Caleb arrived at the entrance of the town, eyes wide with awe; his actions drew the attention of the onlookers going in and out of the town.
Just like he had seen in countless works of art, the town was the very definition of a magical fantasy.
From the way the people carried themselves, the fresh breeze coming from the nearby fields, and the sound of carriages on the paved roads made the experience all the more impactful.
'I'm really in a different world,'
Caleb had to be honest, he had never felt so alive and free. The feeling of a new beginning uplifted his spirits to heights he had never felt before.
He took in everything as the system did its own thing in mapping his surroundings and naming all the things he couldn't identify.
[Appraisal] identified the names, ages, and other status information of the surrounding beings, but Caleb was not focused on that yet.
If there was one thing he had the most right now, then it would be time and the freedom to move at his own pace.
He owned no one and had no responsibilities to anybody.
'Life's good….'
He mused with a brilliant smile on his face.
However, to the people, Caleb's behaviour was that of a village bumpkin coming to the big city. But his clothing told a different story. What he wore was something professional adventures wore most of the time.
"Isn't that Caleb, the newbie adventurer who rose to fame quickly?"
"Really? Now that you mentioned it, it appears so. But something appears to be off about him."
"Yeah…"
An onlooker made an observation and the others nodded, but no one made an effort to approach him.
However, with Caleb's enhanced hearing, he heard every last word spoken by the onlookers. Surprisingly, he was called Caleb just as he was called back on Earth.
It was something he was grateful for.
'But something strange about myself? Is my behaviour different from the Caleb they knew?' he tilted his head in confusion.
'No matter, I'll eventually learn.'
Focusing on his HUD, he saw and noted the locations on his map that showed important places he could visit, like the guild, inns and shops of various kinds.
"Hey, mister."
Caleb was brought out of his immersive thoughts when he felt a tug on his coat. Turning his head around, he noticed a young boy holding onto his coat with curious eyes.
[Name: Alexander Shield]
[Age: 12 years]
[Occupation: Nil]
[….]
Caleb gazed at his info for a moment before asking, "Yes, how can I help you?"
He asked with a smile and bent to match the boy's height.
"Are you a walking dead?"
"Huh?" Caleb was surprised by the words the boy spoke. But it gave him a glimpse of what was in this world as well.
But before that…
"What makes you say that?"
He asked with raised brows, recalling what he heard from the onlookers previously. It meant there was something about him that made him appear so.
The boy stared at Caleb for several seconds, not sure why the person himself was not aware of his own presence.
"Well, you are devoid of any magical energy and only the undead show no signs of magical energy except the sinister one they give off.
"At the same time, you look nothing like what I've read in books."
When the boy finished, Caleb finally realized where the problem came from. Since the beginning, he felt no magical energy in his body.
And while it may have been due to the previous Caleb dying, with his transmigration, he should at least recover some magical energy.
Yet, he had no trace of magical energy except for the one that the system used in applying the genetic changes.
'So that's why I can sense and see energy spheres around everyone.'
He noted and gazed around again.
'System, do you have any idea why this is happening?' He inquired but the system remained quiet.
'Haa…. It seems it's something I have to find out myself.'
Looking at the kid and also noticing the surrounding people keeping an ear on their conversation, Caleb came up with something to cover his ass.
He smiled at the boy and said, "Well, A- kid, it's a special skill I acquired very recently. It helps me sneak up on monsters so they don't sense me coming."
He nearly used the kid's name but quickly caught himself. Hopefully, his white lie would keep the questioning stares to a low.
"Wow… That's so cool. Can you teach me?"
At least the kid bought it.
"Haha… No, kid. It's not something that can be taught." Caleb watched the boy's fallen expression and rubbed his shoulders to cheer him up.
"Don't worry about it, kid. Keep training and one day you might get lucky." Caleb proposed and the boy nodded before running off.
Calen stood up and faced the entrance, noticing how those who were subtly focusing on his chat with the boy turned away as if they were never interested in why he was strange.
'Let's get to the guild for some information. I also need money if I'm to find something to eat.'
A growl from his stomach reminded him of one of the reasons he was here. However, before he could step forward, he caught sight of one of the things on his to-do list.
A bright expression graced his features and Caleb turned to a beautiful elf with long blonde hair with ears typical of everything he had read and seen.
'There are definitely other races in this world. But literature doesn't do the elves justice.'
He noted just how outstandingly beautiful the elf was. Yet, many didn't even send a glance her way. It was as if they were used to seeing them.
"Is there something on my face, human?" The elf noticed his obvious gaze and questioned with a glare.
"Huh? Oh, I apologize for my rude behaviour." Caleb apologized with a smile and then introduced himself. "My name is Caleb. Caleb Zane."
The elf narrowed her eyes at Caleb and caught how he had a presence.
'Strange.'
The phenomenon caught her attention and piqued her interest. There was only one thing to do if she wanted to find out about this strange man.
"My name is Lara Lunaris."
She replied bringing her right hand forward for a handshake.