The old man chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Well, well, well," he said, extending a hand towards Noah. "I'm Brandon Joy, but you can call me BJ."
Noah hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond. The name "BJ" sounded rather suggestive, and he couldn't help but stare.
Brandon seemed to sense his discomfort. "Don't worry, kid," he said with a wink. "It's just a nickname. My real name is actually quite boring, so I prefer BJ."
Noah shook his hand, trying to ignore the heat rising in his cheeks. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Joy," he said politely.
Brandon grinned. "Mr. Joy? Nah, that's too formal. Just call me BJ, or Brandon, whichever you prefer."
They stood there for a moment, an awkward silence settling between them. Noah wasn't sure what to say, and Brandon seemed content to simply observe him.
Finally, Brandon cleared his throat and pointed to the banner in his hand. It read, in large, bold letters, Welcome, Noah Walker!
With a flick of his wrist, the name on the banner changed. It now read, Welcome, Luna Lancaster!
Noah's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you do that?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.
"I didn't see you use any mana or anything."
Brandon shrugged casually. "It's just a little talent I have," he said.
"Tier 1, nothing special. I can change names."
The answer was vague, almost like describing a useless talent. But Noah was sure that wasn't the case.
He had read every detail about Zenith and knew that to become a guide, one had to have successfully challenged at least two ascension challenges and had to be above Tier 15.
Tier 15 Runners were almost immortal, with a hundred-thousand-year life expectancy. In their dimension, out of nine hundred billion humans, only ten million Runners reached this tier.
All of them had earth-shaking talents and they were qualified to rule a city. His previous city lord was a Tier 15 Runner.
Noah looked closely at the seemingly friendly Brandon. He remembered Master Evlin's words about Runners.
'Like mana, silent but always present.'
'No wonder I'm not sensing anything from him…'
Noah felt his heart pounding. The being he was casually chatting with could obliterate him with a thought.
His posture changed, straightening with respect, all traces of previous casualness gone.
Brandon glanced at him, a smile playing on his lips. Then it disappeared, replaced by his previous friendly and talkative self.
They waited for another five minutes, and then a figure appeared in the distance.
It was a woman, tall and slender, with long silver hair that flowed down her back like a waterfall. Her eyes were a deep brown, and her face was etched with a look of quiet determination.
As she approached, Noah couldn't help but be struck by her beauty. She was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Brandon stepped forward and greeted her with the same smile Noah had seen before. "Aye, I expected a thorn to come, never expected the flower will come in person instead."
Noah cringed. Perhaps this old man was a fake guide. That's it, Noah thought, nodding his head.
After a basic introduction, Noah and Luna followed behind BJ, watching groups of young men and women queuing behind guides like them.
However, unlike their group of three, most guides had at least ten people under their supervision.
Brandon had said it was because he was a picky guide who only chose cuties, but Noah just scoffed.
There must be something the two of them had in common, he thought, secretly peeking at Luna to see that she was also looking at him with a troubled expression.
"Ahem."
Both of them instantly turned away, blushing.
Brandon led them out of the space station and into the bustling city beyond.
They walked for a few minutes until they reached a large, open-air parking lot.
In the center of the parking lot, Noah saw a strange sight: a tricycle with three seats.
Surrounded by modern vehicles, an old, almost rusted tricycle was certainly a strange sight.
Alarm bells rang in his ears as Brandon, with a cheeky grin, announced what he feared most.
"Ta-da! This is our ride. How is it?"
* *
Noah felt lucky to be riding a tricycle rather than taking a car. Because of that he got a chance to enjoy the views of this futuristic city.
Despite finding it difficult to pedal at first, he quickly adjusted. With Brandon and Luna pedaling, the journey was easy.
Brandon guided them through Victoria, the main city in Zenith, introducing important places.
"This city is the accommodation point for sponsored runners like you," Brandon explained.
"If you want to use the dungeons, you first have to register at Zenith Palace. For the two of you, the identification is already registered; you can get your IDs from Runners Hall."
Brandon was serious when it came to important matters. He explained every basic thing they had to follow in the city.
After they received their IDs and smartwatches, Brandon led them to their accommodation.
It was a two-story building with one floor for each of them. After dropping them off, Brandon left, leaving Noah and Luna facing each other at the doorstep to their new home.
"Hello, we are neighbors," Noah said, awkwardly smiling at Luna, who just nodded in response.
Tired after the long journey and city tour, they entered their respective rooms to rest.
Noah chose the first floor and was shocked upon entering.
The hall was bigger than Aunt Mira's inn, with a soft couch and a television in one corner. The kitchen and dining area were on the right, while a master bedroom connected to a training hall was on the left.
Steamy food was already prepared on the table, and Noah's stomach growled in appreciation.
After eating, he decided to rest before making any plans.
Meanwhile, Brandon reached a two-story building in the heart of the city. He walked towards a table where a man in his thirties sat drinking wine.
"So, how is it?" the man asked, sipping his wine.
Brandon tapped his fingers on the table, his easygoing expression replaced by deep contemplation. "I have a feeling that these two will be different…" he replied.
"Oh?" the man straightened slightly. "For Everchanging Zenith to say this, I wonder what's so special about these two kids.
Or rather the two impossible's"