I thought that I was being pretty silent, but as expected, of a hunter who was also a thief. Matilda had realized that I used the standing to practice my bow skills at night as well. It wasn’t easy, but I could hit the targets with enough focus. Still, I was on the first of the five levels of the archery stand. I wanted to at least complete the first one before anything.

  In any case, while I wanted to learn Takedown, if Matilda said that, it was for a good reason. Right now, my accuracy in the first level of the stand was eighty percent. It made me wonder if I could pull that off before the next day arrives and I am forced to leave. I soon shook my head, since doubt would always make me miss my targets.

  — —

  While Sean was working on his archery skills, Matilda left the guild to check the other guilds. Using her skills, she vanished in the shadows of the buildings even while it was afternoon and no one saw her walking around. Her first destination was the warrior’s guild and as expected, the place was as noisy as ever… the sound of people shouting, the sound of shields and swords colliding never stopped even for a moment.

  ‘There are thirty of them… more than usual. That would mean that if things get balanced, each party would have at least two tanks.’

  While she was thinking about that, Matilda hid in the corner of the room and blended with the surroundings so well that not even the people that passed half a meter away from her were able to see her.

  Matilda kept watching that for a while until a new group arrived at the guild. Around ten priests came to train their skills and heal the wounds of the warriors. With that number, not all parties will have a healer. At the same time, it didn’t look like this was the first time they had come here and they talked with the warriors for a while after healing them.

  ‘They are already forming their own parties… It looks like Sean will have to prove himself for a while before joining them. Still, even if he does that, I have a feeling that he is too prideful to ask to join any party.’

  An archer fighting solo wasn’t something unheard of, but a newbie wouldn’t have learned the right survival skills to pull that off. In the end, Matilda left the guild while hoping that Sean could find and get along well with the leftovers, the worse students that didn’t show much promise or skill when they were learning their skills.

  Matilda was surprised to see twenty-five people in the mages’ guild, but soon she found out that most of them were so so with their magic skills. As for the crafters guild, she found out that twenty of them were there learning to use simple materials to make stuff and repair others. As for the special guild, only five of them were there. That leaves nine people left…

  ‘A lot of stupid people this round, huh? They must have died already outside… Ah, that is right. Maybe some veteran parties will return here eventually and recruit him. Someone with good eyesight would be able to tell his skill, but only another hunter would be able to tell that and two hunters would never get along together. Not like there is any other left alive.’

  Matilda couldn’t shake the unease settling in her chest. She had seen countless students come and go, some brimming with talent, others barely scraping by. Yet this time, she only had one student under her guidance, and the thought of him dying alone in some forgotten corner of this place weighed heavily on her. His potential was undeniable, far beyond the average hopefuls who passed through the guild’s doors, but potential alone wasn’t enough to survive. She had done all she could to prepare him, and pushed him to refine his skills. However, she knew better than anyone that once he stepped outside, his fate would be his own. No amount of training or encouragement could protect him from the harsh reality that awaited.

  In the end, there was nothing more she could do except return to the guild and hope. If he managed to complete the first level, the rewards would give him a hand. The first hurdle was always the hardest, but if he cleared it, his chances of survival would improve considerably. She let out a quiet sigh. All she could do now was wait and see if he had the strength and luck to make it through.

  — —

  ‘This is quite weird… this kind of skill shouldn’t be granted early on?’

  Sean

  Primary Classes: Archer Lv 01

  Health: 80/80

  Mana: 100/100

  Stamina: 45/100

  Strength: 09

  Dexterity: 10

  Magic: 06

  Vitality: 08

  Spirit: 10

  Endurance: 10

  Luck: 05

  Free Points: 00

  Techniques: Power Shot Lv 01

  Spells:

  Effects: Archery Lv 01

  I confirmed that the skill was there, so completing the first level actually had a real benefit. When I looked around, Matilda was nowhere to be seen, but it was already dark as well, so it was no surprise.

  ‘I guess this is it… I did what I could and learned what I could. Still, this is just the beginning.’

  My goal was to become stronger and knowledgeable as possible in order not to have to rely on others or be forced to obey them, but then seeing Matilda’s skills made me realize that the people here were far ahead of me, in more ways than one. I couldn’t just obtain a bit of power and then completely ignore them. They still had more power and knowledge compared to me.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  ‘The more I think about it, the more I realize that I have this rebellious tendency of not wanting to bow to anyone… I just hope that this won’t reach some worrisome levels.’

  I had a feeling that my memories would be the main factor in determining my actions and behavior, but even without those, I should be able to reflect on my experiences a bit. I would assume that I had a bit of trouble with authority based on that. Was I a criminal before? I didn’t want to believe that… Still, worrying about my past that I didn’t know of would only make me waste time and energy with useless thoughts.

  “Hm. It seems that you managed to pull it off. My time teaching you wasn’t wasted then. Make sure to come back and pay me properly by learning other skills.”

  Matilda emerged from the darkness while bringing a bowl of soup. I never heard her steps until she spoke and it felt like the smell of the food only began to spread around the same time as well, it was quite weird.

  “Thank you, master.”

  “You should be. Anyway, here is a small gift. The guild masters usually give something extra for the students that shows more promise than the others. Since you didn’t have any real competition, you don’t deserve some impressive rewards, but this should come in handy.”

  Matilda tossed at me something that looked like a gem. I frowned since I couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be for. Still, it felt like it was being drawn to my bow for some reason, so when I made them touch each other, it felt like they were magnetized.

  “You can find gems in this world with all kinds of effects. This gem will grant you a boost of twenty percent movement speed for a second after you kill an enemy. The time can be increased the more you kill enemies and keep that equipped. For more information, check the crystal tomorrow.”

  “I see. Thanks, master. I am grateful.”

