**Author's note: Hi, I started this book purely out of enjoyment. It's my first novel
no previous writing experience
so the first 5 chapters are a little rough; I was doing it for my own enjoyment back then - most people get hooked by the 6th chapter though, at least that's what they tell me. I got contracted around chapter 30, and that's when I started to put even more work and love into my writing. Thanks and enjoy - Aero182**
**This book contains descriptions of violence and gore. You have been warned**
"Finally, today is the day of my class awakening" thought Jay as he got out of bed with a spring in his step.
Freshening up with some water before making his way downstairs for breakfast. Cooking up a fish and scoffing it down, Jay thought about how his life was going to change, getting more enthused with each passing second. Gazing at some mist-sheep in a field through the window as they passed in and out of the mist, disappearing and reappearing, Jay began to feel a little sentimental "This might be the last week I see this village..." he thought with a smile before cleaning up his plate.
Today was the day he would get his class, nothing was going to stop him from enjoying every moment.
"Today has finally come, the wait is almost over" smiled Jay, thinking he could finally start killing monsters, levelling up, and leave this small insignificant village behind, starting his exciting life as an adventurer.
Jay left his small house - a two story butchery, as he started walking towards the only building with a mana conduit: the Adventurers' guild.
By law, everyone who turns 18 years old that year must place their hand over a mana conduit on the 7th day of the 7th month. This was done in order to gain a class - and no one would ever break this rule, as getting a class benefited everyone.
Looking at the dark cloudy sky as he left his tiny wooden house, he frowned slightly.
"Ah, just my luck. Better pull over my hood" He thought as he grabbed his wool tunic's hood, pulling it over his head "This day is still gunna be great though, a little rain won't dampen my mood" he encouraged himself, still smiling under his hood.
Walking along the muddy path towards the adventurers guild, Jay was tempted to curse at the dreary weather as it started to sprinkle. Meanwhile, more thick, dark clouds gathered overhead, blocking out any chances of sunlight gleaming through.
Jay would've stayed home if he had a choice - however, it was rumoured that if one failed to reach a mana conduit then they wouldn't get a class, being cursed to live a life as a mediocre civilian at the mercy of this magical medieval world, so on this special day, even snow would not stop Jay.
Sighing slightly, Jay pushed on.
"Halfway up the mountain now, nearly there. I hope my practice with the knife gives me a cool swordsman class. Surely the system will take into account that I've been using a knife as a butcher for the last few years.. Ooo, maybe it will even give me a rare passive ability..." Jay walked faster thinking about the possibilities, excited about becoming powerful and rich.
Currently, he made money as a butcher to get by, taking over his fathers business after he moved to set up another butchery in a distant village a few years back - but he may as well have been dead since Jay never received as much as a letter from him.
The muddy road curved up around a hill which overlooked the village, dodging rocky outcrops as it led towards the adventurers association. There was a few other people walking up the road too, a few spoke to each other and walked together, but most kept to themselves.
Sweating slightly as he walked, Jay began to pant a little. "I'm pretty unfit" he thought. Suddenly, a deep mans voice called out from behind "Make way for your young governor!" he called out with an air of a war-torn veteran.
On a horse was a sturdy middle-aged man. Clad in light iron armour with a short sword strapped to his waist. He rode on a black glade-horse ahead of a luxurious carriage as he continued to call out; the man didn't even turn his head towards Jay, expecting anyone to move at his call - He was obviously overqualified for his position as he had an air of authority about him, yet Jay could tell he was bored just by looking at him.
As he rode past, a trail of steam followed him - his sword's sheath releasing steam when droplets of rain landed on it.
"Must have a ruby gem. Heh, must be nice being rich." thought Jay, not risking to say it out loud.
In this world, gems gave weapons attributes - in this instance, there was a ruby gem socketed into the short sword, which gave the sword +3 fire damage, with the passive effect of feeling warm to the touch. When drawn the sword would glow red-hot, able to carve through flesh like paper and only leaving a cauterized wound behind.
The hill was steep at the edge of the road, it had been built up to make a slightly wider path. Standing on the edge of the road to give way to the carriage, Jay realised that he didn't have enough room. Having no choice but to dodge the oncoming carriage, he stepped too far backwards and started to slip, the rain making a bad situation worse as it was all slippery mud by now.
