"Ahh… finally, a proper rest under a roof."
Rolling off the bed, he decides it is time to go through his belongings. Digging into the pockets of his worn clothes from the day before, he retrieves a locator, some money, an exquisitely crafted oval-shaped magic vault, and a small brown notebook.
The good news? The locator's needles have stabilized. The bad news? They aren’t moving.
Finn turns the device in his hands, giving it a few shakes left and right—nothing.
"It was reacting yesterday, but the magic depletes so fast," he mutters with a sigh.
He sets the locator aside and lifts the magic vault, turning it over in his hands with a scrutinizing gaze. It should hold enough power to revive the locator, but the device can devour magic so quickly that he will soon be searching for more vaults to keep it running.
His gaze shifts to the brown notebook. He flips it open to see what’s written inside.
The first few lines immediately catch his attention:
"You are Finn Tess.
Never forget your name."
Finn frowns. "What kind of nonsense is this? Of course, I remember my name."
Still, he continues reading.
"You are on a journey to find Risa.
No matter what happens, you must protect her at all costs."
Finn scoffs. "Obviously, I have to save her, because she’s my... my… my..."
His words trail off.
A sudden, chilling realization strikes him—he knows Risa is important to him, yet he can’t recall why. Who is she to him? What is their connection?
Then another shock—this handwriting… it is his own.
Confusion swirls in his mind. How has he forgotten something so vital? And was it his past self who left these messages behind?
Seeking answers, he turns to the next page.
A sudden jolt of electricity zaps his fingers.
"Ouch!" He yelps, flinching and instinctively tossing the notebook onto the bed.
Rubbing his hands together, he eyes the book warily. "If I wrote this, then I must have cast that spell myself... but why would I stop myself from reading further?"
He weighs his options.
Should he use all his stored magic to break the seal?
A moment of deep thought passes before the answer becomes clear.
No… If his past self orchestrated this, there must be a purpose behind it. He barely has enough magic to power the locator, let alone shatter the seal. That is precisely why his past self allowed him just one magic vault, not a handful.
His eyes harden with determination.
First, he needs to find money.
Then, more magic vaults.
And then, he will find Risa!
Finn tucks his few belongings into the pockets of his fresh clothes and steps out of his room, making his way downstairs.
Unlike him, most of the inn’s patrons are already awake, seated at their tables and finishing their breakfast.
Mirabelle beams at him as he reaches the bottom of the staircase. “Good morning, Mr Finn! Shall we serve your breakfast now?”
“Please do, madam. I’m starving!”
“Take a seat, and it’ll be right out!” She gestures toward an empty table nearby.
Finn settles in quickly, and the moment a rustic, steaming hunk of bread lands on the table, he tears into it with eager delight.
“Madam, you have a fine chef!” he exclaims between bites, savouring the flavours.
Mirabelle puffs up with pride. “Of course! The chef is my husband. His cooking skills are known far and wide!”
“I see. I’ve travelled quite a bit, even been to the capital, but this is hands down the best breakfast I’ve ever had!” Finn declares with exaggerated enthusiasm.
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Mirabelle bursts into laughter. “Really now? I’m glad you think so.” She turns toward the kitchen. “John! Bring another plate of bread for our sugar-coated smooth talker here!”
“Right away!” comes a soft reply from the kitchen.
“Hope someday I’ll get to learn his culinary skills!”
Finn grins, offering his thanks to both Mirabelle and John, accepting their generosity candidly. His first life motto is simple—never refuse kindness, unless there’s a greater benefit in doing so.
Soon, a fresh basket of warm bread arrives at his table, and he relishes every bite.
Once he finishes his meal, he turns to the innkeeper. “Madam Mirabelle…”
She cuts him off with a playful wave of her hand. “Just call me Mira.”
“All right, Mira. Do you know someone with a name ‘Risa’ here?
Mira thinks for a second and replies,”I’ve never heard of this name. Maybe you can ask around in the Hunters' Guild. It’s just a few steps away.”
“Thank you. I’m also hoping to register myself as a hunter to earn some coin and to fund my journey to Osemond.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place for that. This may be a small town, but since we’re on the outskirts of The Forest, a lot of men make their living as hunters. However…”
“But?” Finn’s interest is piqued by her hesitation.
“You’ve come at the wrong time. Most of the elite hunters have already set out for The Forest. The ones still here are either recovering from injuries… or the oddballs no one wants in their party.” Mira shrugs.
