From Disposable Prince to Level 9999: Forbidden Evolution

6. Adventurer's guild and D rank

AT THE SAME TIME

HUAN

The gates swallowed me into noise and motion. Stone streets, iron lanterns. The smell of bread, sweat, oil, and steel. The capital was alive in a way the forest never could be. I kept my pace steady, posture relaxed but alert. My horns pressed lightly against the inside of my hood. My tail stayed concealed beneath my coat, moving only when needed for balance. The Adventurer's guild stood three streets in from the main avenue broad stone building, twin blade emblem mounted above the doors. Voices spilled from inside. Laughter, arguments, coin clinking as I stepped inside.

Conversations dipped slightly when I entered, but only slightly. A beastkin with wolf ears barely glanced up. A tall man with faint scales along his jaw continued drinking. Hybrids were common here. Good. I approached the reception desk. A woman with ash brown hair tied neatly behind her head looked up from the paperwork. Her expression was sharp but not unfriendly.

"Welcome to the Adventurer's guil." She said. "Name?"

"Huan Black."I said.

The lie came smoothly.

"Host congrulations on your new inkognito name: Huan Black."The system said.

"First time registering?"She dipped her pen into ink.

"Yes."I said.

She studied me briefly, measured, professional.

"I'm Ina." She said. "Guild clerk. I will be handling your assessment."

"Understood."I inclined my head slightly.

She slid a thin metal plate across the counter. 

"Place your hand here."She said.

I did and the plate warmed beneath my palm. A faint pulse of energy traveled up my arm. My horns tingled. Ina’s eyes flicked to a small crystal embedded in the desk. It glowed faintly.

"Hmm." She murmured. "Physical conditioning above average. Magical affinity present. Control stable." She glanced back at me. "You have fought before."

"Yes."I said.

"Recently."She said.

"Yes."I said.

"Good. That makes this easier."A faint smile touched her lips. 

She pulled out a small booklet and placed it on the desk between us.

"Ranks in the Guild go from F to S." She began, tapping the page. "F-rank is entry level. Basic survival capability. Usually handles pest control, small beasts, courier work."

I listened silently.

"E-rank handles low-risk monster threats in controlled zones. D-rank-" She tapped lower. "Is considered a competent combat level. Goblin nests, orc patrols, escort missions outside city protection."

My tail shifted faintly under my coat.

"And C?" I asked.

"C-rank is a professional tier. Requires demonstrated teamwork and sustained combat performance. B and above are elite. A-rank leads squads. S-rank." She paused slightly. "Are national assets."

The guild hall buzzed behind me.

"And where do I stand?" I asked calmly.

Ina checked the crystal again.

"Based on raw metrics alone, you exceed F and E comfortably."She said.

A small pause.

"But raw metrics aren't everything."She added and met my eyes directly. "Control matters, experience matters, discipline matters."

"I understand."I said.

She studied me one more time, long enough to test if I would flinch. I didn't. Finally, she reached beneath the desk and retrieved a metal tag. Stamped with a single letter. D.

"I am registering you as D-rank." She said. "Provisional. You'l need to complete your first few missions cleanly to maintain it."

A low murmur rippled from a nearby table.

"New guy got D straight out?"One asked.

"Must have tested well."Another added.

"Look at him. Demon blood."Someone noticed.

Ina slid the tag toward me.

"Welcome to the Guild, Huan Black."She said.

I picked it up, it was heavier than it looked. Cool metal against my fingers.

"Previously." I said quietly, more to myself than her. "I was F."

"Then consider this growth."Ina raised a brow. 

"HOST STATUS: REGISTERED. RANK: D. NEXT OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE D-RANK MISSION SUCCESSFULLY."The system said.

I clipped the tag onto my coat. The faint weight against my chest felt grounding. Not a prince, not missing, not weak. D-rank adventurer, Huan Black.

 "Mission board is to your left. Start small. D-rank teams form quickly, especially for forest clearings."Ina began sorting papers again.

I nodded once. As I turned toward the board, I felt it again. That quiet internal pulse. The boy on the poster outside was listed as missing. But inside this hall I was just getting started.  The mission board smelled of old parchment and iron nails. Requests overlapped in messy layers, escort jobs, herb gathering, beast suppression. One sheet caught my attention.

"D-RANK REQUEST Goblin Subjugation: Eastern woodline.  Proof Required: 5 Goblin Ears. Reward: 8 Silver."

Clean, direct, logical. I tore the request down. Behind me, a broad shouldered adventurer glanced over. 

"Going solo?"He asked.

"Yes."I said.

"Bring back more than your pride."He smirked. 

I didn't answer and returned the sheet to Ina.

"Standard goblin nest. Five minimum, don't underestimate them, they ambush in packs."She skimmed it, then nodded. 

"I won't."I said.

"Stamp this on completion. Bring the ears before sundown for same day payout."She slid a small wax seal across the desk. 

I took it and left without further ceremony. The Eastern woodline was quieter than the forest where I first awakened, but not empty. Tracks were easy to find, small clawed footprints. Crude rope fibers, and the smell. Rot and unwashed flesh. I crouched low behind a fallen tree. Three goblins circled a small fire ahead. Two more perched in the brush, poorly hidden but watching.

"ENEMY DETECTED: GOBLIN - F RANK. RECOMMENDATION: CONTROLLED ENGAGEMENT."The system suggested.

I flexed my fingers, no need for fire yet. Speed first. I inhaled once then moved.

"SEED BOOST."I ordered.

The world narrowed. I was inside their perimeter before the first one reacted. My clawed hand snapped across its throat clean, efficient. It dropped without a scream. The second turned too slow. I drove my elbow into its jaw and twisted, bone cracking sharply. A third shrieked and lunged with a rusted blade. I stepped inside its swing and drove my claws through its chest. Two left, they bolted in opposite directions. I kicked off the ground, tail snapping for balance, intercepting one mid run. My hand closed around its skull and slammed it into a tree trunk. The final goblin barely made it five steps before I caught it. Silence returned quickly. Five bodies, minimal noise, and minimal effort. I stood still for a moment, scanning for reinforcements, but it was over.

"EXPERIENCE GAINED: 110XP. LEVEL UP: 6 to 7. AGILITY +2, STRENGTH +2, MAGIC +1. Congruations host."The system said.

Steady growth, I knelt and did what the guild required. Five ears, clean cuts wrapped in cloth. No unnecessary brutality. The sun dipped lower as I returned to the capital. Evening light spilled orange across the guild hall when I stepped inside. A few adventurers looked up. One raised a brow. 

"Back already?"He asked.

I approached the desk and unwrapped the cloth. Five goblin ears landed neatly on the counter. Ina glanced at them, then at me.

"Efficient."She said.

"Yes."I said.

"No burn marks, minimal tearing, controlled force."She inspected the cuts and she stamped the request sheet. "Eight silver."

She slid the coins across and I took them.

"Any injuries?" She asked.

"No."I said.

A faint approving nod.

"Good. That's how D-ranks survive long enough to reach C."She said.

"Guess he brought back more than pride."Behind me, the broad-shouldered adventurer from earlier leaned back in his chair.

A few low chuckles followed as I secured the coins inside my coat.

"MISSION COMPLETE. RANK STATUS: STABLE. NEXT RECOMMENDATION: REPEAT TASK OR JOIN SMALL PARTY."The system said.

Ina looked at me again, slightly more attentive than before.

"Not bad for your first job, Huan Black."She said.

I met her gaze calmly.

"It won't be my last."I said and nodded.

And this time, no one laughed, they saw Huan Black and not the prince who went missing instead.