CHAPTER 1: LION’S GUILD

Wade stood before the Lion’s Guild building, his throat dry.

Now that he was standing before it, he had to admit that it was intimidating.

Built out of a dark, almost black, stone, it stood at an impressive five stories tall, taller than any building in its vicinity. Its towers were even taller, reaching up into the sky.

Sitting above the door before him was the Lion’s Guild banner, featuring a golden roaring lion on a black background.

Wade stood there, staring at the banner in both dread and anticipation, hunger gnawing in his stomach.

He felt underdressed for the occasion, having shown up in the same clothes he’d worn for the past week.

He’d tried to make himself presentable, but where was a beggar going to find a free bath in a walled city like this?

And so, he was stuck in his threadbare clothes, unable to even wipe away the dirt clinging to it.

"Are you going in or not?"

Wade was startled by the voice from behind him, and that was when he realized he’d been standing before the door for way too long. Others wanted to enter too.

"Oh! Sorry." He said sheepishly, shifting to the side and letting them through.

When they were gone, he looked up at the banner above the door and exhaled.

’You can do this Wade,’ he hyped himself up in the safety of his mind. ’Remember. This is the only way.’

He exhaled, remembering everything that had brought him right here to this very moment.

A week ago, he’d been on the bus, on his way home from his night shift at the 24 hour convenience store.

He’d been dozing where he sat when it happened. The bus had veered to the side, the loud squeal of the brakes had filled the air, then it ended with a crash.

And when he opened his eyes next, he’d woken up in this body. A young man who shared the same name as him. Wade Barrett.

He’d almost gone crazy trying to accept his new reality but he’d done it. He’d long since come to accept that he was Wade Barrett, a beggar in the city of Hiving, in the kingdom of Vasaria.

But that realization brought with it a new set of problems. The original Wade had died from hunger, and by the looks of it, Wade was next.

He’d tried his best. Begging for scraps, and trying to steal what he could not get, but even that was not enough.

He’d been poor back on earth, but this was worse.

Hunger gnawed at him everyday. His stomach cramped at the lack of food. He couldn’t take it anymore.

And that meant his only option was here. To join an adventurers guild.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he forced himself to move.

He strode through the door, and entered the lobby of the building.

The first thing he noticed was the queue.

Several people, including what looked like merchants and noble servants were on the queue before a desk with a sign that read "Quests."

That was not his own destination.

His eyes moved to the next desk. It had no lines, and its sign had a single word. "Registration."

He strode to the desk, and the woman behind it looked up. "How may I help you, sir?" She asked.

"I want to join the guild." Wade said.

The woman quickly pasted a smile on her face. "Awakened or unawakened?"

"Unawakened."

She smiled at him, before ringing a small bell next to her. One of the guards that Wade hadn’t even noticed peeled himself from his spot next to the walls to stand before the desk.

"He’s here to join the guild." The receptionist gestured at Wade.

The guard, his expression hidden by his helm, looked him up and down. Even covered from head to toe, Wade could tell the man was sizing him up.

A second later, the man nodded, coming to a conclusion of his own. "Come with me." He said gruffly.

Wade followed, and a minute later, he found himself alone in a room.

The room was bare, except for a table and two chairs, each chair sitting on the opposite side of the table.

Now that he was alone, his stomach groaned, a last cry for help. He hadn’t eaten in more than 24 hours.

He exhaled at the thought.

In this world, beggars never lasted long on the streets. They either died from hunger, or joined an adventurers guild.

Wade had heard the stories. There was a reason why some beggars would rather die of hunger than join a guild. Both ended in death.

He looked up as the door opened, and a woman walked in. She was tall, with dark hair, her torso covered by a gleaming breastplate. She had a pauldron over her left shoulder, and it clinked as she walked.

"Hello." She nodded at him as she took her seat. "I’m Handler Calista."

"Wade. Wade Barrett," he answered.

She nodded, setting down a neat stack of documents on the table. "You wish to join the Lion’s Guild, correct? I’m sure you’re aware that all new members must sign a contract."

Wade said nothing. He already knew what was coming.

This body’s memories had shown him how guilds worked.

They called themselves protectors, but everyone knew they were cartels.

They controlled the dungeons, the loot, and the adventurers. Anyone who wanted to survive had no choice but to submit to them.

Calista slid two sets of documents across the table. "We at Lion’s Guild offer two starting options. Basic and Standard. Premium contracts are only for veterans who have proven themselves. You should read both carefully. These are magical contracts. Once you sign, the terms are binding."

Wade pulled the documents closer. His eyes traced the words written on them.

The basic contract promised access to guild dungeons and permission to take quests from the guild hall. That was all.

In exchange, the guild demanded thirty percent of his loot, plus the Right of First Refusal.

Every loot drop he got from their dungeons must be offered to the guild before he could sell it elsewhere. Worse, the guild would only buy at seventy percent of its market value.

The standard contract was marginally better. With it, he’d receive training, a bed in the guild dorms, and limited healing services.

The tax was ten percent instead of thirty, but the guild would still take first pick of all loot he got from their dungeons. This time, at eighty percent of its market value instead of seventy.

The buyout clause was almost laughable. One hundred million gold for the basic contract, fifty million for the standard contract.

Numbers so large they might as well have been infinity.

Both were lifetime contracts. The guild could renegotiate every ten years, but Wade couldn’t leave without paying the ransom.

It was slavery. Slavery dressed up nicely in fancy words.

He clenched his teeth, but he kept reading.

The trick was obvious. The basic contract was the poison, designed only to make the standard contract look generous.

But still. Training. Room and board. Food. Shelter. All the things he needed just to live. Without it, he’d die in the gutters like this body’s previous owner.

He looked up. Calista said nothing, waiting patiently as if she already knew what he’d choose.

Wade exhaled. The answer was obvious.

"I’ll take the standard contract."

No matter what it takes, he definitely won’t die poor.