Leonard continued asking Ling, the receptionist at the inn inside the tower. Ling mentioned he was from a higher floor and had just come down for a rest before returning to the highest floor he had reached. Furthermore, Ling was a Player with the Warrior Class at the Grandmaster Rank.
Unable to help himself, Leonard was amazed by the tower's nature and decided to learn more. Ling seemed okay with the questions since he was used to newbies asking him things.
The towers around the world were the same, connected through floors with different entrances scattered inside the tower, mirroring the outside world's locations. However, despite the similarities, the floors inside the towers were only half the original size of the outside world. Even though they were only half, they were still vast and had different features to offer.
Taking the opportunity, Leonard asked more about being a Player. Since there was still more to learn, he jumped at the chance to ask questions that would benefit him.
"There are six ranks for Players: Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Master, Grandmaster, and Superior Grandmaster," Ling stated, with Leonard feeling a slight click of excitement deep within.
'My rank is Superior Grandmaster… What would be its difference with just being a summoner?' Leonard pondered.
"What's with these ranks? How do they matter?" he asked, slowly getting more excited about the system.
"You don't really hide that you're a newbie. But anyway, even though classes are the same as one another, ranks matter. They define your potential, even if it's with the weakest class, the Summoner Class. Having a Grandmaster Rank would typically mean you're already powerful despite being in one of the weakest classes," Ling smiled as he spoke. "But that's impossible. No one has attained such a rank in the Summoner Class."
Zeus didn't join the conversation. He remained listening until they were finally given a room for one person since Zeus wouldn't be joining Leonard here for the rest of the night. Although the receptionist didn't believe that Zeus would leave, he still allowed him to enter the room.
'Basically, I wasn't unlucky,' Leonard thought as he let himself fall onto the mattress of his bed. He peeked at Zeus, who seemed uninterested despite the earlier topic.
"What are you thinking?" Leonard wondered if something was bothering Zeus.
Zeus shook his head. "Don't summon me for a day or two unless you really need to. I'll visit our archive and see what I can learn about this world. There's something I haven't checked."
As he sounded serious, Leonard couldn't help but be bothered by it. "And what is it?"
Zeus sighed. "Remember that mortal down at the reception? He said he saw someone similar to me. My attire is alien to this world; no one else has the same style."
"So?" Leonard was confused by Zeus's point.
"Someone on the fifth floor must be from Olympus or our realm. Which basically means I'm not the only god summoned in this world," Zeus said.
Leonard pondered this in silence for a few seconds after Zeus mentioned it. It was possible, but he couldn't see why he should be concerned. In reality, Leonard thought Zeus should be excited about it.
"You don't see my point," Zeus said, shaking his head in disappointment. "I'm not on good terms with all the gods and goddesses. They could harm you the moment they learn you're my Summoner."
Seeing the worry in Zeus's eyes, like that of a father, Leonard couldn't help but snort. 'Why would Zeus even have eyes like that?' he thought, doubting the possibility of Zeus being so thoughtful.
Leonard wasn't worried, not even slightly. Even if there was a significant possibility that other gods had been summoned to this world, he didn't feel troubled. They wouldn't discover Zeus as his summon as long as he didn't reveal himself.
Moreover, even though Leonard didn't want to make enemies, it was normal for some people to be hostile toward him. It was part of the challenge of life—not everyone could be pleased.
"You sound like a father. My fathers weren't even like how you sound right now," Leonard said with short chuckles, mocking Zeus.
Zeus furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes at Leonard before disappearing in a flash of electricity. Dumbfounded by Zeus's reaction, Leonard only shrugged and decided to rest for the day.
The next morning...
[Exploration Mission: Get a World Map and explore at least 0.005% of the world.]
[Rewards: A – Rank Summoning Scroll.]
[Duration: 86 days]
Leonard explored the town inside the tower, selling the previous day's hunt to replenish his funds. He spent the rest of the day window shopping, planning what he needed to buy to support his journey.
With no better option for body protection, he decided to purchase leather armor. As he wandered around the town, he discovered more than just the essentials that hunters needed to survive. There were potions! Their existence in this world added another layer to the fantasy trope he was living in.
"Magic potion..."
"Strengthening potion..."
"Wisdom potion..." Leonard pondered the possibilities.
'Isn't wisdom something within the brain? How could that be easily increased with just a potion, even if it's temporary?'
There were even more items on display at a stall just outside an apothecary. Each of the
"Hey, kid. Are you buying or not?"
Snapped out of his daze by the seller's question, Leonard eyed the strengthening potion and inquired about the prices.
"All potions, 1,000 Zack Currency. The magic scrolls are 2,000."
Leonard checked his remaining money—3,800 Zack Currency.
"What are magic scrolls?" Leonard asked.
"Magic scrolls are items for casting spells, even if you're not a mage or a Player. They can only be used once."
Hearing this, Leonard's interest piqued. He considered the possibility of equipping himself with magic scrolls.
'There might be times when Zeus isn't in the mood to be summoned, like yesterday when he wanted to take a day off. I respect that, so... I need these.'
However, his remaining concern was his limited funds.
'I need to earn more.'
"Are there ranks for magic scrolls too?"
"Yes. They're ranked from F to A. If the creator is an expert, even an S-Rank is possible."
Leonard's eyes sparkled with excitement. After asking more about the magic scrolls and their powers, he eventually spent his money down to 1,000, purchasing a Strengthening Potion and a Fire Explosive Magic scroll at a discount.
PassingNote: Let's have a trade.
For every 50 power stones, I will provide a bonus chapter. After chapter 15, the novel will be updated twice a day.