After searching for hours, Shyam finally gathered every Blue White Herb and all fifteen of the slime ES.
Though, while doing so, he increased his level to ten. Now his MP capacity rose to two hundred, and he also unlocked an LP bar.
With his increased MP recovery rate, he tried using Fireball and was surprised by just how well it worked.
His dream of burning enemies into ashes still hadn't come true—since Fireball didn't leave any ash. A little sad, a little happy, Shyam returned to the village in the evening.
He soon reached the Adventurers Guild and handed in the Blue White Herbs, Red Tiger Grass, and all fifteen slime ES. The receptionist looked a bit surprised by his efficiency.
Shyam took his reward, and that's when he remembered he had the Golden Stripes Boar ES—the one he had killed during his forest journey. He pulled it out and showed it to the receptionist, not expecting anything more than a silver coin.
But as soon as he placed it on the counter, the receptionist's eyes widened in shock. She pointed at the ES and murmured,
"Y-You kil… killed it?" Her voice stuttered like she'd just seen a ghost.
"Ye-yeah, is that a problem?" Shyam asked. Seeing her react that way, he started wondering if maybe he shouldn't have killed it.
She took a deep breath and calmed herself.
"No, actually, it's just... this monster is powerful. So powerful that even a party of five F-rank adventurers couldn't defeat it. I was just surprised, is all," she said as she placed it into a bag and handed it to someone.
Matters like these were out of her authority, so she sent the ES to the Guild Master of Kamalgram.
Shyam was a little surprised by their reaction, but he waited. A few moments later, another receptionist returned with a bag full of coins and handed it to Shyam.
"The Guild Master has called for you, sir," she said, voice still shaky like they were all scared of something.
Shyam followed her and was soon led into a private room. Inside sat an old man on a chair, staring at the Golden Stripes Boar ES like it was some holy relic.
Once Shyam was inside, the receptionist left.
He stood silently. He knew there were people called Guild Masters who oversaw the guilds, but he hadn't expected to meet one so soon.
"Are you the adventurer who killed the Golden Stripes Boar?" asked the old man, still holding the ES like a treasure of hope.
Shyam nodded. "Yes."
The Guild Master placed the ES on the table and said,
"Even a D-rank adventurer would struggle to defeat this beast. It proves you're worthy of a promotion—but I'm afraid I can't promote you without a valid procedure. So, I need you to take this down first," he said, handing Shyam a document.
After reading it, Shyam placed the paper back on the table and closed his eyes—not because he was unsure, but because he needed to process everything. It all happened too fast. One minute he was handing in an ES, the next he was summoned by the Guild Master.
"So? What do you think?" the Guild Master asked, staring straight at him. The reward was high, and upon completion, he'd be promoted to E-rank. Otherwise, he still had five more quests to do if he wanted to climb the standard way.
So, he chose the shortcut.
Although the beast was said to be slightly weaker than the Golden Stripes Boar, its reflexes made it a worthy opponent. Both couldn't be taken lightly.
"Sure, I'll take it," Shyam replied.
"Great! Thank you, adventurer. Also… may I know your name?" asked the Guild Master, handing over a copy of the quest.
Guilds often offered special tests to skilled adventurers to better assess their potential.
"It's Shyam," he answered, then turned and walked toward a nearby tavern.
The day's tasks had already worn him down—he was hungry.
He found a quiet seat near the corner. Alone. Unbothered.
He opened the bag he'd been given as a reward for the Golden Stripes Boar… but closed it with just a quick peek.
"Over 25 silver coins!" Shyam thought. Words like that shouldn't be said aloud.
"Who would've thought something like that would be worth so much?" he muttered as he picked up the menu and ordered some ordinary food.
Finally—food with actual taste. Not the saltless survival junk he ate on the road. Soon, the food arrived. It wasn't fancy, but it looked way better than what he had during his journey.
It smelled so good, Shyam might've passed out from happiness.
That night, he had one of the best meals—second only to the ones made by his wife. Afterward, he returned to the inn and crashed straight into bed.
Tomorrow was the big day: his rank test.
After a good night's sleep, he woke up refreshed, feeling better than ever. Maybe it was the food.
He left the inn and headed straight to the task location.
He didn't need to visit the guild today—he had already accepted the task the night before.
"All right, time to test Fireball's real limit," Shyam muttered before stepping into a cave.
It was dark, but since it was daytime, he could see fairly well.
The cave wasn't big, nor deep—just small and creepy. But the aura it gave off from the entrance was enough to keep any normal person far, far away.
According to the report given by the Guild Master, a large red lizard was hiding inside. The task was meant for a party of three E-rank adventurers.
But even those full E-rank parties feared this lizard—its senses were sharp, and its reflexes even sharper.
Though not as strong as the Golden Stripes Boar, its speed made it a serious threat.
Just a few steps into the cave, Shyam heard a strange sound—a growl warning him to stay away.
But Shyam didn't flinch. He unsheathed his sword and gripped it tightly. This battle would decide whether he got promoted or had to grind it out the long way.
No going back now.
Suddenly, a small rock flew toward him—faster than expected—but Field Sense had already warned him. He sliced through the rock mid-air and dashed in the direction it came from.
There it was. A large red-scaled lizard, shining even in the cave's darkness.
Shyam stopped for a moment, analyzed the surroundings, then tightened his grip and dashed toward it with full force.
He aimed to end it in one blow—but the lizard moved with lightning speed. Just as described.
Shyam quickly adjusted his path and chased it again, but the lizard had other plans. It leapt high, twisted mid-air for a better angle, and then shot downward at Shyam like a meteor. Legs extended—it was a deadly strike.
"What the hell…" Shyam whispered. Time slowed. He was down below, hoping the lizard would miss.
"NOT TODAY!" he shouted, pulling up his sword in one swift motion.
The lizard was caught off guard—too late to dodge.
SLAANG!
The blade sliced through the lizard from tail to neck. Blood sprayed like a fountain.
"P-Player…?" the lizard murmured, as if realizing too late who it was dealing with. Then it took its final breath.
"Well… that was scary," Shyam mumbled, wiping the sweat and extracting the ES.
---
[EXP +700]
[Level: 7 → 14]
[L1-T1 BOSS KILLED — REWARD: 100V-GOLD COINS / UNDEAD BOW / 500 FLINT ARROWS]
[FIELD SENSE > GREATER SENSE]
Multiple system windows popped up.
"100V-Gold? What's that?" Shyam asked, confused. He thought earning coins was supposed to be hard. So how…?
"That's virtual gold coin. It can only be used inside your shop or auction. Though the items bought can be brought into reality," Raitha replied, her eyes glued to the lizard ES.
"Hmm, that's good. But can you stop staring at the ES? I need it to complete the task," Shyam said, slipping the ES into his bag.
And with that, he started his journey back to Kamalgram.