Finn frowns. “Do you have to be in a group to hunt in The Forest?”
“Yes. It wasn’t always required, but after too many casualties, the Hunters' Guild enforced the rule. But… how come you don’t know that?” she asks curiously.
“Oh, I’m from a very rural village—Dewhill. Most people there are farmers, and we don’t even have a Hunters' Guild. That’s why we wouldn’t know about such things.” Finn replies smoothly, without batting an eyelid.
Mira nods in understanding. “I see! Then you should head to the guild and register yourself as soon as possible. You’ll need at least five people to enter The Forest. The registrant, Emily, will guide you through the process.”
Finn thanks Mira for the valuable information, then polishes off the last of his breakfast in a few quick bites before making his way to the Hunters' Guild.
Following Mira’s directions, it really is just a few steps from the inn before the tallest and newest building comes into view: the Hunters' Guild.
Constructed from brick and mortar, the guild stands out starkly against the surrounding wooden houses and shops.
The coin from hunting predators keeps the town afloat, especially with winter always lurking around the corner. It’s enough to stock the shelves, patch up the walls, and keep the hearths burning.
Predator corpses aren’t just valuable; they’re vital. Hunters harvest them for magic vaults, artefacts that can store and generate magic. lthough the higher the predator’s rank, but hunting these creatures is also more dangerous.
At the back, the training grounds ring with the clash of steel and crackle of spellfire as hunters, both fledgling and veteran, test their skills against enchanted dummies—or each other.
He pushes the heavy door open and steps inside, glancing around. Just as Mira had described, only a handful of people occupy the lobby—some waiting to be called by the receptionist, others studying the bulletin board plastered with announcements.
A few glance at him briefly before returning to their own business, uninterested.
Finn strolls over to the bulletin board, scanning the notices before making his way to the reception counter. Seated behind it is a young woman, her nameplate reading Emily Rose.
“Hi, Miss Rose. Nice to meet you. I am Finn Tess. I’m here to register as a hunter.”
Emily greets him with a polite smile. “Hello, Mr Tess. Nice to meet you. You can just call me Emily. Are you a swordsman or a magician?”
“Hi Emily, just call me Finn will do. I’m a disciple magician. Anything else you need from me?”
“I’ll need you to fill out this form,” she says, passing him a few sheets of paper and a pen. “Once you’re done, hand it back to me, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Finn thanks her, and she nods politely.
Taking a seat in a quiet corner, he begins filling out his details:
Name: Finn Tess
Age: 29 (probably)
Origin: Dewhill
Position: Magician
Rank: Disciple
Experience: Got lost in The Forest once and managed to walk out alive.
Speciality: I can cast a few spells, including but not limited to, sound and smell masking, vision camouflage, control twigs, flash, fire, and water purification.
Why do you want to become a hunter?: To earn money.
Why should others invite you?:
- I’m good at getting along with people.
- I can cook.
Who and how to invite you to a group? I want to enter The Forest as soon as possible. Priority will be given to those who can depart soon and have a balanced mix of swordsmen and magicians. You can find me at John & Mirabelle’s Inn every morning and evening.
After a final check, Finn is satisfied with his responses and hands the form back to Emily.
“Here you go! Mind checking if I’ve missed anything?”
Emily glances through the form quickly. “It looks fine. I’ll process your registration, and if there are no issues, I’ll add you to the ‘New Hunter’ list so others can recruit you. The whole process should be done within a day. Now, the registration fee is twenty coins.”
Finn’s eyes widen. “Twen… twenty coins?! It’s not free?”
Emily’s polite smile doesn’t falter. “Correct. It used to be free, but the Hunters' Guild has since standardised fees across the land. There’s now a small upfront cost.”
“Upfront? You mean there’s more to pay?”
“Yes. Here’s a list of services and their corresponding fees, as well as the ‘New Hunter Must Knows’,” She hands him a pamphlet and a thick guidebook.
“Another thing to note—when selling predator carcasses, the guild takes a cut from the transaction. The percentage varies depending on the rank of the predator. All the details are in there, so take your time to go through it.”
Finn gasps. “Wait… what if I trade directly with a merchant instead?”
Emily’s smile, suspiciously, becomes even brighter. “Oh, you’re free to do that. But the guild won’t take any responsibility if you run into dishonest traders.”
Finn trudges out from the guild, utterly dejected. His money is vanishing at an alarming rate.
“Darn it! I forgot to ask Emily about Risa!”