curves.
Her chest, which seemed to defy the laws of gravity, and a slim waist captivated Shinji. A sword scabbard hung from her hip, and a small dagger was tucked into her high boots.
Oh my god... she's perfect. A max-level female character. She's like the goddess on my favorite game's cover, but real... and with even better stats. No, wait, that's not possible, right? Shinji's mind went blank, his jaw dropping reflexively. She radiated an incredible aura of strength and beauty.
The woman walked directly to Balin's desk, her gaze cool and focused, ignoring the crowd that was now watching her in awe. "Balin, I've finished the mission in the Dark Forest," she said, her voice clear and full of authority.
Balin, who had been nervous a moment ago, now smiled warmly. "Welcome back, Lena. We were waiting for you."
Balin took out a large pouch of coins. "Your reward is ready."
Lena nodded. As she took the pouch, her sea-blue eyes suddenly turned and locked onto Shinji.
Her gaze swept over him, from his coarse new clothes to the ridiculous wooden sword he was holding, and finally to his still-innocent face.
A small, amused smile appeared on her lips. "Who is he?" she asked Balin, her voice a little playful.
Shinji felt all the blood rush to his head. Oh no. Here we go again. Humiliation mode, activated. He tried to hide his wooden sword behind his back, but it only made him look more ridiculous.
Balin sighed. "He's a new adventurer. Name's Shinji, Rank F."
Lena stared at Shinji from head to toe, her look now more intense. "Rank F?" She gave a small chuckle. "And that sword... is made of wood?"
Okay, here it comes. The laughter. Just brace for it. Shinji closed his eyes, bracing for the next wave of mockery.
But this time, no one laughed. Everyone in the Guild was silent, perhaps out of respect for Lena.
Shinji's face grew hot. He could only stand there, silent, feeling all eyes on him once again.
Lena turned back to Balin. "Balin, I heard a strange rumor about a naked kid who fell from the sky. Could he be...?"
Balin didn't answer, just shook his head slightly, a silent warning. Lena smiled, her eyes returning to Shinji. "Interesting. Very interesting."
Suddenly, Lena walked over to Shinji. A soft scent of floral perfume wafted over him as she approached, making his heart race. She held out her hand. "I'm Lena. A Rank A adventurer. It's a pleasure to meet you... Shinji."
Shinji's heart pounded even faster. His hands trembled as he took Lena's. The touch of her hand was warm and soft.
But suddenly, he felt something more, a strange vibration, a magical energy that felt like a warm, soothing current flowing into her, and a strange coldness flowing out of her. Lena's eyes widened slightly.
Her smile vanished, replaced by a serious, questioning expression. She stared at Shinji with a deep gaze, as if trying to read his soul.
"You..." she murmured, her voice barely a whisper, a mix of disbelief and a quiet desperation. "There is something very strange about you."
Shinji could only swallow, not knowing how to respond. She can feel it too? Not just think I'm crazy? For the first time, someone actually felt the weirdness. In all this commotion, he felt, for the first time, that he was not alone.
With a hint of reluctance, Shinji walked out of the Guild, followed by Lena. All the way to the city gate, he could hear the whispers of the people around them.
"Look, Lena, the Rank A Adventurer... why is she with that weird kid?"
"Maybe she adopted him?"
"He's carrying a wooden sword? Does he think this is a play?"
Every whisper felt like a small jab to his heart. Shinji kept his head down, wishing he could just disappear. I just wanted to finish my quest, get some money, and go back to a quiet life. Why is this happening?
"You look tense," Lena's voice suddenly came from beside him, making Shinji jump. Her floral perfume filled the air.
"N-no! I'm not tense!" Shinji replied, his voice a little squeaky. "I'm just... focused on the mission! Every good hero is focused!"
Lena let out a soft chuckle. "Focused, are you? With that wooden sword?"
Shinji gripped his wooden sword tighter. He felt his pride being constantly trampled by this beautiful woman. Just you wait! This wooden sword will... well... maybe not destroy, but it will at least knock out a wolf!
They finally arrived at the city gate. The gate guards saluted Lena but looked at Shinji with a confused expression. Shinji could only lower his head.
After passing through the gate, the Green Forest stretched out before them.
The air was cooler and fresher, smelling of wet earth and leaves.
The sound of birds chirping and the rustling of wind in the trees filled the silence.
Shinji took out his small map. He unfolded it and compared the route with his gaming memory. Okay, in games, wolf dens are usually near a river or a cliff. This map shows a river right there... This is it! He walked confidently, wooden sword in hand, with Lena following casually behind him.
"Where are we going?" Lena asked calmly, a slight smirk on her face. "Not that I mind a good chase, but it's been a while since I've just... walked without being attacked by something."
"Of course I know where we're going!" Shinji replied. "This forest... is very similar to a dungeon in a game. I have the entire map in my head!" Lena didn't say anything more, but Shinji could feel her curious gaze.
They walked deeper into the forest. Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps came from the bushes. Shinji, his reflexes honed, immediately braced himself.
A large wolf, with gray fur and menacing yellow eyes, emerged from the bushes. The wolf growled, baring its fangs.
Shinji flinched. Damn it! This isn't a level 1 wolf! It's a mini-boss, and it's supposed to be much deeper in the dungeon!
"That's a Rank E wolf," Lena said calmly behind him. "It's strong enough to kill a beginner. This is what I live for."
Shinji swallowed hard. His heart hammered against his ribs. His hands were slick with sweat as he looked at his wooden sword, then at the wolf, then at Lena.
He swung his wooden sword, but the wolf leaped towards him, its yellow eyes locked on his throat. Shinji closed his eyes, bracing for the pain. But... nothing happened.
Thump!
When Shinji opened his eyes, he saw the wolf had slipped, its head hitting a large rock nearby. The wolf was instantly knocked unconscious, not moving.
Shinji was stunned. Lena, behind him, stared at the wolf with wide eyes, her jaw slightly ajar. She looked completely bewildered, a crack in her usually composed facade.
Shinji, still confused, looked around. He saw a small, perfectly round pebble that seemed to have just rolled and caused the wolf to trip.
LUCK: 999. The thought flashed in his mind. It's... it's real. My luck stat. It's not a bug, it's my power.
Shinji tried to maintain a professional expression, his heart still pounding.
He walked towards the unconscious wolf, stomped on its neck, then took out a small knife he had bought earlier.
With a slightly shaky motion, he managed to cut off a piece of the wolf's hide.
He turned back to Lena, holding the piece of wolf hide proudly. "Just lucky," he said, in a tone he hoped sounded cool.
Lena just stared at him with an expression that was impossible to read.
Her eyes narrowed, and her lips curled into a slight smile, as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.
"Just lucky, huh?" she muttered. "I'm sure it was."