Knight: "Very well… If the adventurer in question wishes to remain anonymous, the city respects that choice."
"However, please know that the royal guard appreciates this kind of initiative."
A collective sigh rippled through the room, a mixture of disappointment and relief.
Conversations gradually resumed, though the excitement hadn't completely subsided.
Venti felt the tension slowly lift from his shoulders.
Venti: "Good luck finding me now."
"In a few hours, everyone will surely have forgotten this whole affair."
He glanced one last time at the guard, then at the receptionist.
She was still watching him, but she said nothing.
No words, no gestures.
Just a silence heavy with understanding.
The wind around Venti completely died away.
For now, he would remain just another adventurer.
A discreet name in a register, an unremarkable face in a noisy crowd.
But deep down, he knew:
It was only temporary.
One day, he wouldn't need to hide anymore.
The tension having subsided, Venti let his gaze wander for a moment around the guild's great hall.
The adventurers had already resumed their conversations, their laughter, and their tales of missions, as if the guard's announcement had been nothing more than a passing interlude.
He, however, felt a much more mundane reality dawn on him.
Venti: "Wait..."
He blinked, then frowned slightly.
Venti: "Where am I going to sleep tonight...?"
From the moment he woke up on the plains until now, everything had happened so fast that he hadn't even given it a second thought.
He had no house, no reserved room, not even a place to lie down without attracting attention.
Sleeping outside wasn't a very appealing option, especially after having even indirectly attracted the attention of a Ruin Guard.
Even though, in reality, it was he who had rushed towards her as soon as he heard the explosion.
Resigned but calm, Venti turned back to the counter.
He approached the receptionist, this time looking a little more hesitant.
She noticed immediately and looked up from her register.
The receptionist: "Anything else?"
She asked, in a neutral but not unpleasant tone.
Venti lightly scratched his cheek, a slightly embarrassed smile on his lips.
Venti: "Uh… yes."
"I just realized I have nowhere to spend the night."
The receptionist paused, then briefly observed his outfit, his satchel, and his adventurer's crystal still attached to him.
Her expression softened slightly, as if the situation now seemed obvious to her.
The receptionist: "New adventurer, no accommodation."
She murmured, nodding her head.
The receptionist: "Classic."
She opened a drawer under the counter and took out a small notebook, flipping through a few pages with a practiced gesture.
The receptionist: "The guild offers several options."
She explained.
The receptionist: "A partner inn at a reduced rate, or shared rooms reserved for novice adventurers."
"It's not luxurious, but it's safe."
Venti immediately felt relieved.
Venti: "As long as I have a roof over my head and a bed, I'm perfectly happy."
He replied sincerely.
The receptionist gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile before making a note in the register.
The receptionist: "In that case, I'll find something for you."
As she wrote, Venti finally relaxed.
Venti: "A quiet night..."
he thought.
Venti: "That will do me good."
The receptionist finally took out a small map of the city and unfolded it on the counter.
Even though the city was large, the maps depicting it were divided into several pieces to avoid lugging around a huge piece of paper in one's bag.
With a deft movement, she picked up a pencil and drew a circle just a few steps from the guild.
The receptionist: "You won't even need to cross the city."
She said simply.
The receptionist: "The inn is right next door."
Venti leaned over to look.
Indeed, the indicated building shared almost the same wall as the guild.
A discreet inn, but ideally located for adventurers.
Venti: "It's... convenient."
He admitted with a relieved smile.
The receptionist: "The guild's founders knew what they were doing."
The receptionist replied, folding the card.
The receptionist: "Many novice adventurers start here."
She handed him the card. Venti took it carefully and inclined his head slightly.
Venti: "Thank you very much."
"Really."
As he was about to leave, his hand on the strap of his satchel, a thought suddenly struck him.
He stopped dead in his tracks, as if struck by a revelation.
Venti: "Tomorrow..."
He turned slowly toward the quest board, covered with scrolls of all sizes.
The quest board was right next to the receptionist.
It was a large wooden board supported mainly by two pillars attached to the wall.
The wooden board was covered with a multitude of sheets, each representing one of the available quests.
Some were already withdrawn, others still hung, waiting for an adventurer motivated or reckless enough to accept them.
Venti: "Might as well be efficient."
He thought.
Venti: "If I select a quest now, I can leave early tomorrow morning."
He approached the board, momentarily leaving the receptionist behind.
His eyes scanned the titles, quickly assessing the required level, the rewards, the distance, but also, and most importantly, the training potential.
