Slowly, the carriage moved through the line. As the distance closed, Kai could see some of the road that was beyond the gate. Different kinds of people walked along the side of the road, while many carriages, wagons, and carts were on the road, carrying people and goods.
Many different kinds of buildings were on the sides, all with their own unique sign.
"Atar"
"Mm, I don't remember telling you my name."
'Damn'
"Don't make such a mistake again! Although it may seem little, it shows you do not respect that person, and some won't let you off. Remember that some people have abilities that far exceed their level; you never know if someone can tell you used {Inspect}." Atar's tone was harsh, like a parent reprimanding their child.
Kai didn't dare meet Atar's eyes, "Sorry, I'll make sure never to make that mistake again."
Atar nodded in approval, "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"I have several questions, though I'll only ask two right now. Why was there a Fire Cat there to begin with? And, where's the nearest dungeon I can use?"
"That's an easy answer to your first question; it's because it was created nearby. Well, I should say, born. You see, mana creates life; we're all made up of it. So mana condensed, and the Fire cat was formed. However, it was most likely a tier:0 cat monster that evolved into a Fire Cat. Anything born over tier:0 is extraordinarily rare and only happens under certain conditions. And for your second question, you'll see."
'He really only answered my first question.'
"You'll be in the dungeon within an hour if everything goes well." Atar added, looking at Kai's displeased expression.
Nodding, he looked out the carriage; through the gate, he saw many people flock from vendor to vendor, buying whatever goods each sold.
'How come no one bought my sword?'
The many people exchanging coins made Kai think back about the sword he acquired from Zomva, 'The Dead's Revenge'. He put the sword on the system store for 25SC, yet no one had purchased it.
Although he wasn't sure what the worth of 25SC was, he wanted to have some money in the system to buy something in an emergency.
"Sigh"
Slowly the line shortened until it was finally their turn.
Outside the carriage, Kai could hear the coachman and the guard talking. Although it was mostly about business, it seemed the two knew each other.
From their conversation and the other conversations going on around them, Kai learned if you had a special card or adventurer ID, you didn't have to pay a fee to enter a city.
'I guess it makes sense, though I would rather not have guards looking at my ID.'
It was unlikely, but Kai didn't want to be tracked through all the cities he'd go by. If he attracted attention for some reason, he didn't want people to see how he kept going to cities with a higher dungeon than before.
'Not like I'd do anything publicly to gain any sort of attention.'
Soon enough, the two men stopped talking, and the carriage started moving again through the stone gate.
"Woah"
Inside the walls, Kai saw many different styles of buildings; some were made of stone bricks with glass windows. While others were maybe of wood logs, looking like a cabin. No matter where he looked, each building had a sign, more flashy and eye-catching than the next.
Patrolling the cobble streets were guards with light-looking silver shoulder pads, and blue caps, with a big golden 'S'. Besides the cape and shoulder pads, their outfits differed from each other. And so did their weapons; some had swords around their waist, while others held a bow in one hand. Kai only saw young men wearing such an outfit.
"They're the 'Silver Scouts,' a special guard unit the Starla family created. They said it was for the city's safety, but we'll see how true that is." Atar's voice brought Kai back to why he was there.
He was supposed to 'destroy' the Starla family, yet how could he? Wouldn't that destroy the entire city?
'Does Atar even care about the citizens?'
Looking at Atar, Kai noticed how distant he looked, like he was reminiscing. He had a glint of sadness in his eyes, making Kai even more confused about what he should do.
'I wonder if this place has a bakery and bookstore.'
Thinking back about the bread he got from the old lady, Kai wished he had brought some on his adventure.
'?'
The carriage approached the largest building Kai had ever seen. A stone foundation with brick pillars connecting the stone to a wooden ceiling. Stone stairs leading to a double door entrance. Glass windows in between the wood walls, giving Kai a good look at the stalls inside. The building went 50 feet high and more than 100 feet horizontal. A giant red 'M' with gold bags around it.
A Merchant Guild!
People constantly came and went through the doors; some wore robes, while others armor. Adventurers, guards, and ordinary folk came and went through the double doors.
The carriage came to a stop on the side of the street, and so did the wagon behind.
'Finally!' Smiling, Kai couldn't wait to get out.
"We're here!" The coachman yelled out.
Stepping off the carriage, Kai stretched. Atar followed quickly behind him, and lastly, the family.
'I never did talk to them.' He thought, looking at the small family.
"Hey Kai, what are you gonna do now!" Rathal shouted from behind him.
The rest of Dream Walkers exited the wagon, walking toward Kai and Atar.
"I'm going to find an inn, maybe scout some dungeons, and eventually enter a dungeon. What about you guys?" Kai asked, looking at the group.
While inside, he thought, 'I'm not lying, just not in that order.'
