"( •̀ ᴖ •́ )"

"Yeah, I wish they would stop bothering Gleam. If this keeps up, my possession skill might run out."

Rusty spoke while glancing at Gleam, who snapped her mandibles at the people getting too close. A large crowd had gathered around them, many reaching out to touch his ant companion without her consent. The guild test had ended, and he was now officially a D-rank adventurer, but he had not expected this much attention to follow.

Rusty stood still, surrounded by a dozen voices, offers, and flashing smiles. Each one was trying to outdo the last. Adventurers from every corner of the guild hall were vying for his attention, tossing around terms like "equal loot split," "fast track to C-rank," and "exclusive dungeon routes." Some had even gone so far as to offer housing, free potions, or an "executive" spot in their parties. Gleam chittered loudly and hopped back between his shoulders to escape the poking fingers. One adventurer tried to pet her anyway, a mistake he wouldn't soon forget.

*CHOMP*

"OW! What the hell?! That bug bit me!"

" ( •̀ ⤙ •́ ) "

"I warned you."

Rusty muttered while pushing the people away and making more space for himself and her.

"She's not a mascot. She's my partner, so leave her alone."

Only now did he realize that waiting in the guild had been a mistake. He had assumed that after a few minutes the adventurers would lose interest and stop crowding around him, but it seemed that D-ranked adventurers were rare even here. There were only a handful in the area, and C-ranked parties were nonexistent. The man he had faced during the exam appeared to be somewhere within D-rank but above the norm.

Just like with monster evolutions, there were different tiers to classes. If Rusty could consider himself an elite monster, then that man was likely in the same category. Although he was confident he could win if he used all of his skills, the fight would still be far from easy. He understood that his journey to the top was far from over, and D-rank was just another stepping stone along the way.

"What is it now?"

Just as he was about to move to another corner of the guild, a few individuals approached him. He raised his voice, mimicking what humans called annoyance, and the three adventurers immediately recoiled. They dropped their heads and began bowing for some reason. When he looked at them more closely, something about them seemed familiar. The moment one of them raised their head, he remembered.

"Aren't you those weak adventurers from before?"

He blurted it out without thinking, and he saw one of the three lower their cat-shaped ears in disappointment.

"Y-yes, that's us..."

"Ah… your name was Oliver, right?"

"Oh, you remembered us, Senior?"

"Senior?"

The trio of young adventurers before him were the same ones who had been stationed with him during the monster attack. If he remembered correctly, the other two with Oliver were named Tally and Rika. It looked like they had come to speak with him, though it probably was not to invite him to join their party. Their levels were clearly too low for that. Instead, they seemed to have a different reason.

"Y-yes, we just wanted to congratulate you on reaching D-rank, and thank you for taking care of us back at the wall."

This time it was Tally who spoke. She seemed nervous, but her words were sincere. Rusty looked at the three, unsure of what they truly wanted or why they were calling him their senior. Still, the word had a nice ring to it, and the meaning was not lost on him. It meant they saw him as someone above them, and he liked that idea.

"About that? Think nothing of it. It's the least a senior like me could do in that situation."

He lifted his helmet slightly, as if soaking in the praise. While the other adventurers around him clearly wanted something, these three felt more genuine. They did not seem to have any ulterior motives. But before the conversation could continue, another group approached, three individuals who were clearly above E-rank.

"So you are Edmund, the new D-rank adventurer?"

They looked like a seasoned party of adventurers, equipped with enchanted gear, something only D-ranks and above could typically afford. They carried an air of superiority, and the moment they arrived, the mood in the guild shifted. The surrounding adventurers quickly averted their gazes, as if struck by fear. The trio he had been speaking with was shoved aside, and Rika, the third member of the group, nearly fell to the ground.

"H-hey!"

She was caught by Olivier, but the four people didn't seem to care. They simply shoved them aside without a second thought. Leading the group was a large man clad in heavy armor, even bulkier than the kind Rusty wore. To his left stood another large man, resembling the well-built barbarians Rusty had seen in the tribe, though something about him was different. That difference suggested he wasn't from there, probably a member of a different tribe.

