As soon as Polo selected the quest "Ravenwood Dale," an unexpected error occurred on the screen before him. Suddenly, the system's AI was no longer displayed in front of his eyes; it felt as though it had merged with his very essence. Although he could still perceive it externally, it was as if the AI had entered his soul. A message then appeared, stating, "Now, I reside within your soul. Levels and such are meaningless. Upon entering each village, you will be endowed with a unique set of abilities. For this village, you shall receive the Water Ability." Polo, puzzled, inquired, "What does that mean? Can I control water elements?" Clave, the system AI, clarified, "No. You will possess a dagger that allows you to latch onto enemies attempting to flee. Additionally, you will have an alter-ego that can stun them for approximately 2 seconds. During this stun, you can inflict damage with your dagger. Should your foes be critically wounded or near death, a 'mutilation' option will appear, enabling an instant kill." Polo exclaimed, "Wow, these abilities are incredible! I assume there's a catch?"Clave responded, "Not particularly, aside from cooldown periods. Moreover, you cannot utilize any ability until your mind is prepared for change. This readiness can fluctuate, even in the midst of combat, leaving you uncertain of your newfound powers. Farewell." With that, Clave vanished.

Polo ventured into Ravenwood Dale and was immediately captivated by the majestic oceans of pure water and the vibrant yellow and green trees surrounding the area, not to mention the impressive building structures and attractive women he encountered upon entering. A guard appeared with a welcoming smile and said, "Welcome! Before you enter, I need you to answer me honestly. If you fail to do so, you will be penalized. Oh, and here, take some money." "Sure," said Polo, ready to answer. The guard asked, "Do you have any educational background? A university degree, high school diploma?"Polo took a moment, reaching into his backpack, only to realize he didn't have them. "One second," he told the guard. He then accessed the AI within him and instructed it to retrieve his high school diploma. "Error: original high school diploma is undetected," the AI reported. Undeterred, Polo instructed it to secure a copy and ensure it was verified by the ministry, and to do the same for his university credentials. Once the items were procured, he presented them to the guard. The guard, slightly taken aback, exclaimed, "What the... Did you just pull these degrees and diplomas out of your body? Let me check them." After examining them and confirming their authenticity, he said, "Good, these check out. So, what brings you to Ravenwood Dale?" "Oh, I don't know," Polo replied. "I just want a vacation." The guard looked at him incredulously. "You can't vacation here. People come here to work."Polo argued, "But the place seems more like a chill spot than a work zone." The guard explained, "Do you think these rivers and buildings just appeared out of nowhere? No. Here are the rules set by the king: 1. Upon arrival, you will receive money and a small home. 2. You will be asked about your education. If you have none and admit it, you'll be fine. But if you lie and are caught, you will be executed. 3. Everyone in Ravenwood Dale must have a job. If you don't, you will be exiled. This policy is in place to discourage laziness and generate income for the king. And don't worry, even if you have a job, you'll still get some days off for vacation. It's not all work, work, work."After hearing this, Polo inquired, "What are the highest paying jobs?"The guard replied, "Straight to the point, eh? Well, there's software engineering, IT, medicine, and engineering. These jobs are essential and therefore pay the highest."Polo was surprised, "This world has IT and engineering?"The guard realized Polo's astonishment and said, "Oh, young man, sorry. Yes, it might come as a surprise, but we are far more advanced in technology than others."Feeling out of place, Polo thought to himself that, despite having an MIS degree and a high school diploma, this era was too advanced for him. "I better leave," he thought. "Wait, wait," the guard interjected. "You have a degree related to technology and you still want to leave?" Polo responded, "Look, I'm sorry. I have a hunter's license, and this era is too advanced for me."The guard then asked, "Can you hunt beasts?""Yes," Polo said. "The kind that will eat you alive."The guard's demeanor changed, "Then forget everything I said. There's a job that pays much more than the others. It's dangerous, and many who have gone hunting in the lake and swamp areas never returned, or came back deeply shaken with no proof of their conquests."Polo smiled and declared, "Now that's what I'm talking about. I want that job."The guard concluded, "This is the only job where you can take vacations, given the risk to your life. Just go down the hall and fill out the form. Thanks!" Polo proceeded and finally entered Ravenwood Dale, ready for his new adventure.

