Who Says I'm Not a Proper Adventurer?
Chapter 5: Congratulations, Mr. Raven

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Congratulations, Mr. Raven

Nia casually placed the object on the cluttered table and rubbed her dusty cheeks, instantly smudging her delicate makeup until she resembled a messy kitten.

"What is this?"

Lance leaned in and asked curiously.

At the Adventurer’s Guild, there were usually a few standard ways for a newcomer to register.

The most common methods were being vouched for by a High Tier Adventurer or finding a qualified instructor to administer a test and issue a certificate.

Lance didn’t know any High Tier Adventurers, so he had to choose the latter option.

He had already explained his needs to Nia—he wanted to keep a low profile. A very, very low profile.

His original intention was to ask for her help in finding a trustworthy, tight-lipped instructor.

After all, he’d heard plenty of dark rumors. Stories of newcomers striking it rich in the Underground City with Rare Materials, only to have their information sold by the very instructor who tested them. The end result was always the same: they were murdered for their loot.

For a low-level Adventurer, finding someone trustworthy was crucial.

Most receptionists at the Guild had their own networks, and Nia was no exception.

But he never would have expected that after listening to his request, Nia would actually dig out such an old antique.

"This is Aretia’s Ember."

Nia dusted off her hands and said casually.

Lance froze the moment he heard the name.

He had, of course, heard the name before.

But it shouldn’t have been the name of an object. It was the title of a fairy tale known throughout the world.

Legend has it that long, long ago, the world was suddenly plunged into an eternal darkness.

Desperate people, like frightened beasts, hid in cold, dark caves, shivering with fear.

Until a young boy stood up.

He shouldered his pack and said to the people whose eyes had lost their light:

"The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. As long as I keep walking west to find the lost sun, I can bring back hope."

However, when he truly walked into that boundless wasteland, he quickly lost his way in the darkness.

Just then, the goddess Aretia descended.

She placed a lantern that did not glow into the boy’s hands.

"Take this. It will guide you through this darkness to find tomorrow."

The boy clutched the lantern, looking at its dead wick, confused. "But it has no light. I can’t see the path ahead."

Aretia merely smiled as she watched him.

"This ember doesn’t burn wood. It burns courage."

"You don’t find your way forward because you see the light. The light appears because you take the first step."

The boy only partially understood.

But he still mustered his courage and took the first step into the unknown darkness.

A miracle happened.

The stone in the lantern indeed lit up with a faint red glow, just enough to illuminate the small patch of ground at his feet.

As his steps grew more and more resolute, the light grew hotter and brighter.

When he finally stopped hesitating and ran headlong into the darkness, the ember in his hand erupted into a raging fire that tore the long night apart.

That was the world’s first dawn.

And that boy was the world’s first Hero.

The fairy tale ended like this:

So, children, do not fear the unseen future.

As long as you dare to press onward, the light is in your hands.

"So... the fairy tale is actually real?"

Lance stared at the dusty pedestal on the table, his eyes filled with shock.

Just as he was immersed in this epic romance,

Nia, beside him, gave him a strange look and mercilessly shattered the illusion.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

"The fairy tale is fake, of course,"

she began to explain.

"This is a standard-issue item distributed by headquarters whenever a new branch of the Adventurer’s Guild is established. It’s specifically used to test if newcomers are qualified to register."

"Its function is actually very simple. It can sense the user’s strength."

"As long as you have Skilled Level Combat Skills, it’s enough to trigger the faintest red glow."

’Sensing strength? What kind of magical black tech is this?’

Lance scoffed internally.

Nia pointed to the pedestal.

"Just like it says in the fairy tale, when you make up your mind, the light symbolizes that you have the courage to take the first step."

"Then why..."

Lance was about to ask why the Guild would go through the time and trouble of implementing manual testing if such a convenient and objective tool existed.

But he was only halfway through his sentence when the answer flashed through his mind like lightning.

’It was because of the instructors.’

"Looks like you’ve already guessed."

Nia shrugged, her tone a little helpless.

"Ever since the Adventurer’s Guild was founded, a system has been in place to provide for veteran Adventurers who made great contributions but were forced to retire due to injury or illness."

"The Guild created the instructor certification system specifically for them. They became responsible for testing and recommending newcomers, which guaranteed them an income in their old age."

"It’s become a whole system of vested interests."

"So later on, even though Aretia’s Ember was still distributed as per regulations, it was basically just thrown in a warehouse to collect dust."

At this, Nia winked at Lance.

"It was only when you mentioned your requirements that I remembered this. It’s the perfect way to bypass everyone, fitting your strange preference for staying under the radar."

"Come on, give it a try."

Nia pushed the pedestal in front of Lance. Then, like a little cat lying in wait for its prey, she propped her hands on the edge of the table, rested her chin on their backs, and stared intently at the stone.

Lance took a deep breath, extended his right hand, and gently placed his palm on the translucent mineral.

The sensation upon touching it wasn’t the characteristic coldness of a mineral, but rather a gentle, mellow warmth.

In the next second,

Nia’s small, cherry-like mouth fell slightly open as she stared in astonishment at the scene before her.

Within the once-dim stone, strands of orange-red light suddenly ignited.

The light wasn’t blinding, but it radiated a vigorous Life Force, like embers fanned back to a red glow in a cold wind.

"It lit up..."

Nia looked at the steady light.

"You actually met the standard."

Although Lance had been so confident before, seeing the result with her own eyes still felt a little incredible to Nia.

After her brief surprise, a brilliant smile blossomed on her face. She was genuinely happy for Lance.

"Looks like I’ll have to call you Sir Adventurer from now on."

She quickly hid the item back in the depths of the cabinet, then took out an Adventurer registration form from her shoulder bag and began to fill it out with swift, flowing strokes.

In the "Testing Method" field, she solemnly wrote "Aretia’s Ember."

"What should I put for the ’Adventurer Title’ field? Should I just write Lance?"

Nia looked up, her quill pen hovering over the parchment, and reminded him with a serious expression:

"Although the Guild’s internal records must use your real name, I suggest you pick a codename for your public-facing title."

Lance nodded in profound agreement.

He understood this principle all too well.

An alias was a must, and it had to be a solid one.

He thought about his Talents, all of which came from Nordic Mythology.

"Let’s go with Raven."

In Nordic Mythology, the raven is not only Odin’s eyes and ears, but also a symbol of a messenger.

The previous owner of his body used to help Adventurers write letters, and after becoming a Copyist himself, he had delivered death notices for others.

There couldn’t be a more fitting codename.

"Raven?"

Nia tilted her head, repeating the name, then smiled.

"It sounds like it fits your low-key personality."

In the ’Title’ field, she neatly wrote the name.

"TA-DA!"

Nia held the two corners of the form and presented it to Lance like a certificate, her face blooming into a smile.

"Congratulations, Mr. Raven. From now on, you are a true..."

GROWL—RUMBLE—

A sudden, loud stomach growl echoed through the quiet warehouse, rudely interrupting Nia’s congratulations.

Nia’s smile instantly froze on her face.

It was her stomach protesting.