Inside the rustic tavern, a group of customers dressed in dark blue uniforms sat huddled around a wooden table, savoring their drinks. The establishment itself was a robust blend of stone and wood, its overall appearance rough yet dependable. Amidst the animated chatter and clinking of mugs, the atmosphere was brimming with life despite the relatively sparse crowd.
One of the patrons leaned in, taking a deep sip from his wooden cup before announcing, "Have you heard the news? Patrols found another cluster of those mummified folks nearby the city again…" As he spoke, his hand carelessly grabbed a half-naked woman who sat beside him. She could only bite her lip in humiliation.
Another man chimed in after finishing his cup of what seemed to be a potent alcohol. "Another group? Well, we can't be too surprised. We know next to nothing about the Bloodless, except that they're merciless killers who spare no one. It's been less than two weeks since we landed here, and we've already found more than 20 mummies. The chief even tried to cover it."
"Why's the chief so riled up about it, though?" wondered a third man as he lecherously looked at the trembling woman. "I mean, their existence gives us a reason to increase our 'protection fees,' right?"
"Think it through!" replied another patron. "The Bloodless are gaining power every day. What if they go berserk in town? It would be chaos, and we wouldn't be able to contain them. That's why the chief imposed the 'no-killing' rule and started sending out patrols to hunt down the Bloodless. There's a chance they're even among us right now. We should never have opened our gates to outsiders. Just imagining them farming us like sheep gives me shivers!"
"Oh, speaking of levels, what's your level?" asked the first one.
"I'm just about to hit level 5," one boasted.
"Same here," another declared.
"I've already reached level 5," a third proudly announced. They all offered congratulations before merrily toasting their achievements, little realizing that each harbored secret plots against the others.
As the group regaled each other with stories of their ruthless exploits inside stories, the woman at the table seized a moment to stealthily steal a piece of bread, slipping it into her tattered clothing. She then secretly escaped the tavern while every man was busy and fled into the night.
The moment she left the tavern, she ran with every ounce of strength she could muster. Her gaze flitted nervously over her shoulder, ensuring that none pursued her. In her haste, she collided headlong with a figure who stood as resolute as a stone wall in her path.
The man had a scar on his left eye with piercing emerald eyes. He was dressed in plain and tattered gray attire and carried a green backpack. Unbeknownst to her, she had just collided with the infamous "Bloodless" – Frederick.
Frederick studied her for a moment, recognizing her as the woman he'd seen in a mall during a previous encounter. During their last meeting, she had been accompanied by her husband and two children and lived in wealth and comfort. However, now her luxurious clothes were replaced by rags, and all her makeup, was replaced with filth.
Frederick's suspicions deepened. She'd lost more than just her money; her very happiness had been stripped away. Money was the ultimate power on Earth, and the moment she lost it, she would, of course, lose all happiness. He even speculated that she had resorted to selling herself for scraps of food, a sad and common plight in this cruel new world.
The woman saw Frederick's icy cold eyes and was so scared that she almost dropped her bread. In haste, she quickly secured her food before running away without even looking back.
Disregarding her as if she never even existed, Frederick resumed his march toward the town. He intended to embark on a side quest. In the past fourteen days, he had hunted relentlessly and was finally about to reach level 2. During this time, he had accumulated numerous authorities and, more importantly, gained not only experience points but some fighting experience.
All Frederick needed to pay was a bit of pain and a few trips in the time room.
Unfortunately, all the authorities he acquired were of lower rarity and were either unfit for him or carried troublesome curses. However, he still planned to forge some of them into items so he could use them without any curse.
Walking through the bustling crowd, Frederick couldn't resist the habit he had developed during his hunts. His keen eyes constantly scanned the people around him, searching for potential targets. However, he had no intention of causing any commotion in this city. The overwhelming number of guards would always react the instant you harmed someone. Frederick knew this from his own experience, having attempted multiple times to hunt inside the town and always being discovered and eliminated the moment he killed someone.
Frederick came to the conclusion that there must be a very powerful detection authority and quickly gave up on hunting here… at least for now.
As Frederick approached the "gate" that led to the side quests, he took a moment to survey the bustling town, which had grown into a tiny city in just a fortnight. The buildings had a slightly haphazard appearance, as each of them seemed to be constructed from a patchwork of materials. It was a strange sight, as the city was built under a modern architectural influence but with rustic materials. It was as if they had constructed the city with every material they could find, which was probably very close to the truth.
Soon Frederick reached one of the largest buildings in the city. Unlike the rest of the city, this building was absolutely majestic, made entirely of pure white marble. The most notable feature was the entrance, which seemed absurdly fancy for something that had been built in only 14 days.
Without much thought, Frederick entered the grand building. The interior was surprisingly modest, except for the fact that most walls gleamed with gold. However, while gold was a precious metal on Earth, it held little practical value here.
