Xavier, Lisa, and Elvie stepped into a luxurious, grand inn. The walls were adorned with elegant ornaments, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers native to the eastern kingdom, creating a calming yet refined atmosphere.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. How may I assist you?" the inn's receptionist greeted them with a warm smile.
Lisa gracefully approached the reception desk, her face adorned with a gentle smile. "Are there any rooms available?" she asked softly.
"Of course, ma'am," the receptionist replied respectfully.
"Very well, then. Please prepare two of your best rooms," Lisa requested, glancing briefly at Xavier, who appeared tired.
"How long will you be staying, ma'am?" the receptionist inquired politely.
"I'm not sure yet," Lisa responded softly, casting a glance at Elvie.
"Alright, ma'am. For the registration, would you prefer to use a Traveler Visa or an Artpass?" the receptionist asked, holding a device ready.
"Artpass," Lisa answered simply.
The receptionist produced a white tablet, a device similar to the one Xavier had seen at the entry gate earlier.
"That mysterious tablet again," Xavier thought to himself, still finding the technology in this new world puzzling.
"Ma'am, please provide a drop of your blood," the receptionist requested politely.
Lisa nodded slightly and allowed a drop of blood to fall onto the white tablet. "Alright," she said calmly.
"Thank you, ma'am. One more step—please place your Artpass near the device," the receptionist instructed.
Lisa held her Artpass close to the tablet. Immediately, a blue light appeared, displaying her personal details.
"Blood and Artpass compatibility: 100%. Registration complete. Apologies, ma'am, if the process was uncomfortable," the receptionist said with a courteous smile.
"It's no trouble. Blood verification is necessary to ensure the authenticity of the Artpass and to prevent theft," Lisa said calmly.
Xavier watched, captivated by the process, his curiosity piqued. "Amazing technology. I need to ask more about these tablets," he thought.
"For each room, it's 200 Gloveria per night. You've reserved two Royal Suites, making the total 400 Gloveria," the receptionist said with a friendly smile.
"That's fine," Lisa responded without hesitation.
"Would you like to pay in cash or with your Artpass?" the receptionist asked again.
"Artpass," Lisa said decisively.
"Alright, ma'am. Please place your Artpass near the device once more."
Lisa complied, holding her Artpass up again and saying, "Payment."
The white tablet emitted a soft golden light. "Thank you, ma'am. Payment confirmed. Here are your room keys. Have a pleasant stay," the receptionist said, bowing respectfully as she handed over two golden keys.
Xavier, standing behind them, couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Lady Lisa, what was that? You paid for the rooms with your Artpass?" he asked in wonder.
Lisa smiled gently. "I've already mentioned it—Artpass is everything in this world. I guess I forgot to explain the details."
Lisa then pulled out a small gold coin from her pouch. "The currency in this world is called Gloveria. You can carry it in physical form like this," she said, showing him the gold coin, which had the image of a world map engraved in the center.
"But if you don't want to carry physical money, you can convert it and store it in your Artpass. Your Artpass has to be registered with the Royal Bank, or you can do the conversion at the Ghoul Hunter Guild," Lisa added, still with her graceful smile.
Xavier's eyes widened. "Incredible. This world is almost like mine. I thought there wouldn't be any cashless payment systems here. But it turns out, the Artpass is like an e-wallet, just like smartphones in my world."
"Well, Lady Lisa, I understand that part now, but what exactly is the Ghoul Hunter Guild?" Xavier asked, puzzled.
"That's where all the Ghoul Hunters gather," Lisa replied calmly.
"Ghoul Hunters?"
"Yes, Ghoul Hunters are adventurers with licenses to enter the Hollow Grim area. You already know how important Chrona is in this world."
"Yes, Lady, you've explained that before," Xavier nodded.
"Since Chrona is essential for survival, people in this world must venture into Hollow Grim to hunt Ghouls."
"This world consists of four regions: West, East, South, and North. Each region has three kingdoms, making a total of 12 kingdoms across the land."
"So, there are 12 kingdoms in this world?" Xavier muttered, processing this new information.
"Each region is bordered and surrounded by the Hollow Grim. As a result, every kingdom wages war to control access to the Hollow Grim."
"I see, they're fighting over the resources in the Ghoul-infested area, where Chrona is harvested," Xavier said, now understanding the situation better.
"Exactly, Xavier. That's why the neutral Ghoul Hunter Guild was established. In every kingdom, Ghoul Hunters are allowed to either cooperate or kill each other while gathering Chrona in the Hollow Grim," Lisa explained.
"If they can work together, that seems fair enough to me, but why kill each other?" Xavier asked, still confused.
"The wars between kingdoms are the reason. The kingdom that controls the Hollow Grim will always prioritize its own Ghoul Hunters over others. That's why there's constant conflict and competition within the Hollow Grim," Lisa said.
Xavier was taken aback by Lisa's explanation.
With limited resources and 12 kingdoms, Chrona is highly coveted. Each kingdom will support its Ghoul Hunters, giving them an advantage in the Hollow Grim, leading to deadly clashes among them," Xavier said with a heavy tone.
Lisa chuckled lightly. "You catch on quickly."
"Damn it, I'm not just dealing with Reinkarnators chosen by the gods, but also political wars between kingdoms over the Hollow Grim," Xavier muttered under his breath.
Although Xavier was rather naïve, his habit of reading history, mythology, politics, and fantasy books allowed him to think quickly. From what Lisa had explained, he deduced that the Reinkarnators would likely try to seize control of every kingdom to dominate the Hollow Grim.
"Lady Lisa, are you training me to become a Ghoul Hunter?" Xavier asked, lowering his gaze.
"Of course, Xavier. It's the only way for you to survive in this world."
With a serious look, Xavier turned to Lisa.
"Are you also a Ghoul Hunter, Lady Lisa?"
Lisa merely smiled and said, "I'm a little different from Ghoul Hunters, but you could say I'm something like that."
"Huh? What do you mean, Lady? I don't understand."
"Don't worry about it, Xavier," Lisa said with a light laugh.
"What do I need to do to become a Ghoul Hunter, Lady Lisa?"
"You need to pass the selection exam to earn a Ghoul Hunter license. Without a license, no one is allowed to enter the Hollow Grim. The Ghoul Hunter Guild is neutral, so they exist in every kingdom. You can take the exam when the time comes."
"When is the next selection exam, Lady?"
"Next year. I will train you until then so you can be ready for it," Lisa said with a serious expression.
Xavier's face grew more determined. With the new information at hand, his eyes reflected a stronger resolve.