The guild hall smelled of sweat, ink, and stale bread.
Kael moved along the shadowed edge, Riven trailing silently. He didn't need to speak. Riven already understood: they weren't here to boast, they were here to find the ones no one wanted.
And there were plenty.
A small group huddled in the corner. F-ranks, all of them. Eyes down, shoulders slouched, afraid to make eye contact. Some clutched their weapons like they were already broken.
Kael stopped.
"This one," he whispered to himself, nodding toward a girl with a bow nearly as tall as she was. Her quiver was empty, armor patched, and she flinched at every sound.
Riven glanced over. "She looks… useless."
Kael smiled faintly. "Exactly."
He stepped forward. "Hey."
The girl jerked her head up, eyes wide. "Y-yes?"
"No tricks," Kael said. "I want to see what you can do. Follow me."
The girl hesitated. "Follow… you?"
Kael nodded once. "Outside. Now."
Riven watched quietly.
They led her to a small courtyard behind the guild hall. Empty but for crates and training dummies.
Kael crouched slightly, pulling a small knife from his belt. "Here's what I want you to do."
The girl's eyes widened. "Do… do what?"
Kael's lips twitched. "Complete this."
He glanced at the system, invisible to her:
[Custom Quest Creation — Manual]Target: Lyra TaneObjective: Hit the marked target with precisionDifficulty: Medium (F-Rank)Failure: fail to complete the Quest
[Quest Registered]
Kael pointed to a training dummy, cracked and worn.
"Hit that target," he said.
Riven tilted his head.
The girl frowned. "Hit… a Target?"
Kael shrugged. "Hit it."
She gripped her bow, took aim.
The arrow flew—perfect, dead center.
Blue light flickered at Kael's edge of vision.
[Quest Complete — External Target]Recipient: Lyra TaneSkill EnhancedMarksmanship (F-Rank → E-Rank)Enhancement: Focused Aim (Minor)
The girl staggered back, eyes wide. "I… I feel… awesome. Everything I'm aiming at—it's like I can sense it before it moves!"
Kael nodded. "Good. Keep that feeling. You'll need it."
Riven grinned slightly. "She's going to be useful."
Kael's lips twitched. "Useful. That's the first step. The rest is up to them."
He looked out over the courtyard. Forgotten hunters. Mocked hunters. The ones everyone gave up on.
And slowly, one by one, they would become unforgettable.