"Ohh I haven't seen the wooden plate in so long"
Reika tried to hold her laughter in but you're not doing a good job you know?
Well not like it matters.
After getting everything settled, I officially became an adventurer.
Being an adventurer, there are different tiers to represent the amount of achievements you've gained and is a good indicator to show your strength.
There are a total of ten different plates given by the adventurers association. Wood, stone, copper, iron, silver, gold, tungsten, mithril, orichalcum, and adamantite.
To be promoted to a higher tier, you must be in the appropriate level. For example, to become a stone plate adventurer, you must be level 10 and above. The general idea is that you need to increase your level by 10 before you can be promoted.
I still don't understand how to level up though..
By the way, I'm currently level 1 and Reika finds it incredibly amusing apparently.
When you receive a new plate, you also get a decorative dagger with the same material as the plate you have.
I place my wooden dagger on my waist and put on the wooden plate on my neck.
"Reika, how do you level up.."
I ask her while being slightly dejected.
"Don't mind don't mind hehe. Just slay monsters and you will naturally level up"
"Oh I see"
Pretty much like a video game then.
I don't understand however.. did I manage to get sent to another world?
No no no, that's impossible.
Flash
My eyes lit up for a second changing from a deep black colour to a luminescent crystal blue.
I look around and see people with a proper cana flow. Some have they're arcana veins open but none had their inner fire awakened.
When I first woke up in this place, I learned that my eyes have changed. I look at the pink carnation on my hand and stroke it ever so gently.
I'm sure that it was Leiya who gave me this.. I smile warmly and pull my hands away.
Ever since I got the pink carnation on my hand, not only did I could move after receiving the three formation soul seal, I also had my six senses refined to a terrifying level. I can hear things from far away at an incredibly detailed sound. Even my smell and hearing are also terrifyingly amazing.
But I think the greatest thing about it is the fact that I can feel the cana flow much better than before. I can also see the cana essence of people.
Sigh..
Weird..
I'm definitely in the same world but the system they use here is far different.
Oh well. Can't be helped right? I'll just learn later on.
I look at my own cana but I still see the same scene. My inner fire has been destroyed while my arcana veins have been ruptured. Even my cana itself looks thinner than before.
Sigh..
I'll just train.
Luckily, it's not completely destroyed so I'm not as defenseless as I think.
To how far I can train, that I don't know.
Ughh
"Reika chan, why don't you hang out with us instead"
I turn around lazily and see a group of men wearing straps and trousers as they flaunt around they're useless muscles and weapons around.
How unrefined..
"What do you plan to do now Haruto?"
Reika didn't even turn around as she ignores the boorish men.
"Oy oy don't ignore us Reika chan"
I glare at them and proceed to walk towards their position but Reika stopped me.
"Don't pay them any attention"
She points at their neck and see a copper plate hanging.
So they're around level 25 then?
Ugh can someone please tell me how strong a level twenty is.
Sigh..
"Lets go"
Reika pulled me out of the adventurers building.
"Don't you have to run an inn business.."
"Its fine it's fine hehe"
No no no.. Go run your business properly!
"So? What are we going to do now?"
When did it become we.
"I'm planning on going to the forest"
"Okay. Let's go!"
Like I said go run your business properly!
(*)
"Ohh you guys have fairy cabbage in this forest!!"
I quickly pick up the cabbages on the floor just sitting happily on the forest grounds.
These are often found in the forest I lived in but I can't believe they have it here too! Yup. I'm definitely in the same world.
"Uhm.. Haruto.. what are you doing?"
"Huh? Isn't it obvious? I'm picking up vegetables for my dinner"
Sniff
Reika suddenly started to tear up.
"Haruto.. poor baby.. you had it rough haven't you.. gosun"
Hah..?
Why do I feel like I'm being made fun of.
"Again.. What?"
"Its ok.. I'll take care of you from now on and feed you three times a day. I'll bath you and even give you an allowance"
Haaaaahh?!
Sigh..
"Never mind that. What's your real reason for following me around"
She went quiet for awhile.
"Your eyes"
My eyes? Is she talking about 'that'?
"You have the look of that who just lost someone important to them"
…
"I know what it feels like too. When I lost my mother, I didn't know what to do with my life. I simply wandered around without even caring for myself. I almost died from a quest but luckily, someone saved me. That's why when I saw the look on your eyes, I couldn't help myself but meddle. I'm sorry if I've inconvenienced you"
She bows dejectedly at me.
I see.
"Its normal to worry about a friend right?"
I continue to pick up the vegetables.
What am I doing.. She lost someone that she could never get back yet I'm this dejected just because of this.
I shake my head vigorously.
No matter what, I will find you.
While picking up the cabbages and Reika happily humming behind me, I notice the flow of cana quickly arriving here.
