Here, There is a Talentless Adventurer
"That talentless fuck, what the hell do you keep showing off for? Why don't you just get beat up and quit already?"
Three years as an adventurer, and that was the verbal abuse some passerby spat at me in the Adventurer's Guild.
You think I want to do this shitty adventurer gig?
"I fucking hate this too..."
It's dangerously risky as hell. And when it's filthy, it's filthy. I really want to do something else, anything.
But what can I do? I had no other options.
Suddenly isekai'd to this world three years ago. No skills, no real talents. All I had was this one decently sturdy body.
You think I wanted to be an adventurer? It was this or nothing. Farming needs land, merchanting needs money. Even getting hired at a shop—most don't need extra hands anyway. They won't take you.
Day labor? Even that—they won't slot you in. Most of it's run by lords or city governors, and outsiders without citizenship don't qualify.
"...Can't exactly starve to death, though."
Sudden isekai transfer. Nothing I could do. No house, no land, no money—jack shit. How was a nobody like me supposed to survive here? Suicide? Nah, too attached to life.
...So my only choice left was this.
You have been transferred to another world.
The goddess who summoned you bestows upon you a special power.
Conductor
Supports allies, assists them, and strengthens them.
The goddess who summoned me granted me this special power, it said. But what the hell was it, exactly?
Something special was definitely there. But I had no clue what it did or how to use it. Usually, don't these powers come with a brain-dump tutorial?
Why the fuck wouldn't it tell me how?
I read the description below slowly. Not much there.
Just that one line: Supports allies, assists them, and strengthens them.
But I clung to hope in those words. A power from a goddess, no less. From today, I'm the maestro of the battlefield! Or so I thought.
Reality hit hard, though. Maestro my ass. My power was garbage.
Or maybe not even that. Can't call it garbage if I can't even use it, right?
Never triggered once—how would I know?
It said it supports and strengthens allies. So what's an ally? Same guild or party? Dictionary says: friendly forces or people on your side.
"...Then why the fuck won't it work?"
Passed beginner adventurer exam. Begged my way into a party after twists and turns.
Not a strong one. Bronze-rank leader, rest newbies hunting goblins.
Perfect to test my power. Begged to join.
Soon after entering the forest, goblins. I reached out to activate Conductor.
Conditions not met. Unable to use ability.
Just that shitty system window. No activation.
What the hell were the conditions...?
Groaned, but same response.
Conditions not met. Unable to use ability.
Fuck.
Gave up on the power. Decided to just be a regular adventurer.
But modern life left me lazy body, weak mind. No killing instinct, no combat talent. Got weeded out naturally.
Kicked from that party. Bounced around for three years, doing chores since I couldn't keep up.
Adventurer skills: rock bottom. But chores? Mastered 'em. Fire-starting, cart-driving, camping, cooking... all-purpose handyman.
§
"Hah... huff... huff..."
Damn, how'd it come to this?
Party kicked me—handyman not needed anymore. No work, no food. Headed to guild for today's survival gig.
Winter now. Sleeping outside? Freeze to death. Needed cash for a tiny room.
But three years in, my rep was trash. No parties wanted me. Even newbie groups heard rumors, avoided me.
Couldn't starve, though. Couldn't freeze outside.
So I took it: simple gathering quest, wild animal hunt. Specified spot—find herbs, kill roaming beasts. Easy.
Should've been.
"Fuck, why's a goblin nest right nearby?"
-Kieeeek...!!
-Kyak...! Kya!
Goblins swarming me, charging wildly.
Talentless or not, I could handle one or two. Problem: goblin nest next door. Sneaky bastards never fight fair—always gang up.
"Come at me one by one, please!"
Are you even men? Nutless cowards!
Blocked first goblin's club with wooden shield, shoved. -Kyaaek...!
Stabbed throat deep—shunk!—tried yanking out. Caught on bone/muscle.
"Ah, shit...!"
No money for maintenance. Stuck between neck bone and meat. Couldn't pull free.
Gap created. Goblins didn't wait.
-Kiyaeeeek...!
No brotherhood. Piled on like avenging the dead one.
Shield-blocked head shot. But body attack slipped through.
Thud!
Twisted—took it on back.
"Guh...!"
Meanwhile, stomped dead goblin's corpse for leverage, wrenched sword free. Smashed pommel into side-head temple of the back-stabber.
-Gack...!
Two down... But plenty left.
One hand can't block ten. Got surrounded, pushed back...
"...Ha, fuck."
Cheap shield shattered ages ago. Shortsword chipped. Head wound bleeding, blurring vision red. Heart pounding like tachycardia.
Cackling goblins closing in. My future: their meal.
Then—
-Shwaaaaak-!
Something tore air. Arrow pierced goblin skull.
Splat!Crunch! Head exploded.
What the...?
Adventurers charging in before I turned.
"Kill 'em all!"
"These fucking goblin shits!"
...Familiar faces. Partied with them once.
They swept the mob in seconds.
Leader, Roman—a guy—approached.
"Hey, worthless fuck. What're you doing here, retard?"
Super insulting. Felt like shit, but couldn't show it. Forced a friendly grin.
"Haha, well... quest."
"Quest? Solo? They gave you a goblin-hunt quest?"
"N-no, not goblins. Gathering. But nest nearby, so..."
"Yeah, guild wouldn't give goblin nest clearance to trash like you. Oh, gathering spot's close."
"Y-yeah... Haha. Thanks for the save. Was in deep shit. Nearly died."
Still awkward smiling... Roman twitched brow, grabbed my collar, yanked me up.
Choked—dry heaved.
"Gack...! W-what?"
"Thanks? Ha, fuck that. You retarded shit."
Ignored, gripped harder, glanced back sneakily.
His party behind. Freckled woman, curvy cat-eared blonde beauty—he eyed them.
Showed off: "Shouldn't a guy who got saved show some gratitude?"
"G-gratitude...?"
Gratitude? Got nothing. Chipped shortsword was it.
Yanked collar longer till a female comrade intervened.
"Hey, leader. Enough? Quest done, wanna head back and rest."
Roman clicked tongue, shoved me down rough.
"Tch, fine."
Collapsed limp.
Spat on ground at me: "Not ashamed wearing iron badge after three years? Newbies outpace you, got bronze already. Can't even handle one goblin, you worthless fuck."
Couldn't retort.
Iron Badge: bottom rung. Total newbie tier. Scum of the earth. Incompetent. Vermin.
That's my status after three years grinding.
Sat dazed long after, till they left. Stood weakly.
Rage boiled, but powerless.
Three years isekai'd. Bottom of Adventurer's Guild barrel.
Here, there is a talentless adventurer.