By the time the jagged spire of the city loomed close enough to blot out part of the sky, Jae-hyun's legs were ready to mutiny. His uniform was caked in dirt, his shoes looked like they'd lost a fight with a blender, and his stomach had been running on fumes since sunrise.
But when the walls of Ironspire finally came into full view, even he had to stop and stare.
The city was massive — far larger than he expected. A black-stone wall rose high above the surrounding fields, its surface carved with faint glowing runes that pulsed slowly, almost like a heartbeat. The spire itself, towering above everything, looked like it had been stabbed into the heart of the city by a god. Black metal, sharp edges, and faint sparks of lightning arced around its tip like storm clouds gathering. At its base sprawled a living, breathing metropolis: markets spilling into the streets, smoke rising from smithies, and towers of stone and wood stacked tightly together like an organized chaos.
Even from this distance, the noise carried — shouting vendors, clattering hooves, laughter and argument blending into one endless hum.
Jae-hyun whistled low. "Well… damn. That's not your average medieval town. That's a straight-up fantasy MMORPG capital city."
The closer he got, the louder the chaos became. A long line stretched outside the gates — merchants with covered wagons loaded with goods, adventurers in mismatched armor groups, farmers balancing baskets of produce, even a caravan of brightly colored tents pulled by massive lizard-like beasts. Guards in dark steel armor flanked the gates, their spears faintly glowing with enchantments.
Jae-hyun shuffled into the line, ignoring the stares his ruined school uniform attracted. He could practically hear people whispering behind him.
Who's the bum with the black hair? Runaway noble brat? Some farmer's lost son?
He tugged his shirt tighter around himself, muttering under his breath. "Yeah, laugh it up. I'm just cosplaying the 'broke transfer student who stumbled into the wrong server.' Totally intentional."
After what felt like hours, he finally reached the front. One of the guards — a tall man with a scar across his nose — raised a glowing crystal. "Name?"
"Uh… Jae-hyun." He hesitated a second before giving his real name. No point lying. What was he going to say, Steve from Accounting?
The crystal pulsed faintly, then dimmed. The guard gave him a once-over with a skeptical eyebrow. "…First time in Ironspire?"
"Y-yeah. Just… exploring."
The guard didn't bother pressing, just grunted and waved him through. "Don't cause trouble."
Jae-hyun stepped through the gates and into another world.
The city hit him like a tidal wave. The smell of roasted meat and fresh bread mingled with the metallic tang of blacksmiths' forges. Children darted between carts, clutching wooden toys. Adventurers swaggered past in gleaming armor, swords clanging at their sides, laughing loud enough for half the street to hear. Shopkeepers shouted prices over one another while customers haggled like their lives depended on it.
His eyes darted everywhere at once, drinking it in.
A trio of armored knights rode past, their cloaks embroidered with a golden lion. A hooded mage stood on a corner, conjuring small sparks of flame to amuse a crowd of kids. A pair of beastfolk — wolf ears twitching atop their heads — carried barrels into a tavern.
"Holy crap," Jae-hyun muttered. "This is… actually kind of awesome."
But his stomach quickly reminded him what was really important. It growled so loud the guy walking in front of him actually turned around.
"Food first," he told himself. "Epic hero stuff later."
Finding the Adventurers' Guild wasn't hard. It was practically a landmark in itself — a sprawling, fortress-like building of dark timber and stone, its double doors wide open to the flood of people going in and out. Above the entrance, a massive insignia had been carved: crossed swords beneath Ironspire's spire symbol.
Inside, the noise was even louder. A bar ran along one wall where groups of rowdy adventurers were already halfway drunk, mugs slamming against tables as they shouted. Quest boards stretched along the opposite wall, plastered with parchment notices. A spiral staircase wound up to a second floor that overlooked the main hall.
Jae-hyun slipped toward the front desk, weaving through clusters of adventurers. He felt every set of eyes glance at him, sizing him up. His school uniform stood out like a sore thumb among leather armor, chainmail, and robes.
The receptionist — a sharp-looking woman in glasses with her hair tied into a bun — was flipping through a stack of papers. When she finally noticed him, her professional smile clicked into place.
"Welcome to the Ironspire Adventurers' Guild. Are you here to register?"
Jae-hyun nodded quickly. "Yeah. First time."
She slid a small glowing orb across the counter. "Place your hand on this. It will display your stats for record purposes. Don't worry — basic information only. Level, skill rank, and known abilities."
Jae-hyun's heart sank. Oh crap. My panel. They're gonna see it. I'm dead.
Still, he pressed his hand against the orb. It glowed faintly, then projected his information above it.
Name: Jae-hyun
Level: 1
Skill: Minor Copy (F Rank)
That was it. No flashy titles. No walls of abilities. Just a single, lonely F-Rank.
The receptionist's polite smile faltered for just a fraction of a second. "…Oh. Minor Copy. An F-Rank skill. How… unusual."
The adventurers nearby had already noticed. A few leaned over to get a better look at the glowing projection. Snickers started bubbling up.
A scarred man with an axe on his back barked a laugh. "Oi, what the hell is that supposed to be? 'Minor Copy'? Kid, what're you gonna do, copy the dirt under my boots?"
More laughter erupted around him.
Another chimed in, smirking. "No, no. Maybe he can copy our shadows! Hah! Now that'd be useful, eh?"
The scarred man shook his head. "Pathetic. You'll be lucky to make it out of the stables, kid. Hope you like cleaning goblin piss, 'cause that's about all you'll be good for."
Jae-hyun's smile froze on his face, though inside his head he was screaming. Oh fantastic. First day at the guild and I'm already the meme of the week. Can I go home now?
The receptionist cleared her throat, sliding a small metal plate toward him. "Regardless, you are now officially registered. This is your guild card. It will track your quests, achievements, and rank. Please take care of it."
Jae-hyun picked it up. His name and rank were etched into the surface in neat letters:
Guild Card
Name: Jae-hyun
Rank: F
He pocketed it, fists clenched tight. Fine. Laugh now. But someday, when I'm standing on top of this city, I'll shove this 'useless skill' right down your throats. Just you wait.
He turned toward the quest board. Dozens of sheets flapped in the breeze from the open door. Most were low-level requests: kill three goblins, gather herbs near the forest, escort farmers to a nearby village.
Jae-hyun grinned faintly.
"Alright. Step one: get money. Step two: prove I'm not the weakest. Step three: eat until I pass out."
With that, his first real adventure in Ironspire City began.