Training potential is something Venti has developed in his mind; it refers to the fact that a quest relies on using an ability so that he can use it again and again to increase his level.
Even though Venti used his teleportation skill and Elementary Anemo Mastery a lot, all his other skills were at level 1.
Venti: "An easy mission... but not a pointless one."
He thought to himself.
Venti: "Something that will allow me to use my skills without drawing too much attention."
The quest board displayed several options:
— Chop some logs: 7000 Moras
— Defeat monsters in the plains: 10000 Moras
— Watch over a child for a day: 4000 Moras
— Clean the moss and seaweed from a dock in the port: 3000 Moras
— Capture fireflies: 5000 Moras
He took a deep breath.
Even before setting foot in the inn, Venti was already planning his next move.
Because he had understood one essential thing: in this world, progress depended not only on strength, but also on foresight.
And he'd had proof of it a few hours earlier; he'd only been supposed to pick a few flowers, and he'd ended up facing A Ruin Guard.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffff
And the wind, true to form, already seemed to whisper that tomorrow would be anything but ordinary.
Venti's gaze slowly slid over the sheets of paper pinned to the board until one caught his eye.
It was simpler than many others, written in neat handwriting, without alarming warnings or excessive danger symbols.
- Slime Extermination: 6000 Mora
He moved slightly closer to read the details:
Slimes have recently appeared near the shore, bothering fishermen and locals who come to harvest salt or shellfish.
Nothing unusual, nothing that would require a seasoned adventurer. A perfect mission for a beginner… but also ideal for practice.
Venti: "The beach…"
He thought.
At that precise moment, an image flashed back to him with surprising clarity.
The sound of the waves, the salty scent carried on the wind… and above all, "the island."
His gaze drifted for a moment, as if he could see beyond the guild walls.
He remembered perfectly what he had glimpsed the day before upon arriving in Rillmont:
That small, isolated island in the middle of the ocean, crowned by a strange stone ring, silent and motionless, almost timeless."
Arlan's had explained its purpose, the danger it represented, and the fear it inspired even in high-level adventurers.
Spiral Abyss Island…
He murmured to himself.
He shook his head slightly, banishing the thought.
It wasn't for now.
He knew it. He was still too weak, too inexperienced.
Yet, the mere fact that this island was so close, visible from the beach, stirred something within him.
An ancient curiosity.
A distant promise.
Venti: "Everything in its own time."
He reminded himself.
He turned his attention back to the quest.
Slimes.
An open environment.
The proximity of the sea and the wind.
Everything seemed almost… appropriate.
He could test his Anemo skills without risking collateral damage, improve his control, perhaps even continue training his teleportation and elemental mastery.
And then, subconsciously, there was something else.
Venti: "The beach is a good place to observe."
He thought.
Venti reached out and gently plucked the paper from the board.
The paper rustled softly, sealing his decision.
Venti: "This will be my next mission."
He carefully put the quest away, a slight smile on his lips.
Tomorrow, he would return to the ocean.
And even though this mission only involved simple slimes, he already sensed that the wind was carrying him there for a deeper reason.
Somewhere, offshore, the silent island still awaited him.
With his quest neatly put away, Venti left the notice board and turned toward the guild's exit.
His gaze lingered briefly on the receptionist, who gave him a slight nod, as if wishing him goodnight in advance.
He responded with a discreet smile, then pushed open the door.
He had barely taken a few steps outside when he found himself facing the inn.
The building was right next to the Adventurers' Guild, separated by only a few meters.
A warm structure of wood and stone, its windows letting in a soft, golden light.
A sign hanging above the door swayed slightly, creaking softly in the sea breeze blowing in from the coast.
Venti paused for a moment to observe the place. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the guild, the inn exuded a calmer, almost comforting atmosphere.
Muffled laughter and the clatter of dishes drifted from inside, signs that it was already bustling with travelers and adventurers seeking rest after a long day.
Venti: "Perfect."
He thought.
Venti: "No need to go far."
He adjusted the strap of his satchel, took a deep breath, and then stepped toward the door.
The wood was warm beneath his hand as he pushed it open, leaving behind the guild's hustle and bustle to enter a place dedicated to rest.
As he crossed the threshold, Venti felt a weariness he had previously ignored finally manifest itself.
His body had endured far more than he admitted:
- Running
- Fighting
- The constant training of his skills
Venti: "A good night's sleep... and tomorrow, the beach."