"Shit, ah!" Jay attempted to step down the hill on the side of the road, but the rain caused Jay to slip further in the mud. He began to lose balance as he yelled, while someone from the carriage heard him - a smirk flashed at him through the carriage's curtains.
"Wow, it's like they're almost glad that I'm being pushed off the road and into the mud. Spoilt little bastard." he thought as he continued to lose balance then fall. Jay fell over onto his shoulder as he slid a little way down the side of the hill.
"You asshole in your shitty carriage!" Jay thought, gritting his teeth in anger as he picked up speed, sliding faster now in the rain and mud.
Spotting a shrub further down, he grabbed at it to stop himself from sliding further. As half of the plants roots were pulled up, Jay came to a stop. His hand hurting more than his shoulder now as he just stripped away half the leaves from the plant.
Standing up while using the shrub as balance, he was fuming with anger "Dammit, will they even let me in now? I'm so filthy, they will think I'm a beggar. Little bastard" he snapped in frustration, clenching his fist as he noticed the carriage didn't even stop to help. "Little fucking bastard..." his brows furrowed in anger.
Walking back up the muddy hill to get to the road, Jay's anger still seethed and he lost concentration - causing him to lose balance and slip again.
Once more, he fell backwards, "Shit, shit, shiiiii!!---"
The back of his head landing squarely on a rock, Jay instantly lost consciousness. His body continued down the hill for a moment before stopping near some bushes. Sadly for Jay, no one saw him fall, so he was alone - knocked unconscious in the rain and in the mud.
---
"KAW~!"
"...wha?- AH!" A silver crow shocked Jay awake, flying away when Jay's eyes opened widely. Jay sat up to make himself look more lifelike, realising a crow was about to start eating him as if he were road kill.
At this point, Jay was shivering. "I need..... to get warm... so cold... need... warmth..." His clothes were soaking wet from the rain, his lips blue, and fingers white.
Survival instincts kicked in as Jay started to jog to the village inn. He would've went home but he knew that his shivering hands wouldn't have been able to start a fire. It was early in the morning - or so Jay thought - when he approached the only inn in the village. "I-I'm so hungry, so thirsty. How long w-was I out?" he asked himself as he jogged, trying to warm himself up.
Stumbling through the wooden door, Jay quickly walked towards the innkeeper standing behind the bar. However the middle-aged bald man with a blue vest and a moustache took the initiative.
"Hello...? I'm Devin. How.. can I help..?" the innkeeper asked, squinting at Jay as he wondered whether he should kick this dirty mud-covered bum out or not. "I'm not getting paid enough for this shit'" The innkeeper thought, looking at the tracks of mud Jay was making through his establishment.
"O-one room please, and a hot bath im-immediately! I'm f-freezing!" Jay said through chattering teeth.
"Sure. That will be 25 gold." The innkeeper eyed Jay's waist for a coin pouch.
"It will cost you more if you stay for longer though. And about your bath, it will cost 5 gold for the ruby-bath which heats up water instantly; otherwise we normally heat up water over the fire which would take quite some time." The innkeeper explained, casually peering at the thick mud on jay's clothes. "Ah.. would you like laundry service too? For 5 gold?"
"Obviously I want the fucking ruby-bath, I'm literally shivering in front of you, you absolute vegetable" Jay thought as he smiled with dead eyes, replying with an almost sarcastic tone "Yes, I would like my clothes washed and I would like the ruby tub too, p-please."
"Sure. 35 gold then." Devin said before he called out for his employee. "Tamara! We have a customer! Get the hot tub filled right away!"
"Yes sir." A young female voice sounded from a room behind the bar. Jay paid the 35 gold as a young woman came out from a door next to the bar.
"Room 3, but take him to the ruby-bath first" Devin said as he took the gold coins and went back to cleaning glasses. "Wonder what they did to the new recruit to make him come back like this..." Devin thought as he shrugged, putting a clean glass down and grabbing another to polish. "Old Sully must be experimenting this year." he shrugged "Oh well, not my problem".
