Stranded Stranger

Chapter Two: Adventurer's Guild

Days before, Shawn was living an ordinary life on earth. He was a student at Jefferson High School. Just like other people, he had a low profile. He loved keeping things private, never posting on social media about what was going on in his life, and never trusting anyone, not even his own family.

That day, about one o'clock in the afternoon, he and his best friend, Justin, were crossing the highway when a rushing ambulance suddenly appeared. His friend managed to survive, but he was hit and died on the spot. That ambulance didn't have a chance to bring him to a hospital; he was brought to a morgue instead.

He would usually crack a joke to his classmates, telling them that if they were tired of their lives, they should not worry because there was free makeup in a funeral home, but he couldn't imagine or never expect that he would taste that free makeup first.

"Hang in there, Shawn!" were the last words he heard from his friend before everything turned dark. He wished he had lost his virginity before that even happened.

He wished he had confessed and admitted his feelings for his crush—there could have been a chance for them to be together. He wished he had lived his life to the fullest so that he would die without any regrets, but everything was too late already.

But if he were given another chance to live again, he would not succumb to fear; he'd be braver than the old version of himself. He would rise and challenge his fears.

Perhaps it was all just a dream, because when he opened his eyes, he was dumbfounded and couldn't believe that he would survive that hit, but then he realized something was wrong: the atmosphere was different.

He was confused about where he was. The blood on his head was gone. He seemed to be fine, but not in his memory, as if he had forgotten some things. Did he have amnesia? He tried to recall things, but his head started aching.

"Boy, what are you doing here?" the old man asked worriedly as he removed his hat and sat down next to Shawn. "You looked tired; you didn't eat your lunch, did you?"

Shawn gave a long, weary sigh. "Geezer, I'm just thinking about my past life. By the way, thank you for saving me last time. My smart phone wasn't broken because of you."

Shawn thought that there was still a chance for him to contact his family, despite the truth that it was almost impossible because they were one life away.

He already tried calling his friend, but it said he could not be reached. Besides, his battery was draining, and there was no electricity in this place. He still wanted his computer, even after reincarnation. He wondered how he got his phone there with him.

Shawn didn't know how they live a life in this world where he thought he couldn't survive, but he never intended to observe them like he was just studying ethnography.

Everything just happened without his control, and there was one thing he was certain of: he could not go back to where he had been—not a single chance, unless miracles happened.

"I just did that because I don't want Ava to cause you trouble, but I don't really know what's in that thing that you own. I haven't seen the same thing before," the old man admitted.

"What?" Shawn exclaimed and jolted in surprise. "So you don't really know about it? I thought you saw a similar thing before? It's just a smartphone, you know."

"No, I haven't. I just said that so that Ava won't bother you anymore. I know she will never let go of you as long as she hasn't proven your innocence," the old man explained.

"Ah, but still, I want to thank you for what you did. I know that Ava is just protecting something, and I can't blame her because it seems that there are conflicts happening between kingdoms here."

"We're just protecting the people we love from the soldiers that harass them, and I'm sorry if Ava doubts you as one of those spies," the old man apologized as he pressed his knees with his palms.

"No, its okay. I know where she's coming from. I know she's not a bad woman." Shawn smiled as he recalled how Ava would react to him.

It wasn't time to think about romance, he thought. But he never felt guilty for teasing her, since he started to love seeing her annoyed. In his eyes, she looked more attractive if she got frustrated.

"Geezer, I think I don't really understand how things work here, especially magic. I've been in a world where people don't believe in magic; I might not be able to survive here," Shawn said.

"So, you really came from a different world, huh? I think I should introduce you to my old friend. He might be able to understand and help you with your case." The old man sighed and stood up.

"Thank you so much, Geezer." Shawn smiled in gratitude as he stood up and followed the old man. Shawn didn't have any idea where they were going, but his instincts told him that he could trust the old man.

“Magic is everything in this world. People use it to make their tasks easier and more convenient. We also use magic to travel and to defend ourselves from foreigners who are trying to invade our kingdom, so if you want to survive here you have to study magic.”

The old man talked about the importance of magic in almost every aspect of their lives with Shawn while they were taking the road to the capital city of Owl.

Shawn listened carefully to the old man's fairytale-like stories. He learned that magic can be divided into three general categories. Attack magic, healing magic, and summoning magic. Each of them was classified into seven levels: elementary, intermediate, advanced, saint, king, emperor, and god.

"Master, welcome back!" a girl in black-and-white clothes welcomed them. She had long, curly hair that reached her small waist and brown eyes that shone brighter as she smiled.

"Good day, Emma. This is Shawn. Where's Leo?" The old man asked as he entered the house. "I have a new recruit for him; he should join your guild."

"A guild?" Shawn stopped right at the front of the house. He didn't notice that it was an adventurer's guild until he realized something the old man was planning to do without asking if he agreed with it.

"He's inside, Master," Emma informed. "Discussing some important matters with the adventurers."

The old man noticed that Shawn stopped right at the door, as if he were hesitating to enter. He forgot to inform him that they were coming here.

"Come on, Shawn. Don't you like to study magic? This guild is having a quest where you can learn to fight orcs and boars in the Forbidden Forest," the old man said, leaving Shawn speechless.

"There are two methods to practice magic: chanting and magic circles, but experience is still the best teacher, you know," he added, trying his best to encourage him.

"But I didn't say I'd like to join the adventurer's guild and fight with those boars. I can't even use magic!" Shawn responded.

"Then use a sword instead!" the old man suggested.