He said to himself calmly.
And carried away by this simple thought, Venti entered the inn, ready to let the wind rest, at least until dawn.
The next day:
The next morning, Venti stood on the shore, where the land met the sea in a constant murmur of waves.
Venti: "The beach was much closer than I thought."
The pale sand stretched out before him, still fresh from the night, marked here and there by footprints and seashells cast up by the tide.
The air was heavy with the scent of salt, mingled with the cool sea breeze that gently rustled the edges of his clothes.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffff
He took a deep breath.
Venti: "It's calmer than I imagined..."
He thought.
His gaze slowly scanned the beach, alert to the slightest unusual movement.
Slimes were unpredictable creatures:
- Sometimes completely passive
- Sometimes surprisingly aggressive
Venty had realized that slimes were psychologically unpredictable creatures since he had encountered several the day before.
He had met a small one that was afraid of him and two larger ones that wanted to attack him.
Venty: "I wonder how the little Hydro Slime is doing?"
Meanwhile, on the side of the little Hydro Slime:
Plop Plop
The little slime was still having fun splashing around in the grass and the puddle and eating Sweet Flowers.
Plop plop
Since slimes have poor memories, he didn't remember that the day before, he had met a young boy dressed in green who had decided to spare him.
Plop plop
But he was happy.
Back at Venti's side:
Venti: "I've been walking for about ten minutes and I haven't found any slimes."
He knew they could be partially hidden in the damp sand or near rocks polished by the water.
Every nook and cranny could conceal one.
Venti advanced with measured steps, letting his boots sink slightly into the sand.
With each gust of wind, fine particles rose around him before settling back down.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffff
Nothing, for now.
Venti: "Hmm."
His attention was then drawn to the horizon.
There, far out in the middle of the ocean, a dark shape was barely visible.
It was just a tiny fragment of land visible from the beach, almost insignificant at that distance, but distinct enough not to be mistaken for a simple vague.
Venti: "Spiral Abyss Island."
Even from this distance, it seemed different from the rest of the landscape, still, silent.
Venti squinted slightly, trying to make out more, but the distance and the light sea mist limited his vision.
He could only see a sliver of dark rock emerging from the water, as if the rest refused to reveal itself.
Venti: "It's still there..."
He thought.
A subtle shiver ran through him.
Not fear, but curiosity mixed with caution.
He knew what this place represented, at least in part.
It wasn't a place for now.
Not for someone at his level.
Yet, its mere presence on the horizon seemed to watch him back, silent and patient.
Venti finally looked away.
Venti: "Focus."
He remembered.
Venti: "Slimes first."
He resumed his search, walking along the beach, attentive to strange ripples in the shallow water and suspicious piles of sand.
The wind blew a little harder, as if to encourage him onward.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffff
The mission was simple, certainly.
But Venti now knew that even the most mundane tasks could hide much more… especially when walking on a beach that faced a future still beyond reach.
Venti: "These slimes are damn hard to find."
Suddenly, a strange sound broke the stillness of the shore.
Plop plop
Venti froze instantly.
Venti: "Finally."
His footsteps stopped leaving footprints in the sand, and the wind around him seemed to slow down, as if holding its breath along with him.
That sound… he recognized it. It was neither natural nor the simple lapping of waves.
Plop plop
A wet, elastic, almost ridiculous sound—and yet revealing.
Venti: "Slimes…"
He thought immediately.
He slowly turned his head in the direction of the sound, his senses on high alert.
Between two rocks partially covered in seaweed, near the point where the water lapped the sand, something was moving.
A translucent mass deformed, crashing slightly against the ground before resuming its rounded shape.
Plop plop
The sound repeated itself, accompanied by a slight rustling in the air.
A little further away, a second shape appeared, then a third.
The creatures seemed to slowly emerge from the water or rise from the damp sand, drawn by his presence.
Venti narrowed his eyes, assessing the situation.
Venti: "At least they're grouped together..."
He felt the Anemo energy flow more strongly within him, as if the wind had recognized the threat even before he acted.
His posture subtly changed:
- More grounded
- More ready.
His hand instinctively moved closer to where his bow usually appeared.
The slimes, oblivious to the slight danger they posed, continued to hop clumsily, their gelatinous bodies making that characteristic crunching sound with each impact.
Plop plop
The battle was finally about to begin.
Venti: "Time to level up."
Chapter 17: Spiral Abyss Island
The End