“Is it here?” [Ryner]

Walking through the forest where sunlight streaked through the trees’ leaves, Ryner finally found the entrance to the cave he was looking for.

“Anyone hooome?! I’ve come to play~!” [Ryner]

Hearing his shout, a group of boar-headed monsters came out with their weapons raised a while later. They had intimidating tusks, a short snout and bloodshot eyes. Their stout and powerful bodies were like humans, but they only had four thick fingers and pale green skin. These were the monsters Ryner was looking for.

“Alright, orcs, it’s time to play… Who’s first to die?” [Ryner]

Although it didn’t understand him, one of the orcs raised its axe, shouted and furiously dashed towards him.

“ROOO- Buhi!!” [Orc]

The roaring, boar-headed monster squealed like a pig as a twenty centimeter long, steel spike embedded itself into its forehead. Then, it blew up and caused an explosion on the level of a hand grenade. The headless corpse stood still for a moment before falling forward. Blood, brains and other organic matters were sent flying when it lost its head.

“Whoaa… The gun works fine. Next, please!” [Ryner]

The orcs were all stunned by the explosion, but a brave fighter managed to snap out of it and dashed towards the human after letting loose a courageous roar. After a few seconds, two of its comrades followed its valiant figure. Its crude club was brought down from overhead. Ryner raised his left hand and placed his palm on the side of the weapon, near its tip. As he stepped to the left to dodge, he pushed the club to the side to divert its trajectory and also applied more force on its downward swing. The orc couldn’t stop its attack and the club hit the ground.

Ryner, who had his back turned to his foe, stretched his left hand forward and put it in his pocket dimension. Then, he twisted his hip and hit his enemy’s face with his elbow as he pulled out a cylindrical object from the blue circle of light. The ripped monster squealed and took a few tottering steps back. The other two, who caught up, passed by him and attacked the masked human.

Ryner dodged their swings by repeatedly stepping to the side, much like a hare jumping about. As he avoided the deadly strikes, he was reloading his gun rather leisurely. The first one that charged in joined the fray and the three orcs tried to turn him into a bloody stain, but none of their hits landed. The human was skillfully moving on his feet as if toying with them. However, they finally managed to surround him. While the rest of their comrades cowered and watched from afar, they would kill this prey and keep his flesh for themselves.

As all three attacked from three different directions, Ryner dashed towards one of them. The orc swung down its club and Ryner spun around to gain momentum. Then, he raised his leg high and met the club, hitting it on the side to divert it before letting its swing guide it towards the ground. He stepped on the weapon, forcing it in the ground before stretching his hand out to grab one of the orc’s tusks and pulling its face towards him. It happened in an instant and the remaining two attacking monsters were right on him.

Ryner let go of the orc’s tusk and ducked, evading the axe that was swung horizontally. His captive had its face smashed in as blood gushed out thanks to its friend’s deadly strike. At the same time, he shot the other orc that had its club high over its head between its eyes. Its head jerked back as a spike was planted in its skull and it fell backwards.

The last one, who was shocked still for having accidentally killed its kind, reacted too slowly as the human, who stole its companion’s club, drove it into its stomach. It bent forward, reeling from the powerful blow. Taking this opportunity, Ryner spun around and smashed the blunt weapon into the crown of its skull, killing it. All three orcs had been eliminated, causing their kind to stir and growl.

“Yeah, it works really well.” [Ryner]

The ancient monster that was using the orcs to test some weapons that he took from the Avalon examined the silver gun in his hand. It was a handgun with a long barrel and a foregrip. He detached the barrel, leaving the lower part of the gun where the foregrip was. The empty barrel was put in his pocket dimension and he took out a new one. He casually slid in the fresh magazine while keeping an eye on the hesitating orcs.

“Come on, guys. You can’t avenge your friends if you just stand around like that.” [Ryner]

After saying so in a feigned, friendly manner, Ryner shot the freshly killed orc, stabbing in its corpse a silver spike.

