The atmosphere inside the building was so heated with excitement, you could almost feel it. A whiff of alcohol lingered in the air of what appeared to be a bar. All of its tables and chairs had been pushed aside, leaving an open space for starry-eyed hunters to line up.
Rhuda, who had been let in at the same time as me, was gawking with a wide-eyed stare. Apparently, the fight outside was already gone and forgotten. “Wow, they’re all hunters?” she exclaimed.
Several tables were positioned along the walls, with a few white-uniformed members of First Steps manning each station. The parties at said stations came in all shapes and sizes, from those composed of several well-known hunters to others notorious solely for their leaders. Some of the parties recruited on the basis of brute strength, while others were on the lookout for a particular skill set. Any hopefuls were to get in a line ready to try out for the party of their choosing.
Each party had their own method of recruiting. Of course, those included standard methods like interviews or demonstrations of skill, but I had heard that some parties trusted their gut instincts above all else.
I observed the room for a while but noticed the somewhat bewildered-looking Rhuda was still rooted to the spot. I would have ignored her if I didn’t feel so bad.
“First time?” I asked.
“It’s not yours?”
“This is my fifth, I guess.”
“Fifth?! So you’ve had to... Forget it. I’m sorry,” she said, apologizing to me for some reason.
“It’s no big deal. I suppose most people here are back for another round.”
All that mattered in treasure hunting was skill; those with talent were picked up in no time. But that didn’t mean the talentless stood no chance. There had to be others like me in the crowd who’d accepted their incompetence but had shown up here anyway. Hey, perhaps stubbornness was the one talent I did possess.
I knew where to start. I stepped away from the crowds to get a better view. By the looks of things, more parties were recruiting than usual. Not all parties partook annually in the recruitment drive, but this time, I could see every one of the noteworthy parties in attendance. That explained the line.
As if we hadn’t only just met that morning, Rhuda stuck tight to my heels. “Hey, Krai, would you mind filling me in a little? I’m not sure where to start.”
“Uh, sure. I don’t mind a good hunter owing me one.”
Rhuda would definitely end up making it past Level 3 in her career—unless she wound up dead somewhere. Her expression softened slightly at my comment.
“I’ve been in the capital for a long while now,” I said, “so I know most of the famous hunters. I think you’ve got a good shot today.”
First of all, a hunter couldn’t just walk up to any random party and expect to get in. Each party operated on a different philosophy and was looking to fill a specific need. While there was some truth to the idea that joining a good party would set you up for life, it wasn’t unheard of for newbies to have trouble fitting in.
Not only that, but disparity in talent among the party could lead to a terrible heartache. I thought Rhuda had potential, but the imperial capital attracted the best hunters from all over. Some of them looked human but were something entirely different beneath the skin—my friends to name a few of them.
“I don’t know what you can or want to do. Judging by your dagger, combat isn’t your thing.” I looked her up and down, taking note of her gear. Beside her dagger was a leather pack small enough to not inhibit her movement, which I assumed was packed with lockpicks and other tools.
Each hunter had their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Typically, solo hunters were recruited as brute-force attackers, having already proved their worth of surviving alone against monsters and phantoms. More often than not, these guys had a knack for combat.
However, solo hunters more proficient in detrapping and enemy detection tended to fall short of formerly partied hunters who had dedicated themselves to that craft, unhindered. Rhuda wouldn’t find her place as a Thief in a party unless she had more to show for her efforts. She no doubt knew this as well, so I wasn’t going to reiterate the fact just to get on her bad side.
As she waited for me to say something, I pointed to the end of the room. “Right off the bat, there’s an order to this place: the farther the party is from the entrance, the higher their level.” Just as hunters were given levels by the Explorers’ Association, so were clans and parties. I pointed in particular at the large table at the far end of the room, flocked with the most applicants. “That’s the strongest party out of the ones recruiting today: Ark Brave. Have you heard of them? They’re the best of the best at the average age of twenty-one. They conquered a Level 7 treasure vault with just the six of them.”
Ark Brave was filled with exceptional freaks even among the hellishly strong hunters infesting the capital. Each and every member possessed a skill set that defied every explanation but divine bestowment, and their leader was known as a hero.
Just for reference, the White Wolf’s Den that Rhuda was hoping to conquer was a Level 3 treasure vault. The Association could employ more art than science when it came to designating levels, but a Level 3 meant they recommended going in with a party of Level 3 hunters. A treasure vault only one level higher was said to be ten times as hard to complete, proving the sheer immeasurable difference between Rhuda’s skills and those of Ark Brave.
“If you get into that party, your success is all but guaranteed. If not, just the slightest praise from one of the members would make any of these other groups wanna get their hands on you.”
Even a newbie solo hunter had to have heard of Ark Brave. Rhuda seemed a bit intimidated as she whispered, “Just curious, but...do you think I have a shot?”
“That’s up to you. But as far as I know, Ark Brave has never taken on a new member through an event like this.”
They were one of the biggest names in the capital, the very best or a close second among all young-blooded parties in the city, not to mention that their party’s structure was already fully established. I doubted that any applicant lining up at their table expected to actually get in. They were there only to network, or even just to meet the Braves in person. Rhuda watched the crowd and let out a long sigh. As soon as she had heard about the Level 7 treasure vault, she’d seen her limit.
I continued gesturing around the room, naming and explaining each party to her. As I did so, I spotted a few fresh faces to the event; it seemed most of the clan were in attendance. Most of the names I dropped would be familiar to anyone who’d been on the job in the capital for a few months. The information wasn’t that hard to sniff out; Rhuda just happened to be a newbie who went hunting solo. Besides, not even I knew every party in the Steps.