After a minute passed, the shadow of five people appeared before us as they step out behind the trees one by one.
"Oh? Reika what a coincidence"
All five of them lick their lips in unison.
"What do you want"
"What? We can't have fun with my fellow adventurers? Hahahaha"
"Hehe, your brother isn't here to protect you this time"
She looks behind and shows me an apologetic and regretful face.
"What. Is the wood plate going to protect you?"
"""HAHAHAHAHA"""
I step out and pull Reika behind me.
"Ah- You idiot! You're no match for them!"
"She's right. Be a good little boy and scram or lest I be blamed for hurting a novice"
I surround body with inner flames.
Hmm.. My inner flames have become very weak and I can't even do a full coat.
Well, it's quite understandable since only the first outer gate is open. None of my inner gates are open..
Good timing. This is a good opportunity to test out how powerful they are.
None of their inner fire or arcana veins are awakened but since they're supposedly at level 25-ish, then they must be fairly strong.
I stood still while ignoring them.
"You bastard..!"
One of the men started to attack me. He ran while gripping a large axe with both of his hands. After winding up, he yelled fiercely and swung it towards me.
Bang!
The ground beneath me shook slightly but my body dodged at the very last second.
"Ho.. What a lucky dodge"
He picked up his axe once more with both hands and started to swing violently.
One
Two
Three
He swung sideways towards my body but I step back just before it could reach me. With the momentum of the axe swinging, he swung it back and attacked with a downward slash. After dodging it once more, he grabbed the axe and swung with all of his force.
It never reached me once.
While out of breath, the others around him finally pulled out their weapons.
"You little worm.. stop squirming and die!"
Slash!
They pulled their swords and started to slash me one by one.
Like the flowing leaf amidst the autumn skies, I dance elegantly and dodge every single attack.
Bang!
After dodging one of the attack, I reinforce my leg with a tiny bit of inner flames and pierce his chest.
He was sent flying and blood spewed out of his mouth.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I dash to them while barely using any inner flames and sent them flying one by one.
Only the leader was left.
"No.."
I walk up to him slowly.
"Wait.. Haruto.. You should spare him"
…
I turned around and look at Reika who is looking at me with fearful eyes.
"Naive! HAHAHA"
A knife was pulled out and aimed for the back of my neck.
"Haruto! No!"
Whoosh
I move my head slightly. When I turned around, he showed me a face full of shock. I coat my fist with a large amount of inner flames and struck his stomach.
Bang!
A large hole could be seen.
"Hiiiiii!"
The four of them ran away after fear struck their heart when they saw the hole in their leaders stomach.
…
"Haa.. I didn't know you were this strong.."
Why did I kill someone. I didn't intend to go this far but after hearing what they said towards Reika my hands moved on its own.
"Sorry. Did i scare you?"
I look at Reika with a slightly dejected demeanor.
"You surprised me but I'm not scared!"
She smiled happily.
"If my brother was here, he probably would have done the same. But still.. you surprised me Haruto! How did you do that?! Was it some sort of magic item? But you're only level 1 so how.."
Hmm.. I was expecting more resistance from them but I sort of had a feeling it was going to turn out this way.
"Reika, what level are you"
"Me? I'm level twenty one. Why?"
Flash
I look into her cana and my question has finally been answered.
Though her inner fire and arcana veins are still dormant, she has twenty one stars in her cana.
Sigh..
No wonder they're so weak.. Even though they're cana are strong, they can't use it for anything since they have nothing to use it with!
Maybe they just don't understand how cana works?
Well not like it's my problem.
"Should we go back and report this to the guards?"
I asked Reika.
"No it's fine. Unless it happened inside of the city then there's no problem. Since it was out of self defense, everything is fine"
Isn't that bad?
I pick up his sword and place it on my waist. I also check his pockets and see that he has a pouch full of gold coins.
"Hey Reika, how does currency work for this kingdom?"
"You don't even know that.. A gold coin is worth ten silver coins and a silver coin is worth ten coppers"
Easy enough to understand.
I wonder if twenty gold coins is a lot?
"Hey are you sure you don't want to stay at my inn?"
"Thank you but I got rich for some reason"
I shake the pouch in my hand.
"How shameless.. Well he was scum anyways"
She shrugged her shoulders and kept following me.
After some time, I sensed a large gathering of cana so I followed it and saw a group of goblins. I made quick work of them but I felt like they were slightly stronger than the group of five men from earlier.
When I checked the cana of the goblins, it said that they were level 10. To be more specific, they had ten stars in their cana but it's easier to identify them by just saying they're level 10. They also use this system in this place so I might as well use it too.
After I defeated them, a dark purple cana essence started to circulate above the dead goblin. After a couple second passed, the cana essence turned into crystal.
"What is this?"
"Magic Crystal!"
So this is what magic crystals are..
Geh.. Isn't this just cana essence?