““ROOAA! ROAR!”” [Orcs]

Roused by their anger, the orcs forgot about the strange weapon that made loud noises and charged at the human while brandishing their clubs, swords or axes. The masked man, as if escaping, was slowly backing away, putting some distance between him, the corpses and the avenging group. They bravely rushed in and went past their fallen comrades. At that moment, the two spikes blew up per Ryner’s input. Those closest were shredded and turned into chunks of meat by the explosions. The force knocked back the orcs that were far enough to survive, stopping the charge.

Despite the break in their attack, their foe didn’t let them breathe.

Rapid streams of glowing red plasma bolts assaulted them. They burned through the flesh and bones of the remaining orcs, tearing them to pieces as limbs flew about and high-pitched squeals resounded in the air. Having decimated his foes, Ryner released his finger from the trigger. The white rifle in his hands ceased firing. The latter half of its thick, round barrel, that had three muzzles, stopped rotating. He walked through the now quiet battlefield and approached the last orc remaining. It was on the ground, trembling in fright. Its comrades were lying all around, dead. The enemy had his eyes set on it. Naturally, it followed its instincts and ran away.

Turning its back to its foe, it moved its thick legs as fast as possible, heading into the cave where it made its home. Unfortunately, that was what its pursuer wanted. The orc led him straight to the deepest part of the cave. Its mad dash told him that no traps were set to prevent intruders from entering, so it was an easy jog to reach the end of the makeshift pathway. There, a large, round space was inhabited by the orcs in the area. The other ten stared at the scared orc who stumbled in like an idiot, wondering what was wrong and where the rest that went outside was. The answer soon came as they saw the human calmly walk in from behind their fellow orc.

“… Time to play.” [Ryner]

His plasma rifle made quick work of the survivor and the last of the orcs. The smell of blood and burned flesh was thick in the air. Standing in the massacre he just caused, Ryner took off the lower half of his mask to uncover his mouth. Then, he bent over and magnificently puked on the ground.

“*Blueeeerrrrggg* Urk *cough cough cough*… Ugh… Smells like bacon.” [Ryner]

Once he was done, he wiped his mouth and put the mouth part of his mask back on. Then, he went towards what he expected to find. He had avoided shooting them, but it would appear that it was a needless act. Two naked women were lying on the cold, hard ground, unmoving. He turned one around to look at her face. She was dead. The bruises on her necks suggested that she was strangled to death. It was the same for the other one.

“… So orcs don’t always keep their seedbeds alive.” [Ryner]

After he muttered so to himself, Ryner put the two women in body bags and tossed them in his pocket dimension. Then, he proceeded to burn the orcs’ corpses to a crisp. Once he was done, he exited the cave, leaving no survivors.

“Ummm, when you register as an adventurer, your mana pool will be checked with the Bell Finder and a rank will be assigned to you. Besides that, you’ll start as a fifth class adventurer no matter the rank you have, and… Look, didn’t you already hear this when you signed up?” [Anter]

“I was offered an explanation, but I skipped it because it didn’t sound important. Keep talking.” [Ryner]

“Alright. So, yeah, the requests on the board over there have a class and rank written on them. You can only take jobs that have a lower class and rank as you. Usually, newbies who just join start small like helping out at jobs or finding lost pets. Then, as their class increases by completing requests, they can do the more dangerous and better paid ones. But, rank is really the most important one. The lucky ones that are born with large mana pools can do requests of higher class if they have the needed rank… Hey, are you even listening to me?” [Anter]

“Yeah, I am. Keep talking.” [Ryner]

“… Fine. Like I was saying, if you’re S rank, you’ll still be fifth class, but you can do the more dangerous jobs like dragoon subjugation. If you’ve got the rank, but not the class, then you can still do it. Yeah, in short, you should get some achievements and rank up as much as possible.” [Anter]

“Then why bother with the class?” [Ryner]

“It’s the bonus. You automatically class up if you’ve completed enough requests. The higher your class, the more privileges you’ll get like discounts in stores affiliated with the adventurer guild. Stuff like that and all. There’s this fancy inn that only allows first class adventurers too.” [Anter]

“So it’s incentive to work hard. Well what do you know, you’re pretty useful.” [Ryner]

“Huh?! Is that how you talk to someone who’s been answering all your damn questions?!” [Anter]

“Five gold coins.” [Ryner]

“ARRRGGHH I’VE GOT IT DAMNIT!!” [Anter]

Having returned to the town he was temporarily staying at, Ryner barraged Anter, the thirty year old man who owed him five gold coins, with questions. The two sat at a table in the adventurer guild and Anter told him all he wanted to know. He didn’t have much of a choice since he was indebted to him. That episode made him think twice about getting drunk again.