Shawn shrugged, as he didn't really want to fight dangerous creatures just to learn magic. He wondered why he had to do that if there was another easy way where he didn't need to get hurt.

"I know it's difficult for a newbie like you, but don't worry. Leo and his squad members will help you; they'll help you quickly adapt to new things," the old man said. "So don't be scared to be eaten by those orcs."

"No, I'm not afraid!" Shawn defended. "I'm not afraid to be eaten by orcs, but I don't know if I can trust these people." He didn't know what they would say if they knew that he was a stranger.

"'So, what are you hesitating for?" the old man asked. "Get inside and register for membership."

Shawn eventually rid himself of doubt and decided to enter the guild's house. He thought that maybe there was nothing wrong if he'd try. He was no longer the boy he used to be and ran away, so he followed the old man to the counter, where Emma served them some liquor.

"My friend, what are you doing here in my humble house?" A handsome man asked as he sat next to Shawn. He had a well-built body, as his muscles were popping inside his long red sleeves. He also had short, brown hair and a high, pointed nose. "And who's this boy with you?"

"That's the reason why I'm here, Leo. He's Shawn, a foreigner from a place called Earth," the old man introduced him.

"Bwahahaha!" Leo laughed harshly after hearing the old man. "Earth, huh? I've never heard of such a place before. Is it very far away? You might be mistaken. I don't think it even exists. Bwahahahaha!"

Hearing the guild master laugh, Shawn knew that he wasn't wrong—these people wouldn't laugh if they knew where he came from.

"That's what I thought too, but he keeps telling me that he came from that place, and he also showed me some evidence too," the old man replied.

"Such as what?" Leo asked. "Well, I don't want to know, bwahahahaha! So, you wanna join my squad, little boy? You'll get your first mission then."

"That's quick!" Shawn responded. "Won't you even give me an exam first? I don't think I'm capable of being an adventurer."

"Why? Are you scared for the mission we're going to give you? Well, if you're afraid, then you're not qualified to be a part of this team. Bwahahahaha!" Leo smirked and drank a glass of champagne.

The old man elbowed Shawn, saying that he should accept his first mission to prove his qualifications. But Shawn kept hesitating until he realized that nothing would be lost if he tried and failed, for fail was an acronym for First Attempt in Learning.

He thought that if he died here, perhaps he would be reincarnated again. How he wished that his next life would be better than this, that he wouldn't have to struggle hard because he'd have power.

"I'm willing to accept my first mission," Shawn said bravely. "What is it?"

"Oh right, you just passed the qualification round. You're now a part of this guild," Leo said as he took a paper and a card, which Emma handed over. "Here, sign this for our formal agreement. Here's your guild card too; drop some blood on it."

Shawn accepted the paper and read it, but he couldn't understand some unfamiliar words as they were written in a different language. They were very different from the handwriting of people on earth, so he asked Emma if she could read it for him.

Emma took the paper Shawn was handing her and read it aloud. Her voice was so soft and angelic that it could freeze anyone who listened.

"It says that you are free to take any quest you want based on your rank. The guild may assign you a quest, and you have the free will to refuse. The guild will not be responsible for any injuries or death."

"Um. What do you mean by rank?" Shawn asked curiously while pricking his finger with a knife that Leo lent him, dropping a drop of blood on his bronze guild card that has a capital letter M on it—but it was actually a W; it was just upside-down.

"Rank refers to your battlefield status; it can be your win rate in both ranked quests and missions. Adventurers are ranked from W or Warrior to MI or Mythic Immortal. Since you've just started, your rank is Warrior, and you can rank up by taking quests, killing monsters, lords, turtles, creeps, etc. We will reward you once you finish a quest," Emma explained.

"Okay, I get it now. It's similar to a game, but I know it will be difficult, for I'm the one fighting here, and I don't even have any equipment right now. But I really wish to reach the rank of mythic immortal!" Shawn raised both hands in excitement.

"You're wishing for the impossible," Emma remarked. "Oh, I'm sorry for my rudeness." She covered her mouth with her palm as if she didn't want to destroy his goal.

"No, it's okay, Emma. You're just telling the truth," the old man said. "No one has ever stepped on Mythic Immortal. I am currently a Master, and it's already difficult to step on Grandmaster; how much more on Mythic Immortal?" he emphasized.

"He's right, you won't be able to get there, bwahahahaha!" Leo added, making fun of his new member. "You should not think about your rank, but rather prioritize protecting the people here in the Land of Dusk as a member of our guild."

"I don't care if it's impossible," Shawn replied. He had been thinking that there was nothing impossible in this world since he got here in the first place. "I will work hard and do my best to reach the highest rank!"

"You're totally drunk, Shawn," the old man said. "You've already beat five bottles of beer. Don't cause any ruckus here. We should go back now."

"No, I'm not drunk yet," Shawn said. "I haven't even finished one bottle." He didn't know what happened, but his vision gradually disappeared when he saw someone approaching.

"Why did you let him drink, old geezer?" Ava asked in a mad voice as she caught Shawn before he collapsed. "Don't you know that the liquor here is ten times stronger than anywhere else?"

"Ava! Do-do-don't bother Shawn; you're falling in love with him, I know, haha," the old man said in a drunk and uncontrolled tone.

A pink tinge slowly developed on Ava's face after hearing those words from her master. She knew he was just drunk, but his words hit her hard, so she kicked him before leaving the guild headquarters.

"Hey! Why did you kick your master?" Leo scolded. "What a rude girl. Bwahahahaha!"