The moment Frederick entered the castle-like building, he found that there was a bustling crowd of candidates. Most of them were either discussing side quests or engrossed in their modern rifles, various types of guns, and even machetes. Numerous stands were scattered around, selling these modern weapons. It was a stark contrast to the classic medieval setting one might expect. Frederick also realized that firearms were the superior choice in this world. He had experienced numerous deaths at the hands of patrols armed with guns, sometimes unable to react before ending up in the time room.
Frederick wanted to buy one but promptly discarded this idea, as he would have to sign a contract promising never to harm anyone related to the city to be allowed to purchase one.
As Frederick looked around, a short man wearing a dark blue uniform quickly approached him. He wore a polite smile as he inquired, "Hello, sir. Is it your first time here? Our chief used his power to create this castle not long ago. It's the pride of our town… Ah, you must be here to use the gate, right?"
Frederick simply answered "yes" and patiently waited for an answer. However, he could detect a subtle scrutiny in the man's gaze, analyzing his attire and demeanor. Noticing Frederick's worn-out clothing, the man swiftly made an offer, saying, "Sir, we have a fee of only 60% of everything you obtain during your side quest. While it might seem high, it's crucial for the safety of the entire town. Thanks to our efforts, everyone here, including you and those precious to you, can sleep in peace without having to fear monsters like the infamous Bloodless."
With a sly, insincere smile, the man continued, "Furthermore, by paying this modest fee, you're not only helping the town but also the entirety of humanity to survive and prosper. We can even draw up the contract right away."
Frederick couldn't help but notice that this individual was trying to manipulate him by creating a sense of belonging before exploiting him.
Without altering his expression, the man calmly replied, "Actually, sir, you can also use authority orbs as payment. By paying 3 orbs, we won't ask any questions." His tone remained unchanged, as though he had no knowledge of the fact that each authority was acquired through the death of another human being.
This offer turned out to be a shrewd move. Since the town had only recently opened its gates to outsiders, its population consisted of at most a few thousand residents. Among them, there might be exceptional individuals. By accepting this form of payment, the town could avoid creating any enmity with these extraordinary people while still collecting authority from them.
Frederick swiftly took out exactly three authority orbs from his pockets that he had prepared in advance. He deliberately displayed the contents of his pockets to the man, ensuring that it appeared as if he had emptied them completely.
This seemingly clumsy gesture conveyed the message that he had very little value, discouraging any attempts to covet his possessions. Frederick wasn't foolish enough to carry all his authorities with him for this trip. Although his bag was still suspicious, he couldn't afford to show what was inside.
Frederick handed the chest over to the man, who took a brief look before nodding and offering a warm, "Thank you for your patronage." He then gestured for Frederick to follow him.
They proceeded through a strict security checkpoint, and as they navigated the fortress, they arrived at the central chamber. Within the expansive room lay a mysterious green cube adorned with inscriptions. Frederick had previously used such a cube to access the world of Ascendia.
However, they were not alone in the chamber. A gathering of guards was present, accompanied by a vast assortment of crates and materials. Some of the guards were busy relocating these items, while others were focused on checking the goods.
Unprompted, the man who had accompanied Frederick spoke with pride, "One of our executives has just completed their side quest and even received a green loot box along with these crates."
Frederick wasn't listening as he was utterly absorbed in the sight of the small green chest adorned with intricate ornaments. The presence of numerous guards surrounding it hinted at its value as if it were the most precious item in the world.
Observing that Frederick's attention was fixated on the chest, the man swiftly shifted the conversation. "This is a green loot box we just acquired from the side quest. Although the most common one, they're still quite rare to come by. If you're lucky, sir, you might stumble upon one yourself." He chuckled.
"But, anyhow, as far as I'm aware, it's similar to a loot box in a game that can contain an authority item. But most of the time, you'll only find an authority relic."
Frederick nodded and expressed his gratitude to the man for the information. It confirmed what Talia had previously told him about items and the information he gathered. Most people referred to these special objects as "authority items." Authority items are created by manipulating the essence of authority. However, there is another class of items known as "authority relics."
Unlike authority items, which were crafted using the essence of authority itself, an authority relic was solely a product of an authority's influence.
While both items and relics allowed the user to harness supernatural powers, items were highly sought after due to their virtually unlimited uses. In contrast, relics were limited in their application or duration and could only be used a set number of times before losing their effects.
Without any more delay, Frederick started to head toward the cube. Some of the guards only looked in the general direction of the man who had accompanied Frederick before letting Frederick near the gate.
"Good luck, sir," said the man as he started to head back toward the hall.
As Frederick reached out to touch the cube, he couldn't help but pause and take a deep breath. The instant his fingers touched the cube, his vision started to blur until he found himself in complete darkness.
Seeing that Frederick was about to be sent to an unknown realm, Frederick's face darkened. Since he was being sent somewhere else instead of Ascendia, it meant that authorities, experience points, or even entering time did affect the world he was going to be sent to. This also meant he couldn't simply predict which world he'd end up in and pre-forge the perfect authority in anticipation of his arrival.
Frederick's vision started to blur, a sign that he was about to be sent to the world of Dyrroth. 'Hopefully, this side quest won't be too difficult…'