“Tell me some of the guild’s history. Something useful that could be used for blackmail.” [Ryner]

“What are you planning, asking for blackmail?!! And I don’t know anything like that!” [Anter]

“Huh? You’re pretty useless. Fine. Just tell me whatever you know.” [Ryner]

“Grrr…! *Sigh*… The adventurer guild doesn’t belong to any country. You can find a guild building pretty much everywhere. The man who established it made it so. He even came up with the name ‘Adventurer’ for us. A famous line of his was: ‘There should be adventurers in this fantasy world!’ or something like that.” [Anter]

“… Seriously?” [Ryner]

“Yeah. Maybe he wanted to say ‘a world of fantasy’ and not ‘fantasy world’. But, that’s how it was written down in books… Ok, a pal of mine who read it told me that. I don’t read much and that’s about all I know about the guild’s history.” [Anter]

“… Damn otherworlder.” [Ryner]

“Huh? What’s that?” [Anter]

“Nothing. Anyway, you’re more knowledgeable than I thought, despite being bald.” [Ryner]

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING BALD?!!” [Anter]

Anter got angry and rose from his seat. His shiny bald head reflected the light from the ceiling.

“I mean, when you’re bald, you’re supposed to be not too bright and the strongest man on earth.” [Ryner]

“Where the hell do you pull all this crap from?!” [Anter]

“Hmph, tis obvious, young grasshopper. You have much to learn.” [Ryner]

“Ok, that uselessly cocky attitude of yours is rubbing me the wrong way. Step outside so we can settle our score for goo-.” [Anter]

“Five gold co-.” [Ryner]

“I’M SORRY DAMNIT!!!” [Anter]

While Anter was howling and holding his head in anguish, two adventurers approached him and the hooded man that held his leash.

“What is all the commotion about?” [Elsa]

Elsa asked as she stared at Ryner whose back was facing her. He was in the middle of drinking milk which meant that the lower half of his mask was taken off.

“Are you curious~?” [Ellis]

Hearing her little brother’s amused tone as he whispered to her, she looked away coldly and cleared her throat.

“We could hear you all the way from the entrance. Just why are you being so noisy?” [Elsa]

After he covered his mouth, Ryner explained to the two siblings about his information gathering while Anter ran off with his friends who were waiting for him at a distance.

“It’s been three days since you became an adventurer, has it not? Why would you be walking about without possessing such fundamental knowledge?” [Elsa]

Elsa, who sat down in front of him, said, astounded by his ignorance.

“Because I heard it before, so I wasn’t interested.” [Ryner]

“Wait. You joined the adventurer guild before?” [Elsa]

“I did. In another life…” [Ryner]

Ryner said profoundly and looked into the distance.

“… You are an aggravating man.” [Elsa]

Three days have passed since Ryner became an adventurer and employees of the guild would request his presence to perform tests. His lack of mana was still being investigated, though no lead to the mystery was found. For the moment, they thought he just had so little mana that the Bell Finder couldn’t detect it. Besides that, he would run into Elsa and Ellis every day at the guild where he would bicker with the older twin sister. Warmly watching over the two and sometimes butting in would be Ellis, the younger sibling. As always, he happily gazed at them from the side.

“I swear, your thorough lack of seriousness astounds me.” [Elsa]

Elsa signed deeply and lowered the brim of her hat over her eyes. Then, she raised her index finger.

“Listen well, ranks mean everything because the larger your mana pool is, the more powerful you are. Classes are given to denote how many requests you successfully completed. The higher your class, the more work you accomplished. This in turns means that you have contributed greatly to the world and as such, will receive proper compensation.