  “You should be. Regardless, what are your plans from tomorrow onwards?”

  “I am not sure. Do you have any recommendations?”

  “Your skill with the bow is acceptable for someone who practiced under me for a week, but your skill with the knife is below average. The best option is for you to look for a party. They should be forming right now naturally, but you are at a disadvantage since you were unable to meet others like you. So, look for those who don’t look promising and then try to raise them as proper allies.”

  That seemed like a lot of work, but I could understand where she was coming from. People like that would also be more loyal if they feel indebted to me. It was a pretty calculating way of seeing things, but I didn’t find that odd.

  “Another option would be to take your chances and try to hunt alone. Still, it is pretty rare to find enemies in groups smaller than three, so you will have to fight at a numerical disadvantage.”

  That seemed like even more troublesome since my life would be on the line. Still, I felt that I would be fine as long as I was careful enough. The main reason for that was the fact that I would have to waste a good part of the day tomorrow looking for possible teammates, that seemed like a hassle and I wanted to get a good understanding of the surroundings as soon as possible and about my future in this place.

  “I guess I will try my hand at working by myself. The start will be hard, but things will become easier once I learn something like a simple basic spell. How much does it cost, by the way?”

  “Fifty silver coins.”

  “For real? Isn’t it like straight out a crime to ask that much?”

  “Asking for less would be the same as putting less value in the life and work of priests. In this world, knowledge is power, and the knowledge to save lives is deeply connected to the power of healing wounds.”

  “What about the skills that I can learn from you, master?”

  “The most simple one will cost ten silver coins.”

  “Is there a discount for your best student of this round?”

  “No.”

  At least I tried. In any case, tomorrow was an important day, and I had to start earlier because this was the last time I would have free food and a space to sleep without having to pay for it. I got used to training, but now I had to get used to the new life of hunting and fighting for my life to be able to pay for living expenses.

  ‘Without memories of the past, few people would feel inclined to refuse this kind of life vehemently… This pretty much confirms that our lack of memories is by design, but how can anyone erase the memories of one hundred people that easily?’

  “Once you are done, leave the bowl in the warehouse and then sleep properly. I probably won’t be here tomorrow morning, so don’t mind waiting for me to say bye or anything.”

  “All right. Thanks, master.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  I could only see Matilda now as someone who was extremely awkward when it comes to human relations. Still, it was quite odd, since it was also clear that she wanted more students to teach. Living as a hunter’s guild master shouldn’t be that profitable, so I wondered if she was working out of duty instead. With those thoughts in mind, I went to sleep. Usually, I would feel a bit anxious if I didn’t practice some extra shots at night, but this time around, I fell asleep pretty fast.

  At sunrise, I was already up and ready to leave. The guild was empty and silent, but I wondered if Matilda was just pretending to not be around. That seemed like something she would do. Regardless, I decided to leave and then check the outside of the fortress. Aside from the small area east of the fortress that led to the beach and the bridge, everything was pretty much unknown to me.

  ‘It doesn’t look like any of the others are awake, so I should get this chance to get ahead a bit. I need to do the work of more than one person, so things will be difficult if I don’t work harder.’

  I walked around the town to get a good feel of the gates and then checked the buildings around those. Thanks to that, I was able to see what kind of shops and buildings opened early in the morning. All the four gates were manned, but they weren’t open yet. At the same time, it seemed that the surrounding area was all the same, full of trees and obstacles. It seemed like a good place for me to fight, but it would be troublesome if I didn’t find anything to fight soon.

  ‘Matilda said that the areas close to the fortresses are restored pretty much every month since some of the newcomers die and the others just move to other areas once they get strong enough. I guess I don’t have to worry about this that much.’

  In the end, I decided to cross the south gate since I would be able to tell that on my left side I would find the sea and from the back, there was the direction of the fortress. That left only two directions to be attacked from.

  I didn’t realize this before, but the areas around sure had tall grass. The other areas had a decent path since people used them often. That meant that the fortress didn’t interact with the other bases all that much. There were so many things that I realized that I should have asked Matilda, but I was too focused on the training. Regardless… I will have to learn as I go.

  Though the sun had barely risen, the air was already warming, wrapping around me. Whether it was the rising temperature or just my own tension, I couldn’t tell. Every step I took through the forest felt heavier, my senses stretched thin as I tried to remain alert. The bow in my hand gave me a sense of control, yet the nocked arrow only emphasized my unease. I was prepared to shoot at the slightest movement. Shadows shifted between the trees, and I had to remind myself to breathe steadily, to keep my grip firm but not rigid.

  Moving cautiously, I walked through the trees, making my way from one part of the forest to the other. Every thirty seconds, I forced myself to stop, scanning my surroundings with sharp eyes, ensuring I was alone before continuing forward. It felt like a necessary precaution, yet it also drained me. The constant awareness, the tension coiled in my muscles, and the relentless worry of unseen dangers. At this rate, my nerves alone would exhaust me before noon.

  ‘This will be a problem. I need to find the right balance between being too tense and too relaxed.’

  I could tell that this kind of thing would only come with experience, so I took a deep breath and then tried to calm down a bit. I tried to focus on the surroundings… my eyes were part of my set of weapons, but they weren’t the only things I could rely on.

  The sound of the wind coming from my left side reached my ears and then the sea breeze as well. In the distance, I could hear the sound of birds chirping. Usually, that could be a good sign that the area was peaceful, but there could be other traps and this atmosphere was just the right tool to use to make a person drop their guard. I took another deep breath and then relaxed my body a bit, but remained with my eyes focused on the surroundings. Thanks to that, I was able to advance further south without feeling too much pressure, until everything came back to me when I saw a web in the distance suddenly emerging and then a rabbit appeared inside of it.