Steve was examining the item labeled [Hunter's Relic].
It looked like a broken dagger. There were no details in its description, but when he pulled up the recipe in JEI, he discovered something fascinating—this relic was meant to be used on villagers.
Through relics like these, villagers could awaken the Path of Transcendence, ascending into extraordinary beings.
He flipped through the JEI entries and found one labeled with Elena's name—showing her before and after transformation.
Before: the same simple huntress in plain gear.
After: she wore layered armor and intricate jewelry, a faintly glowing shortbow slung across her back.
"So she evolves into a combat class…" Steve muttered with interest.
Scrolling further, he found her new trade listings—dozens of them. Many were scrolls or accessories, each with effects that made his eyes gleam.
[Ring of Swift Wind]: Increases attack and movement speed. Allows short bursts of flight during strong gales.
[Shadow Trap]: Tier-1 spell. Consumes 10 mana. One-second chant. Creates a snare that restricts enemy movement.
There were many others—each one sounding useful, though none displayed prices. JEI only showed an overview; which trades actually appeared would depend on the villager's random roll.
Still, Steve couldn't hide his satisfaction. "Not bad at all."
He closed the interface and idly right-clicked the two guards standing near the door. Their eyes went wide with panic, and both stiffened. Thankfully, Holls realized what was happening and stepped forward to calm them down.
"Do you… know what he's doing?" the dwarf asked Elena curiously. She seemed too unfazed—like she'd seen it before.
Elena shook her head. "Not exactly."
She did have a guess, though. The last two times she'd been paralyzed by that mysterious force, gifts had materialized in her hands—relics, weapons, and materials that appeared out of nowhere.
So she suspected the paralysis was a prelude—a sign that Steve was about to bestow something.
But this time, nothing appeared. That unsettled her.
Better keep that thought to herself for now.
Holls sighed in disappointment, but quickly perked up again. He waved the two iron ingots in Steve's face eagerly.
"Hey! Hey! What's your name? How did you forge iron this pure? Did you craft it, or your creator? Where do you live? We should—talk about this properly!"
Steve didn't even glance at him. His attention was still on the guards' trade screens, confused as to why both were combat types yet only sold mundane items like food or rope.
The guild receptionist, Lilith, frowned and crossed her arms. "Didn't I tell you to restrain that thing first?"
She tried to keep her voice calm and professional, but the warrior's earlier screaming had shredded her nerves. Her smile was gone; she was running on sheer duty.
"Come on, Lilith," Holls said, patting her thigh consolingly. "He hasn't hurt anyone. Don't be so hostile."
That only made her expression darken further—especially when she remembered she wasn't wearing a long skirt today.
...
Steve clicked on her trade interface.
[Lilith – Guild Clerk – Veteran]
Emerald ×3 → Book ×1
Emerald ×14 → Bronze Quest ×1
Material ×10 → Emerald ×1
Bronze Adventurer Token + Emerald ×23 → Silver Quest
Gold Adventurer Token + Armor/Tool ×1 → Curse Script ×1
Emerald ×3 → Bunny Girl Outfit ×1
...
Just like Elena, she handled trade-based exchanges, but with a wider range of items—many he hadn't seen before.
He checked the recipes one by one.
Quests functioned as missions, granting rewards upon completion.
The Curse Scripts were enchantments that could be applied to weapons or armor—basically high-tier enchantments similar to level-30 enchants from his old world.
The Bunny Girl Outfit had no recipe, and no listed attributes.
Curious, Steve traded three emeralds for it. When it appeared in his inventory, he realized it was purely cosmetic. With mild disappointment, he tossed it out of his item bar.
The room collectively stared.
Then he redeemed one Bronze Quest, leaving himself fourteen emeralds.
Instantly, a [Bronze Adventurer Token] appeared in his hand, and a faint glowing line extended from his feet, leading deeper into the guild hall.
He tilted his head, curious, and followed it.
Lilith, still stiff from the paralysis effect, blinked in shock as emeralds suddenly piled into her hands—more than a dozen, each the size of half her palm, flawless and radiant.
She almost dropped them. Each one was so pristine that noblewomen would've fought each other bloody just to own one.
Then she noticed something else—a frilly outfit floating midair beside her desk. Two white bunny ears perched neatly on top.
Holls snatched it up, spread it open, and whistled. "Mercy of the Forge! That's a lotta skin!"
It was the first time the blunt, work-hardened dwarf had encountered human "fashion," and it left him utterly baffled.
"Hey!" Lilith finally snapped, clutching her gemstones and hurrying after Steve. "Wait—sir! By the Kingdom's law, you're required to provide registration details!"
Magical constructs weren't uncommon across the continent; most mages could make one. But high-tier constructs—those capable of thought and power—had to be officially registered to operate within royal borders.
Without it, they were considered unlicensed and dangerous.
Lilith's demand wasn't hostile, merely procedural. Holls' presence as a witness reassured her somewhat, but still—she couldn't just ignore protocol.
...
Behind them, the captured warrior's tone had changed completely. His bravado was gone. Now his voice trembled with terror.
"I was wrong! I was wrong! Get me out of here! That demon's coming for me!"
He thrashed violently in his bonds. The two guards restraining him exchanged grim looks—they didn't even need to speak.
The man was broken. Utterly mad.
They hauled him away.
...
Steve, guided by the glowing line, stopped in front of a large quest board covered in parchment notices. He right-clicked one. Lines of text floated up before his eyes—requests for escorts, hunts, deliveries, exorcisms.
One was highlighted: his Bronze Quest.
He crouched slightly, gave it a flick of his square hand, and plucked it off the board. The glowing line led him back to the front counter.
He placed the quest sheet and his token on the table—neatly, precisely.
Lilith blinked, hesitating, then leaned over the counter.
[Adventurer Token]
Name: Steve
Rank: Bronze Adventurer
Class: None
Completed Quests: 0
Issued by: Bardley Adventurers' Guild
[Quest: Slitherscale Serpent Subjugation]
Location: Vicinity of Fallenleaf Village
Description: Recently, numerous Slitherscale Serpents have appeared near the village, endangering daily life. Adventurers are requested to eliminate them.
Classification: Bronze-level commission (Tier-1 Magical Beasts).
Lilith frowned. Issued by Bardley Guild? That couldn't be right—she had no memory of processing anything for such a… being.
The seal was legitimate, though. Not a forgery.
Maybe an older clerk handled it? But why was this his first recorded quest?
When she looked up, Steve was staring directly at her—expressionless, unmoving.
Caught off guard, she instinctively gave a professional smile.
"Sir Steve, your adventurer rank is Bronze," she said softly. "You're eligible to take this quest. I'll process it immediately."
If he already had official credentials, then surely he wasn't a threat… right?
Muttering under her breath, she started logging the record—carefully setting the emeralds aside while her pen scratched across the parchment.