Another member was a slender woman with short, sharp red hair and piercing eyes. A bow was strapped across her back, and a dozen throwing knives lined her belt. Her gaze swept over Rusty as if assessing the value of every piece of his gear, then silently deciding none of it quite measured up.

The last member stood at the rear, looking like someone from the thieves guild. He wore light leather armor with faded symbols stitched along the sleeves. Several small pouches dangled from his belt, likely filled with poisons, tools, or enchanted trinkets. His hood was pulled low, but Rusty could still see his eyes scanning for weak spots in his armor.

"Be careful, Rusty. There's something off about these four."

"Yes, I know."

Alexander had spoken, and Rusty agreed. He understood more about the world now and wouldn't be so easily deceived. Something about this group felt wrong, especially considering they already had two fighters. Their party didn't seem to need someone like him, which made their interest in him all the more suspicious.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Rusty didn't move, and his halberd remained strapped across his back. While these people were clearly suspicious, they would not attack him inside the guild. If a fight broke out, they would all end up in a jail cell or have to pay a hefty fine. The one who approached was the armored man. His helmet was down, and like many humanoids in this world, he had a bushy beard that looked unkempt.

"We've seen your fight."

The man said. His voice was gravelly yet smooth, conveying the confidence of someone accustomed to giving orders.

"Name's Beros. This is my party, Sable, Grahn, and Nirell."

He motioned to each of them in turn, but none offered greetings. They only gave short nods. Compared to the interactions he had just experienced with other adventurers, this felt more irritating. It was as if they were looking down on him.

"Good day?"

He offered them a polite greeting. There was no reason to make enemies of these people, at least not yet. They seemed confident in their abilities, though none of them felt as strong as the man he had just fought.

"I won't waste your time, friend. Here's the deal. My party is looking for someone like you. You seem capable, someone who can handle the deeper parts of the sunken dungeon. So join us."

The adventurers surrounding them remained silent, but it was clear they were intimidated by this group of four. Each member was a D-rank adventurer, veterans who had been descending into the dungeon for some time.

Rusty considered the situation. His body had recently advanced, and he was planning to explore the dungeon anyway. Traveling with others might make the journey easier. Working alongside adventurers instead of going solo could also reduce suspicion about his true nature, though it came with risks. His identity might be exposed, and his current adventurer armor form restricted many of his abilities. Without access to his other two forms, the danger of being discovered in combat grew even greater.

He also knew that high-ranking adventurers were better at sensing monsters. If something gave him away during a fight, there would be no way to explain it. Sharing loot and experience was another drawback. He was far more efficient on his own. Perhaps in rare situations, he could assist a party against higher-level threats, but for standard dungeon crawling, he saw no benefit in teaming up. Especially now that he had acquired a skill allowing him to control lesser versions of his body, which he was eager to test in real combat.

"My apologies, but I'm not looking for a party. I prefer to work alone."

He tried to keep his tone courteous, but the man's expression changed the moment he heard the answer.

"Really? Won't you reconsider? It gets dangerous down there. You shouldn't be wandering around by yourself."

The large man placed a hand on Rusty's shoulder as if to pat it, but then Rusty felt it. The grip tightened slowly, pressing down on his steel frame with increasing force. This was no longer a friendly invitation. It was a demand.

" ( •̀ - •́ ) "

Gleam moved her head up, and her antennae moved back in annoyance. She was ready to pounce.

"No. I won't."

Rusty didn't appreciate the aggression. He raised his hand and pushed against the man's arm. It turned into a contest of strength. To the man's surprise, his hand was forced off Rusty's shoulder. For a brief moment, his eyes flashed with hostility, but the look quickly faded. A smile returned to his face as he withdrew his hand.

"I see. That's a shame. If you change your mind, you'll know where to find us, friend."

