Chapter 46: Pub? Pub?!
Three hours later, despite the overwhelming speed of the mana train, the long journey finally came to an end.
The moment it stopped at the northern terminal closest to the Adventurer’s Guild, Bruce stood up, stepped off, and paid the fare of twenty gold coins without hesitation. He did not linger or waste time. He walked straight out of the station and into the open wind.
He had never been to this part of the kingdom before, but finding the guild was not difficult.
A massive direction board could be seen, guiding travelers to important landmarks. The Adventurer’s Guild Main Base was not subtle in the slightest. An arrow pointed boldly toward its location, as if daring newcomers to miss it.
’Four kilometers away,’ Bruce estimated.
Time was important. Without hesitation, he lowered his stance and launched himself forward, vanishing in a blur.
He cut across the landscape, a streak of compressed air snapping behind him. The plains became a smear beneath his feet as he tore past merchant caravans and startled travelers. The road curved, dipped and ascended, but to Bruce it was nothing.
He arrived in less than ten seconds.
And he froze for a moment.
Before him stood a building so massive, so striking, it made his eyes narrow slightly.
The towering metallic structure rose into the sky like a fortress of steel and mana. It loomed over the landscape, dwarfing everything around it. Its entire surface was forged from seamless obsidian-gray alloy that reflected the sun with a cold, silver sheen. There were no windows, no openings of any kind, yet it felt alive, humming faintly with hidden energy.
An architectural giant. A mechanical titan. A beast of a building.
Bruce had seen advanced structures before, but this was something else. Something far beyond what common craftsmen could build. It looked like a mix between a future military base and an arcane stronghold.
A massive sign hung over the front entrance:
[THE ADVENTURER’S GUILD]
And beneath it, a second plaque gleamed:
[MAIN BASE]
The metal letters did not dull the building’s presence. They amplified it, making it look even more imposing.
’Sigh. Just when I thought I had seen it all.’
He took a deep breath, adjusted the collar of his coat and walked forward.
The front gate was colossal, easily five times his height. He placed his palm against the cold steel and pushed. The door opened with surprising calmness. No sound. No resistance. Just smooth precision, like a place that welcomed strength.
He stepped inside.
The main entrance was wide open and unguarded. No soldiers. No reception desk. Nothing. It resembled the casual openness of a bustling pub rather than the headquarters of one of the most feared organizations in the kingdom.
And Bruce’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’Something feels off about this place.’
When Bruce looked inside, he realized the ground floor really was a pub. Dozens of tables were spread out randomly, some placed so casually it looked like they had been dropped there rather than arranged.
The atmosphere was lively and warm. Many adventurers, both male and female, filled the place. Some wore combat gear, others formal attire, and a few had strange outfits from distant lands. They were gathered at tables, drinking, laughing, exchanging stories, and casually talking about quests as though life-and-death missions were everyday errands. For them, it was.
The reason for this setup was clear. Adventurers who completed missions and chose to personally submit their reports often stayed to relax afterward. The Guild understood the nature of their work, so a pub on the ground floor was not a luxury. It was a necessity.
There was even a raised dancing platform in the center, where several adventurers were shaking off battle fatigue to the rhythm of a loud beat. An MC hyped the crowd from above, shouting into a crystal mic while the music thumped through mana-powered speakers.
As Bruce observed the scene, he noticed that every adventurer had some kind of emblem or insignia on their clothing, different guild factions and party logos. Despite that, he could tell most of them got along well. There were no tense standoffs, no hostile glares. Just warriors bonding.
It made sense. The moment one became an adventurer, a blood contract was signed, binding them to strict rules. No adventurer could harm another without a justifiable reason recognized by the Guild.
The Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t stupid. They wouldn’t let their own members fight each other out of petty grudges. Humanity already struggled enough dealing with mutant beasts, dungeon outbreaks, and Labyrinth incursions. The last thing anyone wanted was betrayal from their own side.
But then Bruce frowned and instinctively covered his nose.
The sharp stench of spilled ale, smoke, sweat, and something unidentifiable assaulted his senses. The air felt humid and heavy with the smell of alcohol.
’We’re supposed to take the test in this place?’ Bruce’s brow tightened. For a moment, he began to doubt the quality of the Guild itself, but then something caught his eye.
Near the dancing platform, huge mana screens lined the wall, displaying hundreds of missions in real time. The displays were vibrant and detailed, each mission marked by rank, reward, danger level, and region. There were categories for everything: beast extermination, dungeon clearing, escort missions, bounty hunts, Labyrinth mapping, and even expeditions into completely uncharted territories.
Information flashed non-stop, new dungeon discoveries, rare monster sightings, classified warnings, gate ruptures, and even Guild announcements from other kingdoms. These screen technology in this world, this was the first Bruce was seeing it.
Some adventurers stood in front of the screens, scanning missions with sharp eyes. Others quietly accepted assignments before leaving through one of the exits.
Bruce gave the walls one last look before noticing two large doors deeper inside, each guarded by men wearing steel-gray Guild uniforms. Both doors led elsewhere, but neither had a sign explaining where.
Not wanting to waste time, Bruce headed toward the bar.
Two bartenders were behind the polished counter. One was busy serving drinks with impressive speed, sliding tankards down the counter like a pro. The other calmly rinsed glass cups, stacking them with smooth precision.
Bruce approached the counter and spoke, voice steady.
"I want to register as an adventurer."