The Quest Board

“But that was a matter for another time.”

“Even if I do return to the forest... Darkhoof is still entrenched there.”

A touch of solemnity crossed his mind.

Darkhoof—a terrifying existence whose mere hoofprints and aura left deep in the forest could intimidate Silver Rank monsters.

Matthew still clearly remembered the wariness and awe in Regg's voice when he had brought up the name.

It was by no means an ordinary Gold Rank, but perhaps... an even higher level of life.

With his current strength, if he were to enter the depths of the forest again and encounter such a being, his chances of survival would be minuscule.

“Now is not the time.”

With these thoughts in mind, Matthew pulled himself back, focusing entirely on his meditation method and sinking his mind even deeper.

His Spirit flowed like a fine stream, washing through every meridian, bone, and muscle in his body, even reaching the spiritual core deep within his consciousness.

Though the growth was slow, it was steady.

He could feel his Spirit condensing and expanding bit by bit, like an iron billet being repeatedly forged.

His mana was like water in a deep well; though it did not surge, it accumulated slowly.

As the night deepened, the lights outside the window went out one by one.

Occasionally, the orderly footsteps of patrolling guards echoed from afar, only to quickly vanish around the street corner.

Matthew remained sitting still, as solid as a stone carving, his breathing so long and slow it was almost nonexistent.

Only his chest rose and fell slightly with his long breaths. Beneath his clothes, the magic stones he kept close to his body glowed with an extremely faint light, faintly resonating with the Spirit circulating inside him.

The night grew darker, and starlight filtered through the glass window, casting a frosty white glow over his shoulders.

He continued his meditation in this quiet and energy-barren environment.

Unhurried and without seeking quick results, he simply allowed his body and mind to adapt and transform through this quiet settling.

Time flowed slowly.

...

The next morning, Matthew arrived at the Class holder guild in the inner city of Abilan County.

Located next to a wide street near the central district, the guild was a three-story stone building. Its outer walls were built from grayish-white ashlar blocks, giving it a stable and heavy appearance.

The main entrance consisted of two dark oak doors, with a striking emblem embedded above the lintel—a crossed sword and shield, symbolizing the cooperation of warriors, which was also the universal symbol of the Class holder guild.

There were five or six stone steps in front of the door, swept so clean that not a single fallen leaf could be seen.

Pushing the doors open, the scene inside was completely different from the empty and noisy guild Matthew had previously seen in Anda Town.

The hall was extremely spacious, with a ceiling nearly two stories high. High windows above let the sunlight stream in, illuminating the entire space.

The floor was covered with large, clean, and smooth grayish-white carpets. Footsteps produced clear echoes but were not noisy.

The hall could accommodate about a hundred people at once. Although there were many people coming and going at this time, it still appeared spacious and orderly.

The demographics were also vastly different from the outer city—almost everyone in the hall had a steady aura and sharp eyes, with the majority carrying weapons or wearing leather armor. The occasional low-voiced conversations were mostly professional discussions about quest details, terrain intelligence, or the pros and cons of equipment.

The overall atmosphere was solemn and efficient, clearly a gathering place for true Class holders.

The number of reception windows was greatly increased: a row of six windows lined the wall, with one or two guild staff members behind each window wearing identical dark uniforms, handling registration, settlements, inquiries, and other matters.

They were highly efficient, their conversations brief and professional, completely unlike the casual, chatty receptionists in the outer city.

Matthew's gaze swept calmly across the hall, a hint of evaluation crossing his mind.

He noticed that most of the people coming and going here had steady paces and restrained auras. They were clearly Class holders who had undergone the crucible of real combat, and there was no shortage of experts whose strength was at the Brass Rank or higher.

He was in no hurry to head to the windows to handle his business. Instead, he first turned toward one side of the hall—

Where three tall oak bulletin boards stood, neatly covered in a dense array of quest sheets.

Although the papers were similar in size, they were clearly divided into categories and posted in an orderly fashion.

Matthew walked slowly over to the three tall oak bulletin boards, his eyes scanning the densely packed quest sheets.

What was displayed here was far from the monotonous content of "hunting monsters" or "escorting caravans" found in Anda Town. Its complexity and professionalism far exceeded his initial imagination, resembling a miniature map that meticulously depicted the needs and crises of Abilan County and its surrounding areas.

The hunting and clearing category was still the foundation, but the targets were no longer limited to monsters:

“Clear the newly appeared Rock Crystal Scorpion swarm on the third level of the northwest mining area. The target quantity is estimated to be fifteen to twenty. Complete harvesting of their tail stingers and carapace cores is required. Recommended for Silver Rank squads.”

“Eradicate the 'Blood Hand Gang,' a band of roaming bandits entrenched on the edge of the Greywater Swamp. Their leader is known to be a peak Brass Rank warrior equipped with simple crossbows. Leader's token and proof of eradication must be brought back.”

“Bounty: Kill or capture the wanted criminal, 'One-Eyed' Carlos. This individual is a fugitive officer suspected of mastering military combat techniques, last seen in the southern border forest. Dead or alive. Reward: 120 gold coins, plus noble contribution points.”

The escorting and transporting category revealed a more refined division of labor:

“Escort a team of archaeologists to the outskirts of the Silent Hills for an eight-day expedition. Must handle potential terrain hazards and sporadic wilderness creatures. Non-combat priority.”

“Urgent Quest: Escort three crates of raw 'Blueglow Ore' from the inner city merchant group warehouse to the dock warehouse, a distance of five streets. Acceptors must have at least a Black Iron Rank escort reputation record.”

“Long-term Employment: Provide armed escort for the Golden Ear Chamber of Commerce's twice-weekly intercity spice caravan. Fixed route, contract period starting from three months. Team acceptance required.”

The gathering and finding category was even more diverse, directly reflecting the resource demands of various factions in the inner city:

“Buying 'Moonlight Moss' at a high price. Must be harvested in specific areas of the Silver Pine Forest on a night of the full moon. 5 gold coins paid per portion (standard amount).”

“Retrieve Lost Item: A family heirloom, the 'Griffin Quill,' was lost during the inner city social season banquet. For those who provide definitive clues and assist in its recovery, the reward is negotiable and guaranteed to satisfy. (Note: Suspected internal involvement.)”

“Collecting 'Salamander Shed Skin' or 'Fire Crystal Clusters' for alchemy experiments. Long-term validity, price negotiable based on quality.”

In addition, there were also some construction, technical, and knowledge service categories.

I didn't expect this adventurer guild... or rather, the Class holder guild, to cover so many aspects, Matthew thought to himself.