Lina's first day at the academy arrived. Dressed in a fresh uniform with her new wand in hand, she looked radiant and nervous.
Rayan walked with her to the academy gates. "Good luck, Lina."
"You too. Your time will come soon," she smiled warmly before disappearing into the courtyard.
Rayan still had one week before his own enrollment began. Not wanting to waste time, he headed straight to the Adventurers' Guild.
He scanned the mission board carefully.
Most quests were too difficult for a beginner like him—but one mission caught his eye:
"Herb Gathering – Deep Forest."
It didn't seem dangerous, and it paid decently. He accepted the request and set out toward the dense woodland outside the town.
In the forest, Rayan searched for the herbs listed in the mission. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find any in the outer areas.
Not one to give up, he ventured deeper into the forest, where the light grew dim and the trees loomed tall.
Suddenly, a rustle behind a tree caught his attention.
A goblin leapt out.
Instinctively, Rayan drew his new sword. It was his first real combat. The goblin hissed and charged—but Rayan managed to hold his ground. After a fierce scuffle, he landed a solid strike, taking the creature down.
Panting, he stood over the goblin's body. "I did it..." he muttered in disbelief.
Remembering the guild's advice, he carefully extracted the usable goblin materials—ears, claws, and the core—and stored them in a pouch.
He searched a little more and finally found the herbs deep near a stream, exactly as the mission described. With his bag full, he returned to town.
Back at the Adventurers' Guild, he submitted both the herbs and the goblin materials.
The receptionist counted and verified the herbs. "Mission complete. Here's your reward," she said, placing a small pouch of coins on the table.
Rayan frowned slightly. "But… I submitted goblin materials too. Do I get extra?"
She shook her head. "We don't pay for those here. We only collect monster materials if you're submitting them for record or contribution points."
Disappointed but not discouraged, Rayan asked where he could sell them.
"Try the Monster Materials Guild," she advised.
Without wasting a moment, Rayan made his way there. To his surprise, the goblin materials earned him more money than the herb mission.
That sparked a realization: defeating monsters could be far more profitable.
But he also knew he wasn't strong enough to handle multiple enemies at once—yet.
So he returned to herb gathering but changed his approach. He began collecting information from locals, herbalists, and books. He learned where certain herbs grew, which season they thrived in, and how to identify them quickly.
Before long, his efficiency improved, and his income grew.
Finally, the day of his academy enrollment arrived.
He submitted his documents, including proof of his Sword Crest reaching Level 1, and was officially accepted into the Combat Course.
Unlike others, Rayan chose not to live in the dorms. He had to continue earning money—both from adventuring and his part-time guard duty.
Balancing work, missions, and study wouldn't be easy.
But Rayan had endured worse.
This was just the beginning.