Kai's breath caught as he looked around, there was a huge circular square around the Tower of the Source. There were crowds of people walking around it, Kai had never seen so many people in one place, it seemed like there were thousands of them. Around the circle and opposite the tower were large monumental buildings, each with unique features.
As they looked at them, they noticed that each of them had names written on them in large hieroglyphics. Basically all the buildings here were administrative buildings, but their magnitude was also astounding.
- Food Bureau! Look Brother Kai! - Suddenly shouted a fat man pointing his finger at a building.
Translating his gaze, Kai saw a very large square building with a round domed roof, and at its entrance were large columns, it was even incomprehensible how such enormous buildings were carved out of stone. It seemed as if they had been hewn right out of some rock. Above the entrance was a huge inscription made of stone "Food Bureau". It could be seen that there was a constant flow of people at the entrance to the building. There seemed to be hundreds of people going in and out at the same time without stopping.
- Well done Diso, with all this scale I forgot why we're here. - Let's go take a look. Coming to his senses said Kai.
When they got to the building, they saw that there was a big queue. They quietly took their place and waited. Various conversations could be heard, from which they realized that many people were standing here to be paid for their mission.
Eavesdropping on the conversations Kai understood a little about the algorithm of getting and completing missions.
First, one had to go to the Quest Hall, and choose a mission. It seemed that an energy array was also superimposed on the mission scroll, and when the mission was completed, the scroll would change its color to blue, confirming the end of the mission. You could then go to the Food Bureau and exchange it for a reward. It was quite a convenient system.
If your mission was to hunt a beast, for example, the mission would only end when you handed over the carcass of the beast at the entrance to the city. Then you would get a portion of the prey, such as some fur or bones, and a reward for completion. Thus, eighty percent of the loot in the Endless Wasteland was given to the Border Beast City. And it was impossible to try to sneak the goods or sell them elsewhere, as the only way out of the Wasteland was through the city. But the Shadow Sect wasn't so ruthless, so they paid extra for the tasks, so everyone was still on the plus side. You could get energy stones as a reward and buy what you needed. Otherwise, you would have to wait a long and tedious time for someone who would be willing to trade your beast carcass for the material you needed.
Listening to the masters around him, Kai realized another fundamental thing that Frontier City was built on. A master who came to serve here could not leave the city without permission. No one forced you to do missions and work, but you had to survive in the city. This system stimulated the entire economy of the city.
The richer and stronger masters, having accumulated enough wealth, could not even leave the city. On the contrary, they would begin to utilize the resources of the Tower of the Source and the various cultivation zones. You couldn't get access to such things in other places, so many masters came to serve in Border City, they wanted to try their luck and get a chance to develop under better conditions!
This was one of the reasons why different alliances of masters were created. This way, they could alternate mission sorties and get time and money to cultivate. While others worked, you cultivated, and then vice versa, while you worked, your companions cultivated. But not all alliances were so kind....
Some strong ones simply exploited the weak ones, they would sometimes even see some masters leaving the Food Bureau with a sad face, giving most of what they earned to their alliance 'partners'. It seemed that the city encouraged competition and the law of the jungle, but so far it did not cross the line of the laws established here. Open robbery and breaking agreements was strictly forbidden!
- Diso, be very careful, don't talk to anyone, and don't agree to anything... As long as you keep your mouth shut, they can't do anything to you. But if you say something or argue about something... Believe me, it's gonna get ugly. - Observing the situation, Kai said.
- Listen to your friend, he's talking, you see those poor people who give away almost all their earnings when they leave the bureau? They all fell for the alliance that calls itself "Blood Commonwealth"... They're just arrogant newbies who've bet themselves into slavery for a few years, or just didn't read carefully... - Saying that, the guy quickly stopped talking and pretended not to say anything, and quickly started to move forward in the next line. He seemed to notice that someone was watching him talk a lot.
"Hmm, Blood Commonwealth means... They seem to be dangerous guys, although it's forbidden to forcefully induce other masters to bet, but I guess if you try hard enough, anyone can be led into a trap or left with no other choice..." - Thought about what Kai said.
- Fatty, for now you're nim and blind, we'll get you a trading post and you'll only open your mouth to close good deals. Do you understand me? - Seriously asked Kai.
- Of course Brother Kai, I'm not an idiot. It seems we underestimated the danger of this city... - They were beginning to realize that there were many pitfalls and hidden dangers in this place. that they needed to be prepared for.
After an hour they finally arrived at the registration window, there were dozens of them, and there was a long line at each one. At each of the windows sat an employee who served the requests of the visitors.
- Hello, we are new masters who have joined the service. We were told to come to you after registering and that the details would also be learned from you. - Calmly said Kai and placed two plates on the table.
- Good afternoon, young masters! Actually, all you need from me is to get your uniforms. And also the keys to your own rooms. - After inspecting them from head to toe, the employee said:
- "Wait a second! - And went off somewhere with the signs.
A few minutes later he returned with two sets of clothes and signs.
- Here are your sets of uniforms. I've already linked them to your identification plates, now they will automatically display your rank. At the moment, you are automatically assigned the lowest, fifth rank. You will be staying in military dormitory number two hundred and seventy on the western edge of the city. - The employee spoke non-stop, as per the regulations, it seemed that he repeated such words more than a hundred times.
- Your rooms are already reserved in the dormitory, the manager will tell you their exact location. The key to the room is your nameplate, now it has an additional energy array. It is activated only with your energy, the imprint of which we received with your blood when you registered at the entrance to the city. Each wizard has their own unique energy, so you don't have to worry about anyone breaking into your room. - It seemed like the employee already knew all the possible questions, and in the process of explaining, immediately gave the most detailed picture possible so that he didn't have to rant for long.
- Lastly, there was a one-time payment on the occasion of going on duty, ten stones of energy. Keep in mind that the rent of the dormitory costs three stones a month, so I advise you to use them wisely, or you may find yourself on the street in the near future. Well... - After a pause, the employee solemnly continued.
- Welcome to the Border City of the Beast, and good luck with your service! - With a smile, the employee placed the two pouches on the counter and nodded, bidding them a good-natured farewell.
Kai quickly took the two purses and placed them in his spatial ring in a discreet motion.
- Brother Diso, until we get a trading post, I'll have your stones, and in any unclear case, just play along with me. If we do everything nicely and according to my plan, we'll have a much better start than the others, but if something goes wrong... It'll be very bad for us... - Kai couldn't stop reminding the fat man of that.
He had no bias towards the fat man. It was just that as a young master, Diso had been living a rather funky and uninhibited life his whole life. Kai was worried that he wouldn't fall into a trap because of his carelessness. Even though Kai was always teasing Diso, he really considered him his friend, and couldn't let him get into trouble.
- I understand you, I'll be quieter than water and lower than grass brother Kai! - Realizing his seriousness Diso nodded once more and they started to move towards the exit of the Food Bureau.