Rey’s ears clearly weren’t working right.

That or he was under a spell of some sort, probably one meant to trap him in a hallucination or an illusion.

“What.”

And the voice of a man nearing his third decade definitely had no business sounding so frail in that moment.

But his team leader merely sighed and nodded.

“Yeah, sorry, but this isn’t working, we’re letting you go.”

Rey could but repeat his earlier words. “What.”

“Oh for the love of…” came the groan of annoyance from the team’s archer, the woman throwing her arms in the air. “The idiot is slow too. Let’s go, we did our part per guild regulations, he’s informed, lets go, day’s a wasting,” she said and spun about, starting to walk but unlike other times, the blow to Rey’s world meant he couldn’t spare a moment to steal a glance at those long alluring pale legs of hers or her bubble butt.

“Please, you can’t do this,” Rey whispered only for his leader, or ex leader he supposed to shake his head.

“Sorry mate,” he said tone apologetic, reaching out to pat him once. “Just weren’t a good fit is all.”

“More like bottom of the barrel trash we had to carry!” the archer said, from the distance.

But despite sighing his leader…ex leader merely shook his head. “Best of luck to you,” and turning with a wave left Rey standing there, but a few paces from the steps leading up to the guild, his world upended.

He wasn’t sure what hurt worse, the whispers and stares he’d been expecting or the almost complete absence of them actual. His fellow adventurers coming and going from the guild’s tavern and the guild entire seemed to care little for his plight. That’s not to say that some curious glances hadn’t been aimed his way now and again but little more beyond that.

It hurt, he decided as he nursed his mug, even if it was a tad unreasonable on his part. The sheer indifference still smarted.

It would’ve been one thing if people had aimed sneers his way and laughed in his face but at the end of the day Ray wasn’t the most renowned of adventurers and thus, those with renown and skill actual preferred to focus on matters of actual import.

Like which quest to take next, their plans and contingencies to deal with the monsters they expected to encounter and things of that sort.

A lowly all but worthless adventurer who was probably going to quit wasn’t exactly high on their list of priorities.

And perhaps he should quit, after all, what was it that he’d manage to accomplish in all those months he’d been an adventurer?

Now sure, it would’ve been unreasonable to expect to become a Platinum ranked adventurer in mere months, he wasn’t one of the legendary freaks of nature that seemed to pop up every couple of decades or so. Nonetheless, he still should’ve managed to make some kind of name for himself and acquire a small measure of skill and measure both.

The keyword being should.

Instead all he’d accomplished…

The team’s Archer laugh echoed in his mind and her words both.

Snarling he slammed the mug on the wooden table sloshing liquid escaping and landing on the table, darkening the wood, rewarding him with an annoyed glare and huff from one of barmaids passing by.

“Sorry…”

Sighing, a small defiant smile wormed its way across his face all the same.

Sure he’d managed little so far and had little to show as far as skill was concerned and yet.

All the same?

He didn’t care, he’d show that bitch she was wrong and Rey was worthy of the adventurer name!

Finishing his drink, he headed back to the main guild hall proper and set about finding a quest for himself. One he could manage by his lonesome cause there was a hells chance any other group would be quick to add him to their party just cause.

Peering at the board and the available quests, he decided to take his time.

This needed to be done right after all.

For this time he’d have no backup and he needed to choose taking into account his meager skills.

He—

“Those are a bit beyond your level, don’t you think Rookie?” one tall Gold ranked adventurer with a nice beard said as he approached, mace on his shoulder and no doubt having caught glance of where Rey’s eyes had been focused on.

Laughing good naturedly the bald man, patted him on the shoulder and yanked one strip after scarcely glancing at it for half a second or so. “Slow and steady lad, slow and steady,” he said and departed.

And on the face of it, the man’s advice was good and no doubt, judging by his mien had been intended in good spirit but all Rey heard in his ears were that bitch’s biting words and no matter the truth inherent in them, her laughter and his ex-leader’s all but indifference to Rey’s plight burned.

Fury overriding his good sense and with heartbeat loud in his ears, his eyes fell on one of the papers.

Slow and steady?

Beyond his skill?

He’d show them.

Show them all!

He yanked the parchment and the act coupled with his intent caused the Guild sigil in his pocket to glow in brief, registering the Quest to his name.

Rage and spite serving as the main fuel sources for his decision or not, Rey was still an adventurer if not much of one. So he still had the good sense to make some preparations before setting out on the almost impossible Quest he’d chosen for himself.

His armor was the easiest of the lot, half-plate, bits of gambeson and leather, familiar one and all. By this point easy to check and don both.

The trusty if dented shield and the sword that’d seen better days were next followed by rations, and few other bits and pieces he thought he might need and more importantly, could afford.

Altogether with his meager skills and funds both it wasn’t the most impressive of Adventurers that set forth from the guild that day but one that could, at least in theory, lay low at least a few rats and perhaps even a goblin or two.

Only…

Rey, climbing down the marble stairs and away from the Guild, almost reached for his pouch and the parchment within it. Not that he needed to for even if he forgot the guild’s sigil in his pocket would fill his mind with but a command as to what exactly he’d selected to hunt.

Not a rat or a goblin at all…

Gulping, the hand on the pommel of his sheathed blade trembled before he forced it to steady.

No.

It was too late to go back now nor did he want to.

Somehow or other he was going to win and prove to everyone he had the makings of an adventurer.

He had to.

The journey out of town was both familiar and routine at this point even if as he passed through the thoroughfare heading for the gates, at times he would reflexively turn to make a joke or ask something of his teammates that were no longer there and each time the realization would pour new resolve into the river of his heart.

The guards manning the gates ignored him with familiar ease as they did most coming this time of the day with the sun high overhead. Although this being a town with a Guild hall probably played a part as did the fact that for all Rey wasn’t much of one, the brooch on his breast and by this time familiar face did mark him as an adventurer all the same and not the scrawny suspicious orphan of years past or the lonely menial forgettable man of just a few months past.