That is why, regardless of your rank, you will start as a fifth class and must work your way up to first class to enjoy the luxuries that come with this profession such as discounts and other bonuses. First class adventurers are those who possess fame and experience and have even been called upon by kings.

However, you won’t meet many of them. Those who attain first class are those with the largest mana pools, meaning A or S ranks. They would rather work in a more stable and beneficial profession. For example, people with high ranks are eligible to become a knight and work their way up the hierarchy. By the way, the higher the class, the harder it becomes to reach it.

Also, as you assuredly know, ranks were created to represent the size of the mana pool nested in you. Even so, by the adventurer guild’s system, it is possible to be judged higher than the initial one given by the Bell Finder. The way to do so is by defeating an examiner from the guild. First, complete a set of quests to be eligible to take the exam. If you have an E rank mana pool and wish to be recognized as a D rank because you are confident in your combat capabilities, then you need to defeat a D rank examiner in a one-on-one match.

For your information, I have a large enough mana pool that I can effortlessly fight off a band of bandits by myself. Though I am a magician, most choose to be magic users since it is the easiest path. After all, the basic principle of magic is the control of your mana inside your body. The body strengthening spell clearly reflects that principle and will show instantaneous results. It is the first spell that everyone learns because it will let them know if they have the required skill for magic, and will allow them to surpass their physical limits.

Those who become magicians, like me, take it the next step and learn how to cast other types of spells. We not only control our internal mana, but shape it into what we desire as we release it outside. Chants were created to facilitate that process and once you’ve mastered a spell, chanting will not be required.

I myself am able to cast multiple spells wordlessly. Still, though magic users will learn a basic spell or two to have a convenient long range attack in their arsenal, they do not master magic like we do. After all, it requires time, focus and dedication. Those with greater talent may need less effort, but being a magician is no easy feat.

That is what it means to be a magician. Regrettably, magic user is the more popular style of fighting. The more powerful spells are difficult to master and in consequence, require time to cast. The destructive force they bring about can be called upon by a single punch of a high rank magic user with less time, less mana and less effort. Only the truly destructive spells can be said to be effective.

That is why the magician guild is researching ways to improve the magic system we currently use. You could say that true magicians are scholars who spend their days revising the known spells and researching new ones.

Because of their lack of training, they have weaker bodies, but it can be covered up with body strengthening. However, they specialize in long-range magic combat. Truthfully, I would rather be studying magic, but circumstances won’t allow me. It is a shame since there are many interesting books that I highly recommend such as Igorath’s three tomes: ‘The Origins of Mana’ and Debog’s book for beginners: ‘The Principles of Magic’. There are also vario-.” [Elsa]

“Elsa.” [Ellis]

Interrupting her explanation, Ellis poked her shoulder. She unhappily stared at him.

“What is it? I am in the middle of talki-.” [Elsa]

“I think he’s fallen asleep.” [Ellis]

“… Come again?” [Elsa]

Her little brother pointed at the masked man. He hadn’t move an inch or said a word for a while. His chin was supported by his hands with the fingers intertwined. Elsa scooted over close to him and leaned near the side of his face.

“… Zzzzz…” [Ryner]

She could hear steady, soft snoring coming from behind his mask.

“…!!” [Elsa]

Her face flushed red with anger. What happened next was something that would embarrass her for the rest of her life. Having lost her cool for the second time because of him, Elsa slapped the back of his head, planting his face in the table.

“Like I said, if you just dump all that information on someone without warning, it’s only normal for them to doze off for a bit.” [Ryner]

“Please do not talk to me. Your grating voice is causing my ears to bleed from vexation.” [Elsa]

“… Says the one who hit me.” [Ryner]

“… I would appreciate it if you never brought it up again. It was a momentary lapse in judgement which resulted in an unwanted act of violence.” [Elsa]

“Pfft!” [Ellis]

“Ellis, may I inquire to what exactly you are laughing about?” [Elsa]

“No, it’s nothing~.” [Ellis]

Now that Ryner was awake, the three began talking normally again, more or less.

“More importantly, on our way here, we heard an interesting rumor.” [Elsa]

Faking a coughing, Elsa proceeded to change the subject.