It was as if the man had two personalities. One was that of a calm veteran, while the other seemed to lurk beneath the surface, a more violent nature that might have been his true self. As Beros turned away, his party followed him in silence. Grahn, the brutish warrior, gave Rusty a long look that seemed to be part warning and part challenge. The archer, Sable, narrowed her eyes before slipping into the crowd without a word. Nirell, the thief, was the last to leave. His hooded face remained unreadable, yet for some reason he lingered the longest before moving on.

"What was that about?"

"Shhh, be quiet, Rika. They might hear you."

Once the group had left, Rika was the first to speak. Tally quickly covered her mouth to silence her and only removed her hand once she was sure the intimidating D-rank adventurer party had exited the guild. Oliver took a cautious step forward, his voice low as he leaned closer to Rusty.

"Mr. Edmund, you should be careful."

"I should?"

"Yes. That guy, Beros, he's dangerous…"

"Dangerous, huh? Don't worry, I can handle myself. If they want to come at me, they can. I won't run away!"

Rusty stood tall with his metal chest pushed forward. The sight made Oliver pause. The young man was clearly trying to warn him against making enemies of the other group, but Rusty didn't care. In fact, he would have welcomed a fight, especially if it happened in a place where he could unleash his full power.

"No, y-you don't understand. A lot of adventurers who teamed up with them never seem to come back."

"Oh?"

Oliver continued to warn him, though Rusty didn't understand why this human cared so much. The concern was starting to annoy him. It felt like he was being underestimated. He placed a firm hand on the young man's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"Don't worry about me. Worry more about yourself."

"Ah... I'm sorry. I seem to have overstepped. My apologies."

The young man lowered his head respectfully. Then Alexander's voice echoed in Rusty's mind.

"Don't be too hard on the kid. He's just worried those four will target you in the dungeon for refusing to join their party."

"Is he?"

Rusty looked at the young man standing before him and tried to imagine what another adventurer might say in a moment like this. Some words of encouragement seemed appropriate.

Rusty tilted his head slightly, his visor catching the light just enough to flash those dead eyes that were inside. He could see the young man flinch a bit at the sight of them. Then after a few silent moments, which were enough to make Oliver fidget, he finally spoke out.

"Thanks… for the warning. I'll be careful."

His voice wasn't warm, but it wasn't cold either. Still, the message seemed to have gotten through. Olivier blinked in surprise and responded with a firm nod. At that moment, Rusty let go of his shoulder and noticed someone waving at him nearby. It was Thelma, holding something up in her hand.

It looked like a card of some sort, and it was most likely what he had been waiting for over an hour. Now that he had a reason to move, he approached the counter, and the card was handed to him.

"Is this?"

"Yes, this is your new adventurer card, Mr. Edmund. Congratulations on officially becoming a D-rank adventurer. I should remind you that if you lose your card, you can have it reissued here, though it will come with a higher fee."

"I see…"

Rusty took the card in his hands and examined it. It didn't look much different from the last one. The main changes were a more intricate frame and the addition of the D symbol.

'Finally, let's get out of here.'

Aburdon's voice echoed inside his helmet. They had been cooped up for too long, and Rusty agreed. The next step was to check the shops and observe what the competition was doing. Once that was done, it would be time to return to the dungeon. He needed to test his body thoroughly, and for that, he needed the monsters inside.

He began walking outside. Some people still glanced at him, but it seemed they had finally given up on asking him to join their parties. As soon as he stepped outside, his helmet jerked slightly to one side. He stood still for a few moments, then turned and walked toward the merchant district.

'It must have been my imagination.'

For a brief moment, he could have sworn he felt a presence, as if someone or something were watching him with hostile intent. He dismissed it, blaming the feeling on all the frustrated adventurers who were angry that he refused to join their groups.

"Let's check out that enchanted gear!"

"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"

Gleam cheered, and together they headed toward the shops. Their next goal was to investigate prices and evaluate the equipment.