Huntington City.
It was the capital of the Arcadia Empire, where the Archeon Academy was located. It was divided into three regions.
The Outer District, Inner Area, and Core Region, where the Imperial Palace was located along with the nobles' residences.
The damned city was actually comparable to small neighboring kingdoms.
After dealing with the Foxy dealer, I entered the Inner Zone and reached the teleportation gates.
I showed the officers my identity, who were guarding the gates.
The security was quite tight; after all, this was a place where there couldn't be a vulnerability.
"Ho… You are a student of Archeon Academy, huh?" The officer asked gently.
After I gave a brief nod, he asked me about the destination.
"The Demon Continent."
"Uh..." He paused, giving a slight look.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, it would be 2,000 Crypts."
'That's huge!'I lampooned.
If you compare it to the currency of my world, where you get 1kg apple for 100, here you can get the same in 10 crypts.
Nodding, I handed in the fees immediately. It was costly because the Demon Continent was at the other end of the world.
"You may proceed, young hunter. Safe travels." With a respectful bow, he made way for me as I walked toward the gates and set the coordination.
I paid the transfer fee and walked toward the huge bluish vortex swirling around as if wanting to suck anything that came close by.
Taking deep breaths while anticipating the trauma soon to hit me, with a brief sigh, I stepped in.
...
The Demons were neither foes nor friends in the game. It wholly depended on your choices.
Racial crises and brief differences existed.
Unlike other tropes, humans were the ones to invade the Demons here, which was followed by the Demons beating the shit out of humans, beginning the world war. The war went on for ages and finally stopped due to two circumstances.
First was the appearance of the Death Hunter, also called the Bane of Demons, who tilted the scale of the war, and second was the appearance of Wraiths and Spectres from the abyss that suddenly changed world laws, due to which dungeon gates began to appear.
This caused them to set aside their differences and join hands against the foe that threatened to consume the world.
Clearing my thoughts, I entered the dunge... I meant the portal.
The moment I stepped outside it, my view of the world became blurred.
I staggered, and my head was assaulted with a headache followed by the churning of my guts. Refusing to show weakness, I gritted my teeth and squinted my eyes to observe the sight before me.
What greeted me was gray ash surrounding groups of unsightly beings with all kinds of stature.
Among them, some humans were inquiring about the interests of other people.
My dizziness slowly disappeared, but what came next to greet me was suffocation. A burning sensation rose above my chest.
It was due to the concentrated mana density. The mana here was many times higher than in the human world, but that didn't mean it was good.
The mana of the Demon Land had been tainted with dark elements, turning into darkish mana that affected other beings, so the body automatically filtered it during intake, but this lessened mana recovery.
"Sir, do you want Mana Filters?"
A humanoid man with a horn over his head greeted me with a smile while holding a stick hung with bracelets.
The bracelets acted as purifiers, so people near the gates sold them with the permission of others.
It was useful, but...
"Sorry, I am not someone new here. I have already adapted to it."
"Huh! But Sir, your body doesn't look like it's adapted..."
He tried to sell it forcefully, and I tried to avoid it.
"What are you all doing? Quickly move away from the gate. Make way for others!"
A harsh voice drew my attention, and I saw a Minotaur holding an axe, wearing a uniform, and glaring at us.
This felt too weird in real life.
Giving a bow, I ran away while a few sellers tried to force things.
"Sir, here, take this pill. It will make you go berserk and double your stamina."
"Sir, do you want a Demon beauty to accompany you and guide you through the place? We have plenty..."
"..."
"..."
I don't understand why I encounter street hawkers and crawlers selling similar things but under different names.
...
Through the dusty, dimly lit streets of the Demon Continent, I made my way to the nearest inn. I entered The Twilight Horn.
It was a popular place for travelers and adventurers, despite its slightly ominous exterior. The inn had a dark, gothic aesthetic, with carved demonic faces on its wooden beams and flickering, enchanted blue flames lighting the entrance. I pushed the creaky doors open and entered.
Behind the reception desk stood a demon with red skin and sharp horns spiraling out of his forehead. His amber eyes glowed faintly as he looked up, giving a polite but toothy grin.
"Welcome to The Twilight Horn," he said in a smooth, deep voice, inclining his head. "Do you seek a room for the night, traveler?"
"Yes," I replied, pulling out a handful of Crypts. "Something private and quiet, if you have it."
The demon nodded, clicking his claws thoughtfully against the desk. "Of course. We have a single luxury room available on the third floor. With a 24-hour hot water supply, a room installed with mana filters, and some special massage services. 200 Crypts per night, with meals included."
I nodded, counted the coins, and handed them over," No need for a massage."
"As you wish," He answered, retrieving a key from a hook. I watched as a group of demon waiters moved through the main hall, serving goblets of glowing drinks to a few patrons seated at tables.
Some of the waiters had serpentine scales across their arms, while others had bat-like wings folded neatly on their backs.
'The details feel unreal compared to game time despite the game's insane graphics.'
"Enjoy your stay," the demon receptionist said, passing me the room key with a subtle bow. "Should you require anything, just call, and one of our staff will assist you."
With a nod of thanks, I made my way up the creaky stairs to my room. The inn was quieter than I expected, the muffled sounds of distant conversations the only backdrop as I climbed.
...…..
Inside the room, the decor maintained the gothic feel, with dark walls, a single window shrouded in heavy drapes, and a sturdy wooden table at the center. I carefully set my belongings down, then reached into my pack and took out the egg-shaped stone I had brought along. Placing it on the table, I took a deep breath.
"Let's start forking out the hardened rock."
With trembling hands, I drew out a small dagger and placed it against the rough outer surface. Holding another dagger in my other hand, I began tapping softly, applying just enough pressure to crack the hardened shell without damaging what was within. I worked meticulously, chipping away the stone layer by layer. Each small fissure revealed a hint of the white surface hidden inside.
After what felt like an eternity, a small section of the white shell became exposed. My heart raced with anticipation, my hands slick with sweat as I continued the careful work.
A small mistake might result in a disaster later.
"Haaaah!" I exhaled as I finally peeled away the last of the rock. My fingers were trembling slightly from both the effort and the tension, beads of sweat trickling down my forehead.
"In the game, this was so much easier. I didn't have to worry about breaking anything important…" I murmured to myself, looking at the exposed shell in relief. "But here, one wrong move could damage it, and I can't afford that."
I wrapped the egg in a cloth and placed it gently in my pack, taking a deep breath to calm myself. This task was more than just physically draining.
Wiping off the sweat, I took the dagger and cut my palm to create a small gash. As a stinging sensation spread, I put my palm on the bloom and let my blood flow through it.
At first, it was normal, but soon, the blood sliding across the shell started to disappear.
"The thing inside is still alive, and it's working... Wait..."
I paused as I saw it frantically sucking my blood greedily. I tried to pull my palm back, but then a current passed through my body.
"Damn! Just how much blood does it take? In the game, it took a few drops. Or was it because it was a game, so it was less..."
My heartbeat elated as it was sucking me crazy to the point of draining me completely. Thankfully, it stopped.
As I drove back my hand, I quickly stepped back but stumbled, and my vision went black.
BANG!
"Did this just sucked me dry?"
"SHIT!"