"I think I see a town over there!" Lucas exclaimed as he increased his speed.
Lucas had dirt covering his clothes and body, and while wanting to bathe in hot water, he also wanted to rest in an actual bed.
The small town became bigger the closer they got, and they arrived at the outskirts of the town. Houses lined the streets with only a few stores and businesses with their own buildings. There were wooden stands selling fresh, juicy fruits and cooked meat that smelled heavenly to Lucas. There was 1 stand every few metres and only around 10 stands in total from what Lucas could see.
In the inner part of the town, Lucas could see one mansion that looked even more luxurious than the one he used to live in. It was huge and coloured white with gold outlines appearing on windows and the edges of the mansion. Lucas would have to come closer to see more details.
"We'll stay here for a bit and restock on our food and essentials before moving out once more." Seth said as he gestured Lucas to follow him.
Lucas became elated after hearing that one sentence, 'Yes! I was worried he would just skip over this town.'
As they walked through the crowded streets, Lucas noticed that there everyone he saw was a cultivator that had only 1 trace, excluding the kids.
"Why does everyone here only have 1 trace, except the kids?", he asked when they weren't near anyone else.
"Well, it's quite simple really. Everyone absorbs a trace naturally when they become 14 years old."
"Then why don't they start cultivating?"
"They're not aware of the trace, because they gained it naturally, no change to their body or any pain could be felt, that'll change once we get to the Central Zone, as the random people walking down the roads are mostly Rank 3."
'I guess this is one advantage of having a teacher, you can ask them about anything you're unsure of or need guidance on.'
Lucas and Seth arrived at a large building made of wood, the sign adorned on top of the entrance said "Chester's Inn".
Walking through the double doors, they were met with a nice aroma that seemed to calm Lucas' mind. The warmth inside was the perfect temperature and a few people could be seen eating food on the many tables and chairs.
They walked up to the receptionist standing behind a clean counter that was the height of Lucas. He was still in a 9 year old body, so he wasn't that tall.
"Welcome to Chester's Inn, what can we do for you?"
"We'd like 2 single rooms."
The receptionist looked at Lucas who's hair was just barely over the counter.
"Are you sure sir? We have double rooms available."
"Thank you, but I'll still take the 2 single rooms."
The receptionist nodded and placed 2 keys on the counter.
"It'll be 2 gold per night."
Seth nodded and handed 10 pieces of gold over, enough for 5 nights. He grabbed the keys and went towards the stairs with Lucas following along.
The stairs didn't make any creaking noise and seemed quite stable with big steps. Seth and Lucas' room was on the 2nd floor, so they reached their rooms in no time. Seth handed one of the keys to Lucas and said this to him before going into his own room, "You can do anything you want for the next few nights, but don't do anything too crazy. I don't want you involved in anything that'll give both of us any unwanted attention."
'What is he so worried about? All I'll do is go out to explore this town. I'm really curious as to how people live here.'
Lucas was very sheltered in his own family, giving him no knowledge about the 'commoners'. He could've probably lived a good life if he didn't become a cultivator. He would be considered a leech of the family, but Lucas didn't care.
'I'd still choose cultivation over a good life any day. Wielding powers sounds like so much fun.'
With that thought, Lucas started meditating, he would require a few more days to reach Stage 2 of Rank 2, but Lucas had time. He had also nearly fully memorised Time Reflection, so he would be able to test it out soon, Lucas was a bit worried about the backlash of the shield breaking, after all, it would leave him near death.
'It's fine, all I have to do is fill the shield with energy until it matches my standard.'
Lucas continued to cultivate throughout the night, only taking a rest every few hours to get rid of some of his drowsiness.