"We've still gotta stick around here until all the goods are transported inside the merchant guild. Ah, that reminds me; I got a note from the village head of Tuloc confirming we completed the quest. After we're done here, we'll head over to the adventurer guild and collect the reward. Can you add me on the system? And I'll contact you about the reward!"
"Add you?"
Rathal facepalmed, "Haha! You do have the system accessory, right?"
"Of course; who do you think I am?"
"Haha! Ok, once you open the store, there should be an icon with a gray person, that's your 'friends'. There you can add or remove people; once you add someone, you can send messages, no matter where you are!"
Opening his system and going to the store, there was indeed a gray icon.
'When I looked through the system before, I didn't think much of this thing before.'
"Yeah, I can add you; what about you guys?"
The rest of the Dream Walkers nodded with a smile.
"Sure"
"I would love to."
"Why not? I've got nothing to lose."
Hycis slapped Lorgug on his back for his comment, "I mean, I would like that." He corrected himself.
'How does this work?'
After clicking the icon, an empty page popped up with slots with the message, 'No Friends'. Above that was a little + icon. Clicking that, it popped up with a search bar, indicating to type in a name.
"How about you all add me?"
Kai didn't want to go through the trouble of typing in all their names, and he didn't want to inspect them for their last names either.
"It's Kai Venator" He quickly added, looking at Rathal, that was about to ask him something.
After only a few seconds, Kai got notifications of a friend request. Accepting them, the previous empty slots were filled with five names.
"Once we get the reward, I'll send you a message!" Rathal said, rather energetic.
"Well, I might be asleep; I couldn't sleep well on the carriage." Kai said, stretching the back of his head.
'Or in a dungeon.'
"Really, the wagon was super comfortable; you should've ridden with us." Ramon said while yawning.
"Maybe I should have, haha. Well, I'll get going; take care, everyone."
After saying their goodbyes, Kai turned around, walking away from them.
Atar vanished as soon as Kai started talking to the Dream Walkers.
Walking down the street, many bright-colored signs caught Kai's eye. Unfortunately, looking through the windows, his attention was washed away.
"Miss me?" A cold voice came from behind Kai.
"Where were you, Atar?"
"I figured it was best if you weren't seen with me. If you were, your friends would get suspicious; after all, what could you be doing with a Vampire?"
"I guess that makes sense."
Walking side by side, Kai looked at the different kinds of races, all working toward the same goal, toward the same end.
"Anything catch your eye?" Atar asked, looking at Kai from the corner of his eye.
"No, not really; I don't plan on buying any clothes yet," Kai said, looking at the store next to him.
A sky blue, puffy dress was displayed behind a big window of the red brick building. The building was small, with only a single door and five stone stairs. A sign hung above the door; it had a blond-haired man with his arms around a brunette girl dancing.
" 'Meza's Magical Wardrobe' What could be magical about clothes?" Kai asked Atar with a puzzled look.
"You'd be surprised; some clothes are enchanted to repair when damaged. Others are enchanted, never to tear. You see, magic can be applied anywhere, not just in fighting."
"Clothes that can never tear? That would be nice."
Kai was half tempted to get himself some clothes but decided against it since he's still growing and had an evolution near. His body could grow three feet or not even an inch, Kai didn't know what would happen after his evolution, so it was best to play it safe.
"I doubt you could afford those clothes." Atar added, seeing Kai was tempted to go in.
"Really?"
"It's just the truth." Atar shrugged.
"Whatever, where's the nearest dungeon?"
Atar smirked, "We're almost there, actually. It's called The Flame Mountain Dungeon. I'll only tell you a little about it; think of this as a test. The dungeon is level 25-40; there are only three floors, and the first floor is full of Fire Lizards."
'A fire dungeon? This seems like the best place to get my fire magic!'
"How close?"
"Haha, look over there!"
Looking to where Atar pointed, Kai looked through a side road that led to a dead end. At the end was a group of people all wearing some type of gear, preparing themselves to head into the misty blue portal.
"Do you have something, like a cloak or robe, to hide your identity?"
"Yeah, but they can still {Inspect} me, so why does that matter?"
Atar gave Kai a full smile, showing him his fangs, "Do you think I would let someone discover you? Here take this."
Atar pulled out a shiny black card with a white question mark on it. It was the same size as a playing card.
With a hushed voice, Atar continued, "This is a relic; equip it, and you can change your identity with it, so if anyone uses {Inspect} they won't find you out."
Kai's surprise couldn't be contained, "Are you really giving me a relic?"
Kai had only heard a little bit of relics before; he never imagined he would get one.
"Yes, now hurry up!"
Taking the black card, a new system notification popped up.
{Equip 'Identity Theft Relic'?}
Clicking yes, another notification came up.
{Chose a new name}
{ }
Thinking for a few moments, Kai finally put in a new name.
{Rudra Nox}
'Now, if anyone uses {Inspect} instead of Kai Venator, they will see
{Rudra Nox}'