A few days passed, and it was finally time for me to get the All-stone.

I've bought some comfortable casual clothes and researched runes for the past few days.

And I must say learning runes was easier than I thought it would be.

After finishing the book, I thought it had a familiar concept to something I know. So, after searching for more books and research papers related to it, I noticed that it basically had the same concept as hexadecimal but was slightly more complicated with some unique materials required. Still, it's something I'm sure I can do in at least a few months.

To not stand out among the Mavens, I ashamedly wore an unbuttoned sand-colored trench coat with a black shirt underneath and matching pants and shoes.

The body armor was already underneath my shirt.

Going to my suitcase, I armed myself with all the equipment I'd brought.

I had my Deagle holstered behind my back. I would've put it by the side of my waist, but I wore a utility belt that had small gadgets that took up the space.

I will also be bringing my headset, which would help navigate the terrain with MERLIN since it was retractable to a slightly bulky block.

Lastly, my kitsune mask was retracted behind my ear since I still needed the additional effects of the mask.

Since the police didn't release any statement about me, that would only mean that they didn't recognize me, most likely because they couldn't send out a report that the perpetrator used a kitsune mask, which doesn't really help.

Although my reasoning was flawed, it doesn't change the fact that wearing the kitsune mask wouldn't lead to my immediate arrest, which is a good thing since losing a great mask like this early on would be a huge waste.

Going to the mirror and seeing my reflection, it looked like I was going to a cosplay event. I honestly don't understand how some people here would wear such an outfit without a sense of shame.

On Earth, it was fine since it's cosplay; it's made for fun. However, the people here wear such clothes with dignity and seriousness.

I guess that's one thing to note about Vanteer: no one will look at you strangely for wearing such clothes, nor will they question you for publicly showing your weapons and equipment, no matter how 'chuuni' you look.

Unless, of course, it's evident that you have ill intent, then that's when people will start to be cautious and suspicious of you and will act appropriately.

I rechecked my equipment, and after making sure I had everything, it was time for me to go.

As much as possible, I wanted to avoid people knowing who I was, so instead of going out using the lobby, I went to the balcony and jumped on the railing while conjuring a sticky platform below my feet so I won't slip and fall.

Letting out a breath, it looked like I was committing suicide. Well, it may as well be since, aside from my fall from the World Tree and the sudden ambush by the police, there hasn't been much opportunity to see if my efforts bore significant fruits.

Then, moments after, I removed the construct as I jumped with all my might, which launched me pretty far.

The kitsune mask condensed as I tapped the device around my ear.

And as I descended, I extended my hand towards the ground and willed for a big and soft cushion to be conjured, and it did.

A few feet away was a wide orange pad on the sidewalk to soften my landing.

Landing perfectly at the cushion, I rolled forward from one shoulder to the opposite hip to further cushion my landing.

Then, I quickly stood up naturally, as if I didn't just fall from the sky.

The civilians slightly jumped at my appearance and glared at me for a bit before continuing to their destination.

Clenching my fist, my heart was beating quickly. That was… exhilarating!

I'm progressing faster than I thought. Just weeks ago, I couldn't conjure anything far from me, and it would take a while for the constructs of my will to be conjured, but now, I'm almost a natural at it.

Calming myself down, I should focus on my task for now. So, then, I made my way towards the public Adventurer's Guild.

In general, guilds are either public or private. Public guilds are funded by the government and take orders from them, while private guilds are funded mainly by investors and can do whatever they want, although they still need to follow some rules set by the government, lest they take things too far.

In every city, there will always be one public guild, while for the private guilds, they can have as many as they want or they may have none.

Joining private guilds is impossible since one must either have a recommendation from a Maven from their guild or one must pass their requirements, including being a Total Maven. So, joining a public guild is the only choice for me here.

Besides, the reason why I chose to go today was that there was an expedition from the public Adventurer's Guild to the dungeon that has the All-stone since, surprisingly, the dungeon has only been in here for a bit more than a decade, which means that there's still a lot to explore hence the expedition.

However, to join that expedition, I have to inform the Adventurer's Guild and receive a permit to join.