Polo ventured towards the office, and upon entering, his heart started racing because the woman down the hall was strikingly attractive. He stuttered a greeting, "Hi, hello, hihi," stumbling over his words. The woman responded, "Oh, hi, new recruit. Shall I fill out your form?"Polo, taken aback by her beautiful voice, asked, "Wow, why... beautiful voice as well. Excuse me?"The woman clarified, "Oh, sorry. I was asking why you should fill out the form." "It's protocol," she explained. "Tell me your degree, your qualifications, and show them to me."Polo presented his documents, and she made copies, handing back the originals. "Okay," she said, "What's your birthday?" "Aug 7, 2002," he replied."Okay, degree here, everything here, so here is your file. Now, I'm assuming you want a tech job or something?""No, I want the job... the one to kill the monster in the swamp."Her demeanor changed instantly, her core shaken, she could barely breathe. "That is a suicide mission; it's labeled as 'hunter.' So, are you sure you want that?" "Yes," Polo affirmed."Please, think about it," she urged."I said yes," Polo reiterated.Then the woman proceeded with the paperwork, signed off, and completed his file. She handed him the document titled "Polo, Hunter." "1. First mission: take this to the king. Show them this paper to his guard.2. The king's castle is westward, pretty big too."With his mission clear, Polo made his way to the gates of the castle and showed the paper to the guards. They let him in, and he finally arrived, adequately equipped. The king was absent, but the Prime Minister was present. He approached Polo and said, "Excuse me, I understand you're a hunter, but weren't you required to pass some form of test? No offense, but you appear quite young and, frankly, less robust than others." Polo remained calm, though the words stung: "Who is the strongest here?" The Prime Minister responded, "That would be the king, who is currently away. The second strongest would likely be myself and the elite knights beside me." Polo then proposed, "If I defeat you, may I proceed?" "Call me Garland the Grim," the Prime Minister replied. "If you defeat me, which I doubt, given I am S++ tier and, according to our records—yes, we keep tabs on everyone—you aim to eliminate the monsters in our swamp, which are far more formidable than I. However, should you somehow succeed, then yes, you may proceed." "Where shall we duel?" Polo inquired. "Oh, you wish to duel now?" Garland asked. "Yes," Polo affirmed. "Very well, follow me," Garland instructed. 

They finally arrived at the arena, where the audience was already gathered, cameras flashing. Garland spoke up, "I hope you don't mind the audience. Many are watching." Polo responded, "I do mind. Why do you want to embarrass me in front of everyone if you win, or vice versa?" Garland explained, "This arena is designed for spectators. It's your choice whether you want an audience." Polo stated, "I would prefer not to have one." Garland agreed, "Sure, but we'll still record everything to analyze our movements and ranks. Only those who assess the ranks will have access to the footage. Is that okay?" "Sure, no problem," Polo replied. They faced each other in the arena, ready to engage. Garland quickly advanced, but Polo stood his ground, then suddenly, he dashed forward, grabbing Garland and hurling him across the arena. Polo thought to himself, "Just as I expected, my skills really do make a difference. He's light as a feather to me." Garland, smiling despite the setback, declared, "Impressive, but it's time to get serious." He conjured a fiery pit beneath Polo, who narrowly escaped by charging directly at Garland. Remembering his abilities, Polo contemplated using his dash. Clave, his inner guide, suggested, "Use your dagger, then dash for maximum damage, or dash hook for mutilation." Polo hesitated, not wanting to kill Garland. Garland, unaware of Polo's internal deliberation, launched a fireball. Polo activated his Invisible Water Cloak, vanishing momentarily and healing. Garland taunted, "Nice trick, but you're done for," as he unleashed fire bombs, causing widespread damage. Polo, appearing behind Garland, stunned him with a dash. "What the... I can't move," Garland exclaimed. Polo delivered several dagger strikes. When Garland attempted to flee, Polo used his dagger to pull him back, causing severe bleeding. Clave urged, "Now, use mutilation to finish him." Polo hesitated, then executed the move beside Garland, not directly on him, causing alarm among the guards and staff. Clave instructed Polo to use healing water on Garland, who recovered completely but was visibly shaken. "Who are you?" Garland asked, bewildered. "Never in a hundred years has anyone defeated me. Your abilities not only counter mine but are even more lethal to the swamp monsters."

Garland then said to Polo, "Holy shit, man. To be honest, at your rate, I might have to give you the golden card. It's a card that, well, it's almost as high as the king rank, and you must wear that white coat with gold lines. That way, they will know that your card is legit. Many people who have this card think they have a card of fraud, but it's true, your skill is goated. Now, as for when you kill the monsters in the swamps, collect their heads and bring them back so we know you killed them." Polo then said, "What? How can I carry that many heads?" Garland then said, "Hmm, you do have a point. Try to kill the boss." Garland then added, "And only bring his head." The King, among the audience, observed Polo's performance during his test before returning to his throne and council. There, he and Garland engaged in conversation. Garland, bowing his head in shame, admitted, "I apologize, my king. I have been defeated for the first time in 100 years!" The King, unfazed, responded, "The individual that defeated you is probably the only one capable of doing so. Don't sweat about it." Confused, Garland pressed, "But, but... you always get mad before when I'm on the verge of losing in my past, not that I ever lost. So, how are you so calm?" The King explained, "Because I know that individual, Polo, is what they're calling him now, aren't they? That's not his real name. I know his name. I wonder if he is tough enough to beat me now?" Intrigued, Garland asked, "It seems like you two know each other?" The King revealed, "Garland, what you just saw was one of my sons.