“It would seem that a suspicious-looking adventurer, dressed in black, hooded and masked, took out a nest of orcs and brought back the corpses of two village girls that were kidnapped. This is the most popular topic in a nearby village.” [Elsa]

“Ohhh? That sure sounds interesting.” [Ryner]

To Elsa, the impressed tone in Ryner’s voice sounded annoying.

“… Orc subjugation quests are for adventurers that are at least fourth class. As someone who started only a few days ago, you do not have the right to take it. It is a blatant breach of the rules.” [Elsa]

“Huh? I didn’t do it. You said the guy was masked. Then, it could have been anybody.” [Ryner]

“You are the only adventurer that wears such an outrageous outfit.” [Elsa]

“Where’s the proof? Hand over the proof before you start accusing me. Besides, if I didn’t subjugate orcs to complete a quest and I didn’t receive a reward, then technically, I didn’t break any rules. I just volunteered to do some community service!” [Ryner]

Seeing how he so shamelessly feigned innocence, Elsa sighed helplessly. It felt like she was sighing more often ever since she met him. Furthermore, the times when her brother laughed at her proportionally increased.

“Well, no matter. You did come out unscathed, after all. Just remember to not challenge requests that are out of your league, like the mining of reaper ore.” [Elsa]

“Reaper ore? What was that again?” [Ryner]

Elsa put her hand on her forehead and lightly shook her head before answering him.

“You don’t know? Your ignorance is truly magnificent. Reaper ore is used to make magic restraining shackles. Without them, high ranked criminals would run loose.” [Elsa]

Following his sister, Ellis jumped in the conversation and told Ryner what reaper ore was in a soft voice. He raised his index finger in the air and waved it about.

“To make magic shackles, you need to build them out of reaper ore and enchant them. The enchanting needs a high-level magician, but that’s not the hard part. Getting the reaper ore is the real challenge since it forms in only one place in the world.” [Ellis]

“It’s the Dead City, the result of the Catastrophic Disaster, the great war that happened seven hundred years ago.” [Elsa]

Unlike her brother, Elsa’s voice was grave.

“Countless undead roam about, but the most terrifying part of that cursed land is that magic is sealed away. It is one of the most dangerous places you could ever find. Yet, reaper ore is worth a fortune since the demand for items that can nullify magic is high. There are requests to get reaper ore from the Dead City, but they don’t have a required rank on them since magic is useless. Only adventurers of third class and above may accept the request. Make sure you never go there.” [Elsa]

“Hmmm…” [Ryner]

“Are you listening? Do not ever go to the Dead City simply because you wish to do some ‘community service’. It’s nothing like fighting orcs.” [Elsa]

“Mhh-Hmm…” [Ryner]

Meanwhile, aboard the Avalon…

“Th, this is…!” [Evelyn]

It had been three days since Evelyn’s punishment began and it finally took effect. Reveling in the memory of being forgiven and using Ryner’s underwear wasn’t enough to stop the loneliness from surging forth. No longer able to endure staying in her room and only going out to feed Mi, the vampire had been wandering around the ship. By luck, she stumbled upon a certain room which had the words “PERVERT!” drawn on the door. Remembering one of her previous conversations with Ryner, she entered the room and found what she was looking for.

“How creative! For such a concept to have existed…!” [Evelyn]

Inside the cramped space, rows of female figurines adorned the shelves along with various videos, pictures, games, books, outfits, posters and body pillows. It was packed full of goods that Evelyn had never seen before.

“This place truly is ‘The World That Only God Knows’! A veritable treasure trove of knowledge from another world!” [Evelyn]

Curious and talented, she began to hungrily absorb every single piece of information that she got her hands on. She was flipping through multiple books while breathing hard and blushing. Yet, her eyes were deadly serious and she diligently committed to memory every single word and picture that each page contained.

“For n-n-newlyweds?! Th, the naked apron!? And this! Over two hundred different positions?! If, if I learn all of this, a-and if, if Ryner ever possibly, maybe, requests me…” [Evelyn]

So, while drooling because her delusions, Evelyn stayed in the Perverts’ Den to brush up on knowledge that noble ladies shouldn’t be learning.

The punishment didn’t seem to work much.