Chapter 4

  Leon ducked under the dasher's lunge, its razor teeth missing his face by inches. With a smooth motion, he pivoted and drove his sword into the wolf-like creature's side, earning a satisfying yelp before it collapsed.

  "That makes five today," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

  Three months had changed a lot about Leon. His once-awkward grip on the sword was now confident, his movements fluid. Regular fights and his simulations had built muscle, and his face had tanned from days spent outdoors on quests. His bronze badge still hung on his chest, but he definitely didn't fight like a newbie anymore.

  That first goblin fight had been a wake-up call. One rusty knife had almost ended his second chance before it started. No way was he letting that happen again.

  Every day like clockwork, he synced his simulations. The results were stacking up fast. He could now spot enemy attacks coming before they happened. Still bronze rank on paper, but anyone watching him fight would do a double-take because his movements are not those of someone who has only been an adventurer for a few months.

  Leon sheathed his sword and looked at the dead dashers around him. Their fur sold well, and alchemists paid good money for the teeth.

  He now earned enough good money for him to save a bit while still having some left over. He'd upgraded from the tiny attic room to a proper one with a window, bought better gear, and still had savings.

  At the same time, Leon learned tons of stuff about this world that the original Leon had zero memories of, having grown up in some backwater village.

  Unfortunately, magic remained frustratingly out of reach. Money was the main issue—good teachers didn't come cheap. Most mages guarded their knowledge like dragons hoarding gold, unwilling to share even basic spells without serious coin changing hands.

  Leon sighed as he passed the Mage's Collegium on his way back to town. The imposing stone building with its blue-tinted windows practically screamed "you can't afford this."

  “Talk about gatekeeping." He muttered, basic admission fees started at fifty gold coins, about ten times what he'd managed to save in three months of constant questing.

  He'd tried learning from books, but magic texts were either ridiculously expensive or written in academic jargon so dense it gave him headaches. The few affordable scrolls he'd found contained only the most basic theory, nothing practical.

  Leon had even considered adding a "magical theory" simulation to his training rotation, but without actual experience or proper instruction, it would just be his brain making stuff up. The simulations could only train what he already knew or had physically experienced—they couldn't invent new knowledge.

  "Silver rank first, then magic," he reminded himself as he dropped off his dasher pelts at the tanner's shop. The owner nodded appreciatively at the quality of his work—clean cuts, minimal damage to the valuable fur.

  "Nice haul today, kid," the tanner said, counting out silver coins. "You're getting pretty good at this. Still bronze rank?"

  Leon shrugged. "Yep, for now."

  "Well, don't wait too long. New bronze ranks are a copper a dozen. Silver ones get the good contracts."

  Leon nodded.

  After collecting his payment, Leon headed to the guild hall to report his completed quest. The place was busy as usual—adventurers drinking, arguing, comparing weapons, and checking the mission board.

  The receptionist, Keira was her name, barely looked up as he approached her desk. "Dasher hunt complete?"

  "Five of them," Leon confirmed, sliding his guild card across the counter. "That's fifteen total for the bounty."

  She stamped his completion form and added the bounty payment to his card balance. "You've completed enough bronze quests to qualify for the silver rank evaluation," she noted, reviewing his record. "Interested?"

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "What does it involve?"

  "Only combat assessment. Next one's in three days. Entry fee is two gold coins."

  Two gold coins—a big chunk of his savings, but totally worth it if he passed. Silver rank would unlock the good quests with actual decent pay. While picking herbs and running packages was safe, it was about as exciting as watching paint dry.

  Leon craved something more challenging, something that would push his limits. Plus, the better paychecks would finally let him afford those overpriced magic lessons that every mage in town seemed to charge an arm and a leg for.

  "Sign me up," Leon said, sliding the coins across the counter.

  Leon nodded, saying nothing more.

  This world had done a number on Leon. The bright, optimistic Alex who worried about homework and video game scores? That kid was gone, hit by a car back on Earth. What was left was this new Leon—serious, calculating, always thinking three steps ahead.

  His main focus was simple: don't die, and get strong enough that nothing in this world could threaten him again. Living with death around every corner had a way of killing the whole "glass half full" mindset, replacing it with cold determination and a brain that constantly ran survival calculations.

  Sometimes at night, lying on his cheap inn bed, he'd wonder if any part of Alex was still in there—or if that person had completely flatlined, leaving just memories in this new body. But he couldn't waste time on that existential crisis stuff.

  He went back to the job board looking for another job.

  "Hey there... Leon, right?" A woman's voice interrupted his thoughts.

  Leon turned to see a woman about his age with blonde hair and blue eyes. A silver badge gleamed on her leather vest, and a well-maintained crossbow hung across her back.

  "Yeah, that's me," he said cautiously.

  "I'm Mira. Silver rank." She gestured to her badge. "My party's looking for a new member."

  Leon raised an eyebrow. "Why me? I'm still bronze."

  "Saw you take on three dashers by yourself last week near the east creek," she said, leaning against the quest board. "Most bronze ranks would've run or died. You handled it like it was no big deal."

  "Just got lucky," Leon shrugged, trying to downplay his abilities.

  Mira snorted. "Right. And I'm secretly the queen of Argus." She crossed her arms. "Look, we need someone. Jorran got his leg crushed by a cave troll. Healers did what they could, but he's done adventuring."

  "Sorry about your friend," Leon said. "Still doesn't explain why you'd pick a bronze rank."

  "Because we need someone who can actually fight, not just show off a shiny badge,"

  “There are other adventurers than me who are stronger, and silver ranks.”

  "Yeah, but they already have parties. Unlike you." Mira replied bluntly. She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Look, I'll be straight with you. Most silver ranks wouldn't touch this job with a ten-foot spear. Three caravans gone missing? That's not normal bandit activity. The ones without established teams are smart enough to stay away."

  Leon's expression hardened. "Three missing caravans? With no survivors?"

  "Guards go missing, cargo gets taken," Mira confirmed. "The weird part is there's very little blood. Just empty wagons."

  "And you're still taking this job?" Leon asked incredulously.

  "The money's good. Five gold coins each, plus—"

  "I'm not interested," Leon cut her off, handing the advance payment back to her. "No amount of gold is worth walking into whatever killed three caravan teams."

  Mira looked genuinely surprised. "But your silver rank advancement—"

  "Won't matter if I'm dead," Leon said flatly. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll take my chances with the formal evaluation."

  "Look, it sounds worse than it is," Mira insisted. "We've got a solid plan. Tal's ex-military, he knows what he's doing. Darius has traps that could stop a charging troll. And my crossbow—"

  "Isn't going to help against something that can take out three caravans without leaving blood behind," Leon pointed out. "That's not bandits. That's something else entirely."

  Mira sighed, reluctantly taking back the gold coin. "You're smarter than most bronze ranks, I'll give you that." She tucked the coin away. "Most would have jumped at the offer without thinking it through."

  "I prefer living," Leon said simply. "Good luck with your mission. Genuinely."

  "Thanks," Mira said, looking slightly disappointed. "If you change your mind, east gate at dawn."

  As she walked away, Leon turned back to the quest board. He had almost made a critical mistake, risking his life before he was ready. Whatever was attacking those caravans was clearly beyond what a bronze rank should handle, likely beyond what most silver ranks could manage either.

  No, he would stick to his original plan: qualify for the silver rank evaluation, pass it through the official channels, and continue building his strength methodically. Five gold coins would be nice, but not at the cost of his second chance at life.

  "Hope they come back alive," he muttered to himself.

  End of Chapter 4