After another two cycles of the sun and two moons watching over the land beneath, a young man with ashen hair woke up to yet another unfamiliar ceiling.
Still a bit groggy and numb due to the hellish torture he experienced, Shye gently held his neck.
Realizing that the bite wound was gone along with the poison's sharp and agonizing sting, he took one deep breath.
"I survived again huh?" he mumbled as flashbacks of the disappointing and infuriating moment when the adventurers he helped left him to fend for himself flooded his mind.
This caused his expression to shift once more from serenity to profound anger.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm his raging heart, Shye stood up and walked out of his hospital room.
"Oh? Hello sir. How are you feeling?" asked the nurse who was about to enter the room to check on him.
"I'm fine now, thanks for helping me cure the poison," Shye replied, giving the nurse a slight bow.
"Oh don't mention it, sir, it's our job after all." the nurse said, smiling. "Are you out to settle your bills?"
"Yes, I don't know where to do it though. Can you help me?"
"Sure, right this way sir."
***
Inside a certain office in a guild headquarters in Balkrow City, a middle-aged man paced back and forth, worry prevalent on his face.
"Why?! Why hasn't he arrived yet?!" the man lamented.
He already sent a few men to investigate, however, none of them came back with pleasing reports.
Continuing his anxious pacing, the gears of the middle-aged man's brain shifted and turned, trying to think of all the possibilities.
Appearing in such a place would be unsuitable for him, as the guild master should maintain an air of elusiveness and high status.
If he were accessible to anyone at any time, his prestige would diminish.
Hence, although he wanted to speak to the recruit, he forced himself not to, returning to his office after confirming Shye's arrival.
Meanwhile, at the reception desk, Shye was waiting for the guild receptionist to process his documents.
Left with nothing to do, he looked around the branch headquarters.
Contrary to his expectations, the branch wasn't small at all and was in fact, quite huge.
The reception desk, situated in the middle corner, served as a focal point.
To his left was a sizable board presenting quests of different difficulties and capturing the interest of several adventurers outfitted in respectable gear as they searched for potential tasks to take on.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end, a second desk crafted from lavish blackwood planks stood, where adventurers seemed to exchange quest items for rewards.
The rewards desk, as Shye would like to call it.
Lastly, adjacent to the reception desk's left side was an expansive lobby adorned with numerous wooden tables and chairs—densely populated by adventurers who seemed to be his guildmates, drinking booze and eating food as they chatted and laughed merrily.
The lively scene didn't last for long though as his unexpected arrival and unfamiliar face finally got the attention of one of his guildmates who was partying in the lobby, prompting more and more heads to turn his way.
Shye, bold as he was, felt embarrassed.
Being stared at was uncomfortable.
However, he understood that he was a new face and that this was a natural reaction so he didn't blame them for staring at him.
What he didn't appreciate was the individuals giving him unfriendly looks.
After his recent near-death experience at the Bwenja Advanced Adventurer Zone, his tolerance for those who antagonized him had never been thinner.