The Adventurer Guild slowly returned to its usual noise after the excitement of the ogre hunt faded.
Adventurers began talking loudly again, mugs of ale clinking against wooden tables as the afternoon wore on. A few people still glanced toward Alex from time to time, whispering quietly among themselves.
Alex stood near the counter, turning the silver coins over in his hand.
Six silver coins.
It wasn't a fortune, but it was still more money than he had earned in a single day since arriving in this world.
"Thinking about how to spend it already?" Kael asked.
Alex looked up and smirked slightly.
"Thinking about not dying tomorrow."
Kael chuckled.
"A wise investment."
Nearby, Bren finished speaking with the receptionist and returned to the group.
"Well," the veteran adventurer said, stretching his shoulders, "good work today."
One of the shield warriors raised a mug from a nearby table.
"To surviving!"
The others laughed. Bren looked at Alex again.
"You handled yourself well out there."
Alex shrugged.
"Everyone helped."
"That's true," Bren replied. "But landing the killing strike on an ogre is something most rookies never manage."
Alex rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He still wasn't used to being praised.
"Don't let it get to your head," Bren added with a grin.
"Wasn't planning to."
Bren nodded approvingly.
"Well, if you keep fighting like that, you'll have a long career as an adventurer.
With that, the veteran walked toward one of the tables where the other hunters had gathered.
Kael watched him go before turning back to Alex.
"You've made quite an impression," he said.
Alex sighed.
"That's what I'm worried about."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"The more attention I get, the more people start asking questions."
Kael smiled faintly.
"Questions can be dangerous."
Alex looked at him carefully.
"You seem to know a lot about that."
Kael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned against a wooden pillar near the wall.
"The world is full of secrets," he said calmly.
"And some secrets attract the wrong kind of attention."
Alex thought about the system message again. New Event Probability Increased. He still had no idea what that meant. But if the system was planning something, it probably wouldn't be small.
"You're thinking again," Kael said.
Alex shrugged.
"Habit."
Kael looked toward the guild doors.
"The town will celebrate tonight."
"Celebrate?"
"Ogres don't appear near settlements very often," Kael explained. "Killing one is good news for everyone."
Alex nodded slowly. That made sense.
A powerful monster roaming nearby would have scared merchants and travelers away.
Removing it meant safer roads.
Still, Alex couldn't shake the strange feeling building in the back of his mind. Something about the system's message bothered him.
He quietly opened the system interface again.
Host: Alex Varyn
Level: 7
Strength: 7
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 1
Mana: 0
Skills:
• Analyze Lv.1
• Vital Recovery Lv.1
• Combat Instinct Lv.1
Alex studied the screen carefully. Everything looked normal. But just as he was about to close the interface— It flickered.
A new notification appeared briefly.
Warning
Unusual Energy Detected
Source: Unknown
Location: Nearby
Alex froze.
Nearby?
His eyes scanned the guild hall slowly. Adventurers laughed at their tables. The receptionist continued writing in the guild ledger. Nothing looked unusual. Then Combat Instinct suddenly activated.
A faint prickling sensation ran along the back of his neck.
Danger.
Not immediate.
But close.
Alex turned his head slightly.
Near the entrance of the guild hall, two unfamiliar figures had just walked inside.
Both wore dark cloaks, their faces partially hidden beneath their hoods. They didn't look like adventurers. And they weren't heading toward the quest board.
Instead… They were scanning the room.
One of them whispered something to the other. Then their eyes stopped. Locked directly on Alex. Kael noticed it too.
His relaxed posture shifted slightly.
"Looks like your attention problem just arrived," he murmured quietly.
Alex's grip tightened around the coins in his hand.
"Do you know them?"
Kael's expression grew serious.
"No."
The two cloaked figures began walking slowly across the guild hall. Straight toward them.
And for the first time since gaining the system… Alex had a feeling the real trouble was finally beginning.