Chapter 7 - First Hunt
That morning, the sun hadn't yet risen high when Zeno, Gobu, and Bloo walked toward the Adventurers' Guild building in the middle of town. The structure was made of dark wood and old stone, but the atmosphere inside was lively. The sound of metal, rough laughter, and the aroma of grilled meat blended together.
"So… we're really signing up?" Gobu asked, trying to straighten his clothes—which were basically just wrinkled rags fashioned into a vest.
Zeno nodded.
"If we want to survive in this world, becoming official adventurers is the first step. We'll need access to missions, permits, and maybe… recognition."
Bloo rolled slowly, then bounced gently like he was humming.
As soon as they entered, the noise lowered slightly. Several people turned their heads and began whispering. Faint voices could be heard:
> "That's them, right? That slime, they say he bounced an ogre with his body…"
"I saw it from afar. That goblin smashed two monsters at once, swear to the gods."
"And that human… they say he's quiet but swings his sword like a storm."
Zeno and his team approached the receptionist desk, where a young woman with bright braided blue hair sat. Her nameplate read: Elka.
"Elka," Zeno greeted. "The three of us want to register as adventurers."
Elka looked at them with a polite smile, though her eyes clearly assessed them quickly.
"Alright. Usually, new applicants are given Rank F as beginners. But…"
She turned to a stack of reports and pinned-up newspapers already filled with statements from the gate captain and other witnesses.
"You three are… special."
She tapped a stamped form with the guild's seal, then stated without hesitation:
"Based on direct reports from the gate captain and the recommendation of two veteran adventurers, Zeno, Gobu, and Bloo are hereby assigned Rank C."
Zeno blinked.
"Straight to C? But… we just—"
"Not every day a slime becomes a living shield, a goblin uses tactics, and a human doesn't run from an ogre," Elka said with a playful smile. "And gossip in the guild travels faster than teleport magic."
Suddenly, clapping and cheers erupted from a few adventurers in the room.
"Welcome to the real grind, you weird rookies!"
"You guys made this morning fun!"
Gobu looked confused but happy. Bloo bounced lightly and morphed into the shape of a shaky number "3".
Zeno just shook his head.
"This world really is strange."
Elka handed each of them a bronze badge shaped like a circle, engraved with a clean letter 'C'.
"Congratulations. You are now officially Rank C adventurers. New missions are available on the main board. Oh, and Zeno?"
"Yes?"
"Try not to cause too much chaos too quickly. You don't know how insane the upper ranks are."
Zeno gave a faint smile.
"We're not looking for chaos. But if danger comes to us first… we'll laugh as we beat it up."
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First Mission: Wolf Elimination
They headed straight to the mission board. Dozens of papers were posted, most of them for higher ranks.
"Let's start with something light," Zeno muttered while scanning through the Rank C missions.
Gobu pointed at one paper:
> [Rank C] Request: Forest Wolf Elimination
Target: 5 wolves
Location: Western Forest
Reward: 8 coins per head
"Seems good for a warm-up," Gobu said.
Zeno nodded.
"And we can test our teamwork, too."
Bloo bounced gently and poked at the wolf symbol on the sheet.
After submitting the mission acceptance to Elka and receiving a small map of the location, they prepared to depart.
---
The journey to the western forest took about 45 minutes. The sky was overcast, and the wind carried the scent of damp earth.
Along the way, Gobu explained the behavior patterns of forest wolves—how they circle prey, use howls to signal, and often show one wolf as bait.
Zeno listened intently.
"You've been hunted by them before?"
"More like… I was once part of a wild pack. But this one's different. They're corrupted by forest magic. More vicious."
They finally reached the forest's edge. The atmosphere turned quiet, and a light mist began to descend.
"Bloo, stay in the middle. Gobu, take the right. I'll take the left. Triangle formation. Don't strike first until we know the total number."
It didn't take long before howls echoed. Five pairs of glowing red eyes appeared behind the bushes.
"Five… exactly," Gobu whispered.
Zeno drew his sword.
"Remember. Focus. Don't stray too far from Bloo."
The attack came fast. Two wolves leapt at once toward Zeno and Gobu. Another tried to sneak from behind.
Bloo reacted instantly. He bounced behind Zeno and stretched into a slime shield. The wolf's teeth hit the slick surface and was thrown back.
Zeno spun and slashed clean toward the beast's neck. Gobu leapt, stabbing straight into the belly of another.
Three remaining wolves started circling them.
"They're trying to separate us!" Gobu shouted.
"Bloo! Center position again!"
One wolf bit at Bloo's leg, but the slime expanded and launched itself like a trampoline. The wolf flew and was instantly struck down by Zeno from above.
With only two wolves left, their formation held. A coordinated attack from Gobu and Zeno took care of the rest.
Zeno let out a deep breath.
"Five wolves… down."
Bloo rolled to the side like a satisfied kitten. Gobu patted his shoulder.
"Nice work."
They collected proof of the kill—the main fangs of each wolf—and started heading back to the guild.
"If all missions are like this, we can reach Rank B in a month," Gobu remarked.
"Don't get cocky," Zeno chuckled. "Tomorrow we might be sent to fight wild boars with forks."
Bloo made a sound that resembled soft laughter.
As the sun began to set and their shadows stretched across the quiet dirt road, one thing became clear to Zeno:
This world might be dangerous. But as long as they were together, even battles could feel like adventures filled with laughter and courage.
And that, to Zeno, was more valuable than any rank.
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