NOVPUB
Chapter 51: Night Time GUILD
Zayn stirred awake, warmth surrounding him on all sides.
It took a moment for him to realize that his face was nestled against something soft.
His brain caught up immediately.
Boobs.
Elisse’s boobs.
A flood of emotions hit him all at once.
He was elated, guilty, nervous, and very aware of how this could go wrong if she woke up and caught him in this position.
Both of them must have drifted off midway through their little well maybe a lot of kissing... session.
She was still asleep, her breathing slow and even, her arms loosely wrapped around him.
She looked so peaceful, her delicate features relaxed in the dim light of the late evening.
Now was the perfect time to run.
Not in a bad way, but he needed to get out of here before she woke up and things got awkward.
As much as he wanted to appreciate the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity fate had handed him, he didn’t want to ruin things by making her uncomfortable.
Slowly, carefully, he pried himself away from her, slipping out of her arms with the precision of a trained assassin.
As soon as he was free, he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her, tucking her in so she wouldn’t wake up cold.
Now for the fun part.
His new armor lay neatly folded nearby, thanks to Tobias’s enhancement.
Slipping it on, he buckled the straps and adjusted the fit. It was light but durable, much better than what he had before.
His dagger was the last thing he secured at his waist.
His mission? The GUILD.
He could have visited the red-light district, but not tonight. He had things to make up for. Besides, he wasn’t exactly rolling in cash right now.
Now, how to leave without waking anyone up?
Sneaking out of the front door would be too risky.
He decided the window was his best bet.
He unlatched it, opening it just enough to slip through.
The cool night air greeted him as he swung a leg over, preparing to make a silent, graceful escape. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
It should have been easy.
It should have been effortless.
It was neither.
His foot caught the edge of the window sill.
Time froze for a split second as he realized his mistake.
Then —
THUD.
Zayn face-planted into the dirt below.
Hard.
The impact knocked the air out of his lungs, and for a brief moment, he just lay there, trying to process his absolute failure.
"...Ow."
A single wooden bucket sat nearby, mocking him.
He had missed it by mere inches. If he had hit it, his head would have been ringing like a damn church bell.
He groaned, pushing himself up.
Dust and dignity lost, he straightened his armor, pretending nothing had happened.
A window creaked open above him.
Zayn’s heart stopped.
"Zayn?" Elisse’s groggy voice drifted down. "What... are you doing?"
Think. THINK.
He put on his most serious expression and looked up at her.
"...Patrolling," he said.
She squinted at him. "Patrolling?"
"...Yes."
A long pause.
"...While face-down in the dirt?"
Zayn nodded, doubling down. "Stealth training."
Elisse stared at him, then yawned, rubbing her eyes.
"...Weirdo." She pulled the blanket tighter around herself and disappeared back inside.
Zayn exhaled.
’Crisis averted.’
With what little dignity he had left, he dusted himself off and walked off in the direction of the GUILD.
The nights in this world were always lively, filled with the distant chatter of merchants closing their stalls, the clinking of tankards in dimly lit taverns, and the occasional drunken brawl spilling onto the cobbled streets.
However, tonight felt different.
As Zayn approached the GUILD, he immediately noticed the stark contrast to its usual daytime chaos.
During the day, the place was loud, hectic, packed with adventurers boasting about their latest exploits, haggling over rewards, and bickering over quests.
But now?
It was eerily calm.
A few adventurers sat at the tables, speaking in hushed tones or silently polishing their weapons.
Others leaned against the walls, quietly waiting for their turn at the request board.
It wasn’t the usual reckless, battle-hungry crowd. These were serious adventurers.
The real deal.
Zayn took in the scene with mild curiosity before making his way toward the counter.
And that’s when something strange happened.
The half-elf receptionist — the same one who had barely spared him a glance during the day — smiled at him.
Zayn froze.
Wait. What?
She had never smiled at him before. In fact, she usually acted like he didn’t exist.
He blinked, half-expecting to turn around and find some renowned adventurer standing behind him, but no — she was definitely looking at him.
Okay. Weird.
Still, he wasn’t about to waste an opportunity.
Running a hand through his hair, he leaned against the counter and flashed a confident smirk.
"Mind telling me how the night operations work?"
The half-elf’s eyes studied him for a moment before she tilted her head, her long, pointed ears twitching slightly.
"You’re here at an interesting time," she said, her voice smooth, almost teasing.
Zayn raised a brow. "That so?"
She nodded, shifting slightly as she leaned forward on the counter. "Nighttime adventurers are different from the daytime crowd," she explained. "The ones you see here aren’t in it for fame or gold. They’re the ones who take the jobs no one else will. The ones too dangerous, too questionable, or just plain cursed."
Zayn’s interest piqued. "Cursed, huh?"
The half-elf smiled again, her lips curling slightly. "We get requests that most people wouldn’t dare touch. Nightmares that need exorcising, ancient ruins that hum with forbidden magic, disappearances that never make it to the official records. Some people prefer the night — less eyes, less interference."
He let out a low whistle. "Sounds fun."
She chuckled. "Only if you like dancing with death."
Zayn grinned. "Good thing death and I are already acquainted."
He wasn’t lying though, he’d been reincarnated after all.
The half-elf gave him a knowing look, then reached beneath the counter and pulled out a black leather-bound ledger.
"This is where we keep the nighttime requests," she said, flipping it open. The pages were filled with neatly written entries, each one marked with a different colored seal.
Some were red, some silver, but there were a few that were pure black.
