Title: Ultimate Skill Reload - Chapter 3
Frank stared at the floating holographic panel in front of him, his own name and stats glaring at him like some kind of elaborate prank. He blinked. Then blinked again. Still there. He rubbed his eyes furiously. Still. There.
"Okay… Either I've finally lost it, or I really am in a world where RPG mechanics are just casually a thing."
A thought struck him. He subtly glanced at the people around him, wondering if they could see it too. But no one reacted. No gasps, no pointing, no shouts of "Look! A noob has appeared!" Just people going about their day. Weird.
He cautiously reached out a finger toward the glowing screen. Nothing. No physical feedback. Just light. Even weirder.
And then, as if the universe itself had toggled his HUD settings, the board vanished. Gone. Like it was never there.
He blinked again. "Alright… that's not ominous at all."
Shaking off the strangeness, he set out toward his next objective—finding work. Specifically, adventurer luggage boy. It wasn't glamorous, but money was money.
As he walked, his thoughts swirled in a mess of confusion. Why did the holographic board disappear? Why could he see stats? Was this a hidden skill?
And more importantly—
"Wait… what the hell does my 'Reciprocate' skill even do?"
He was so caught up in his mental spiral that he didn't notice the person directly in front of him—until it was too late.
WHAM.
Frank stumbled back, rubbing his forehead. "Ow—"
"Oh, I—apologies," came a cool, calm voice.
He looked up to see a young elf girl, her deep emerald eyes flickering with something between surprise and amusement. She had long silver hair tied back in a loose ponytail, and in her hands, a thick book lay open as if she'd been reading while walking.
He let out a nervous chuckle. "No, no, totally my fault. My brain went on autopilot there."
The girl stared at him for a second too long. It wasn't a full-on blush, but she hesitated—as if something about his face had thrown her off. Not that Frank was complaining. He had been a model back on Earth, after all.
"You are… peculiar," she finally said, blinking as if resetting herself. "Ah, excuse me. I should not have been reading while walking."
Frank waved it off. "Nah, I'm honored, honestly. Getting run over by a book nerd is way better than getting hit by a truck."
The elf raised an eyebrow. "...I do not know what that means."
"Let's keep it that way."
She let out a small breath that might've been a laugh, but it was so quiet he couldn't be sure. His gaze dropped to the sword strapped to her waist, a sleek and well-maintained weapon that definitely wasn't just for show. And now that he looked closer, she was wearing light armor, though it was incomplete—more functional than decorative.
"You're an adventurer?" he asked.
She nodded. "And you?"
Frank considered lying. Then considered how broke he was.
"Aspiring luggage boy."
She blinked. Then actually laughed. Just a tiny chuckle, but it was there. "That is… quite the career goal."
"Hey, gotta start somewhere, right?"
She gave a small nod before excusing herself and walking off. As she disappeared into the crowd, Frank scratched his head. "Huh. That was… something."
Hours later—after several wrong turns and one near-death experience with an angry fish vendor—Frank finally arrived at his destination.
The Black Water Guild was bustling with activity. Warriors, rogues, and magic users roamed the halls, some cleaning weapons, others bragging about their recent quests. Demi-humans and humans alike, all seasoned adventurers.
Frank took a deep breath and stepped inside, scanning for any potential teams willing to take him on. Rejection came swiftly.
"Too frail."
"Too inexperienced."
"Look at him. He'd snap like a twig."
Frank groaned. Great. Even in a new world, I still can't get hired.
Then—
"Oh? You again."
He turned to see Tayla, the elf girl from before.
"Oh hey, book girl. Fancy seeing you here."
She raised an eyebrow. "Book girl?"
"What, you prefer 'Pretty Elf Lady'?"
She gave him a long, unreadable stare before speaking. "Tayla. That is my name."
"Noted, Pretty Elf Lady."
Her lips twitched—maybe a smile, maybe a grimace. Hard to tell.
Behind her, three other adventurers were watching the exchange with curiosity.
"Who's the beanpole?" A teenage demi-human boy with wild, unkempt hair and a permanently unimpressed expression.
"Kaido," Tayla introduced. "That's Joel." She gestured to a human woman dressed in healer garb, who gave Frank a polite smile. "And our captain—Raymond."
Raymond, a towering man with broad shoulders and a grin that was both friendly and mildly terrifying, let out a deep chuckle. "Welcome to the Black Water Guild, kid. You lost?"
Frank glanced between them. "Actually, I was looking for a team willing to take me in as a luggage carrier."
Kaido snorted. "Yeah? You don't look like you can carry much."
Joel tilted her head. "He does seem… a bit delicate."
Raymond grinned. "Well, Tayla seems interested. What do you think, Elfie?"
Tayla sighed. "We could use an extra hand. He may as well be ours."
"I'm honored by the enthusiasm," Frank deadpanned.
Just as he was about to officially accept his new role as the team's pack mule, something flashed in front of his eyes.
[ Name: Tayla ]
[ Level: 56 ]
[ Skills: Weapon Mastery, Accelerate, Rage ]
[ Name: Kaido ]
[ Level: 34 ]
[ Skills: Blood Lust, Mutilation, Intimidate, Light Step ]
[ Name: Joel ]
[ Level: 84 ]
[ Skills: Impersonate, Buff, Saint's Light, Conceal, Restore ]
[ Name: Raymond ]
[ Level: 92 ]
[ Skills: Rage Monster, Weapon Mastery, Soundless Stroll, Death's Wish, Warrior's Wish ]
Frank's brain short-circuited.
"WHAT KIND OF MONSTERS DID I JUST SIGN UP WITH?!"
And then—
His own level flashed.
[ Level: 3 ]
Frank's eye twitched. "…Wait. Wasn't I Level 1 before?"
Kaido smirked. "Well? You joining or what?"
Frank took a deep breath, glancing between his new, insanely powerful team.
"Screw it. Let's do this."
Little did he know—his journey was only just beginning.