Several minutes later, I arrived at the doorstep of the Adventurer's Guild.

It was a wide building with multiple storeys reaching the sky.

Walking through the door, I was greeted by the sight of the main lobby, mostly filled with burly men flaunting their muscles and achievements to their peers.

There were women too, some of which wore revealing clothes, emphasizing their assets, while the others dressed appropriately.

When I entered, they all looked at me. I could feel their gazes all over my body like they were analyzing me before continuing with their business.

With my outfit, it's obvious what I came here for, but they must've sensed my condition, or at least how I barely have any mana, since some snickered while others gave me pitying eyes before looking away.

Of course, my capabilities as a Maven aren't their only deciding factor. They probably had deduced my age and my physique.

Although I've become leaner, it was nowhere near enough to be properly accepted as a Maven, even if I'm a Fragmentary.

And I don't have to explain my age. Although minors awakening as Mavens are not uncommon, they aren't necessarily common either. Since one wrong move in awakening in their early years will lead them to be crippled for life, it's usually best to have them awakened after 18, when the body has fully matured.

Noble families, though, usually don't have this kind of problem since they have backup plans if ever a case happens, but they also won't make their child debut as a Maven due to various reasons only they know.

Well, not that I care what they think of me.

Luckily, there were barely any people lining up to the receptionist, so I was quickly in front of the receptionist after waiting in line for a bit.

The receptionist was a young woman, probably in her thirties, wearing the guild's standard female uniform, which consists of a yellow jabot around her neck and right arm, a navy blue vest over her white dress shirt, and a long black pencil skirt.

She had dark brown hair tied to a low bun and was gorgeous. The vibe she gave out was a mix of elegance and professionalism.

"Good day. My name is Lucy. How may I assist you?" Lucy slightly bowed as she asked with a smile.

"I want to join the expedition of Dungeon 3841-F," I said, straight to the point.

She tilted her head slightly as she stared at me for a few seconds with that same smile before saying, "Alright! Are you affiliated with any guilds?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Sure! Then, would you like to join our Adventurer's Guild? Since you're here for the expedition, it usually means that you're also looking for… an opportunity. However, without joining, you'll only receive a small part of that opportunity."

"Alright then." I shrugged my shoulders. "I'll join."

It'd be good for my future if I joined a guild, even if it's a public guild, since they are directly under the government.

With a smile, Lucy clapped her hands together, "To have you registered, would you please drop your blood here?"

She took out a device with a slick design and had a dish with a needle in its center, which should be where I drop my blood.

I prick my thumb with the needle and let my blood drip onto the dish.

A blue light shined from under the dish for a few seconds before disappearing. Then, Lucy went to her computer and began typing.

A few seconds later, a printer from behind her whirred, and moments after, two cards similar to a credit card and a paper came out. One of the cards, though, was slightly thicker.

Lucy took it, stamped the paper, and handed them to me with a smile. "Here's your Adventurer's license, Maven ID, and your permit to join the expedition."

I took them from her hands. The slightly thicker was the Maven ID. It had a slick gray design, and inscribed on it was only a series of 12 serial numbers and a crescent moon, which symbolizes the type of Maven I am. This card alone should give me plenty of benefits that regular people don't have.

The other card, though, was my license as an adventurer. It had the basic information like my name, age, and birth date. However, there was also three unique information inscribed: specialty, which is set to none; affiliations, which is set to government; and class ranking, which is set to F.

The class ranking refers to the F-S ranking system that determines how strong you are as a Maven, not just in terms of strength but in overall potential.

Fragmentary Mavens are at default set to F or E because of their circumstances, but it seems that in my case, I’m an F-rank. Not surprising really.

And the permit was simply a statement that I was allowed to join the expedition as approved with a stamp by Lucy.

After placing them in my utility belt, I looked towards Lucy, who had looked back at me and gave me an amiable smile as she said, "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild!"

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A/N: There'll be another chapter coming up in a few hours since I'm feeling good lately!

...and also because my internet is out and may continue be out for a few days since a strong storm just my internet provider's area.