Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

News regarding the mystery golden pillar of light (Reward: 10,000 Gold – Unknown risk)

”...”

Jake gave the posting a strange look... after all, he was the cause of it.

But looking at the insane reward, for a moment he almost wanted to surrender himself... As 10,000 gold would solve all their money problems in one go.

But he quickly shook his head, snapping out of it.

He would be a true idiot to surrender himself.

Jake turned his attention back to the safer requests and pointed to one.

”Let’s take this one for now. Gathering medicinal herbs in the nearby forest, it’s safe and simple. We can also use it to test how our new classes work together.”

Even though the reward was only one gold coin, Jake wanted to understand how the Guild system functioned and give both himself and Grace a chance to test their new classes in a low-risk environment.

Grace nodded under her hood, her golden eyes shining with anticipation.

”Yes, that sounds good!”

They took the request slip and registered it at the counter.

The clerk smiled professionally as she processed the paperwork.

”Herb gathering, is it? A good choice for beginners. The forest area is still relatively calm for now. You’ll need to collect 20 stalks of Silver Grass and 10 Silverroot. They’re fairly common in the eastern part of the forest.”

She handed them a small parchment containing drawings of the herbs and a marked map.

”Here’s a simple map and reference pictures as a freebie.”

”Even though it’s relatively safe, don’t head too deep into the forest as there might be caves that connects to the sea, and there might be powerful sea beasts lurking in there. The deadline is three days, Just bring the herbs back here when you’re done. Good luck!”

Jake nodded and accepted the items.

”Thank you.”

The clerk smiled professionally and waved them off.

As they turned to leave, Jake and Grace then walked out of the Guild building.

The streets outside were still a bit chaotic, so the two of them moved with caution toward the eastern forest area.

Once they were a safe distance away from the crowd, Jake pulled out the small parchment and map the clerk had given them.

Jake unfolded the map carefully as they walked.

Grace leaned in closer under her hood, peering at it together with him.

Then his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

The town they were in was only a small part of a much larger island, and the level of detail on the map was genuinely impressive.

The map showed far more than just the eastern forest area.

It also marked several hidden paths, river crossings, and even old ruins that weren’t visible from the surface.

And the town itself was drawn with surprising accuracy, including the currently damaged districts, patrol routes, and safe zones.

”Wow... this map is really detailed,” Jake muttered. ”It even shows the current state of the town after the fighting. The Guild must have updated it quickly.”

Grace leaned in closer, her voice soft as she looked at the map with him.

”The Guild is very good at gathering information. They have scouts and informants everywhere, which is why their maps are always so accurate.”

Grace pointed to a small marked area on the map. ”It looks like Silver Grass grows near the riverbank here, and Silverroot is usually found under old trees in this shaded area. We should be able to gather them without going too deep.”

Jake nodded, folding the map and tucking it away safely. ”Good. Let’s take it slow and stay alert.”

The two continued toward the edge of the forest, the distant smoke from the town still rising behind them.

The path was relatively quiet, with only a few other adventurers heading the same way.

The air carried the scent of smoke and damp earth, yet the forest itself still appeared peaceful.

Jake kept his senses sharp.

The moment his Instinct skill activated, he was ready to grab Grace and retreat.

Grace, on the other hand, seemed genuinely excited for her first guild quest.

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They continued deeper into the forest, following the marked path on the map.

The trees grew thicker, and the sounds of birdsong and rustling leaves gradually replaced the distant chaos of the town.

After a while, they reached the first marked spot, a small clearing beside a gentle stream where Silver Grass was supposed to grow.

Grace’s eyes lit up as she spotted the silver-tipped plants. ”There! That’s Silver Grass. I’ll help gather them!”

She rolled up her sleeves under her cloak and began carefully picking the herbs, her movements surprisingly skilled and gentle.

Jake smiled as he watched her, a strange warmth blooming in his chest.

He was about to step forward to help when his Instinct skill suddenly flared.

His expression changed instantly.

In one smooth motion, he drew his short sword, eyes scanning the surrounding bushes.

”Grace, stay behind me.”

Grace froze, still clutching a few stalks of Silver Grass.

She quickly moved behind him, body tense, and pulled out the small gun she had found in the shelter’s storage.

From the bushes came a low, menacing growl.

A beast emerged that bore rabbit-like features... but it was anything but cute.

It was the size of a large dog, with mottled gray-and-black fur, blood-red eyes, jagged teeth, and long, razor-sharp claws.

Grace’s eyes widened.

She quickly slipped the map from Jake’s waist pouch and scanned the entry for the area.

”Forest Rabbit...?” she murmured, glancing back and forth between the monster and the name.

Even Jake blinked in disbelief.

Because that thing looked nothing like a rabbit.

He let out a short, dry laugh and shook his head. ”Forest Rabbit? That thing looks more like a demon bunny on steroids.”

The rabbit monster’s ears twitched at the sound.

Its blood-red eyes narrowed, and with terrifying speed, it launched itself forward, claws aimed straight for Jake’s throat.

”SCREEECH!”

Jake’s instincts surged, but he didn’t panic.

He calmly raised his short sword and channeled his new Aura skill.

Tzz...

A warm, radiant energy flooded through him, as a deep red aura slowly materialized around the blade.

He then fused it with Light Manifestation, and a brilliant white-golden aura erupted around the sword like flowing sunlight.

The blade glowed with overwhelming, majestic power.

Without hesitation, Jake swung in a powerful arc.

”SLASH!”

A crescent wave of white-golden energy tore through the air.

The Forest Rabbit tried to dodge mid-leap, but it was too late.

The glowing slash struck it dead-on, slicing clean through its body.

”SCREEE—!”

SPURT!

The monster’s screech cut off abruptly as its bisected corpse tumbled through the air.

The energy wave continued onward, carving through trees and bushes in a wide arc.

BOOOMM!!

Leaves and branches rained down as a glowing trench formed in the ground for several meters before the light finally faded.

Jake stood still, staring at the destruction with wide eyes.

”...Wow.”