He opened the heavy front door, inside a murmur of voices. He could see people with all hair colors, every height and every weapon imaginable. He could feel the heavy air weighing down on him. The room he was in was big and high to the roof. To the left side was a big display board with all kinds of quest. He couldn't quite make out all of them, but he could see a few monster - also called magical beasts - hunting quest, escort quests and scouting quests. To the right side were a few big tables with maps on them. A few groups standing around them quietly strategizing. In front of him was a desk with three people standing. He assumed they were workers considering they had matching uniforms. Surprisingly the line wasn't very long. Maybe because most people around here were already registered, he thought. He walked towards the que his senses sharp. Even if it was a guild, you could never be too sure. He didn't want to get caught up in some huge mess. He remained aware of his surroundings the entire time he was waiting.
As the man in front of him, a high man with wide shoulders and a couple of scars across his face, finished he steeped forward. The worker helping him frowned. He was a middle-aged man with sparks of grey hair. His eyes beaming with the kind of wisdom you could only gain of year sof experience. By his reaction Toya figured it wasn't everyday he saw a kid coming in. Either way Toya put on the same fake smile he had when he talked to the guards back when he arrived in the town. He talked in a warm but serious voice:
"Hello, I am here to register as an adventurer."
"Name and age" he asked in a tone that reminded Toya of the major.
"The name is Toya, and I am 10 years old." He replied unfaced. The worker looked at him for a second then sighed.
"Seems like you aren't from this town. You have to be at least 12 years to register" he paused. "But you can take a test to see your skills or maybe even hidden skills and magical attribute if you're lucky." Toya nodded in reply. The worker excused himself to get the stuff needed for the test. Toya was a little down by the fact that he wouldn't be able to register, but it wasn't like he wouldn't be able to travel. It didn't take long for the worker to return with some paper in hand.
He asked Toya if he knew how it worked. Toya knew a little about how it worked based on what his mother had told him, but just to be on the safe side he asked the worker to explain. The worker nodded and explained.
"You just have to pour your mana into the paper, when you do your skills, hidden skills and magic attributes will appear - that is if you have any. You will also be able to see how much mana you got at the bottom of the page. Your skills will be written at the top. Below that, will your hidden skills appear and even further down your magic attributes. They're separated to make it easier to read." Toya could see the logic behind it, but he was curious as how it was possible for a paper to do those kinds of things. The problem was that he didn't know how to pour his magic into it, but when he asked the worker said it happens automatically. He was still a little skeptical about the matter, but the curiosity got the better of him. He took the piece of paper from the worker's hand. Almost immediately he felt a warm sensation flow through his vein, pouring into the paper. He could slowly see the words forming on the paper, his eyes widening. On the other side of the counter the worker gulped and unintentionally took a step back. His skin beginning to pale, his eyes fixated on the paper.
Toya barely got to take a breath before he opened his mouth to ask something, but he was interrupted. The door to the guild smacked open, a crack running through the building. A guard stumbled in, breathless holding his left arm, blood underneath.
"Monsters! From the east gate! Ash hounds, and something different, moving fast!" A silence filled the room followed with a burst of panic and chaos. But without hesitation Toya bolted past the guard towards the door. The sheet of paper left on the counter with the stunned worker. He didn't call after him, he couldn't. His mouth was dry, his hands trembling.
"Are you alright?" another worker asked, coming towards him. "You look like you have seen a ghost." The older man didn't reply at first. His eyes fixed on the paper as if he stared long enough it would change. The other worker glanced down. Narrowing his eyes, then widening.
"Wait, is this...?"
"I thought it was only a story" the older man said quietly "a story meant to scare children or fools who longed for power." He looked to the open door where Toya had vanished.
"What kind of life has that kid lived… to awaken that?" His voice was cracking. He looked again down at the paper, nothing changed. "A hidden skill written in red."