[

  Mana Tempest has reached Level 107

  Mana Tempest has reached Level 108

  Mana Tempest has reached Level 109

  Rapid Infusion has reached Level 5

  Rapid Infusion has reached Level 6

  Colorful Destruction has reached Level 4

  Colorful Destruction has reached Level 5

  Colorful Destruction has reached Level 6

  Barrier armor has reached 3rd Level 1

  15 Free attribute points

  ]

  Life, young man, is suffering. Lev sagely thought to himself. His arms still ached horribly, and the armor dented at his arms and chest were more than a little annoying.

  It was slowly fixing itself though, which was a blessing he hadn't expected. Previously, his mentor fixed it in a few minutes.

  The free attributes all went into Wisdom. He was considering changing up his distribution plan already. Mana and Constitution were always the limiting factors for him.

  How long was I out? he wondered as he summoned his barrier armor on top of the illusion armor and climbed the opening in his moving cart.

  The sun was close to setting, which didn't tell him much. For all he knew, it could be the next day.

  "Claire," Lev yelled at the cart next to them. The woman hastily climbed atop her cart. The relief on her face was apparent, something Lev wasn't sure how to deal with.

  "Are your arms healed properly?" she asked. Lev waved his two arms, no longer in pain but still burning a little from the recent healing.

  "They are itchy," Lev answered, "but there's no issue with the healing. The potion worked nicely. How long was I out?"

  "The itch is normal. Was it your first time using a potion? You were unconscious for only three hours."

  "It was," Lev half-shouted back.

  "The ones that can heal bones are expensive. You should thank Director Welsh later."

  "I know," Lev agreed. "Will do."

  "You're probably feeling famished right now. Eat something before it gets worse."

  Lev thanked her, her words making him realize just how hungry he was. Potions took a lot out of the person's energy reserves to heal injuries, so the hunger was natural.

  That would be fine, but Lev was having stomach cramps after a few seconds. Wherever he had heard about the hunger was clearly underplaying the effect.

  Lev stepped out of his armor and summoned a bowl of hearty stew and bread. Even hungry, he ate calmly for a few minutes before letting out a satisfied burp. The serving of soup was extremely generous, making him appreciate his past self's decision more and more. Just for a few silver, he had bought enough soup for months.

  Now what?

  The answer turned out to be simple. Lev waited for another two days before they reached Runespires, the City of Crafting.

  The first Great City Lev was about to step foot in.

  ****

  Lev stared at the wall of Runespires, something he'd been doing for the past half an hour already.

  But… how does one enchant entire city walls? They're like 60 meters tall.

  Yet the walls were undeniably enchanted. His mana perception, weak as it was right now, could still sense mana in the wall in the distance despite the cloaking.

  "They're beautiful, aren't they?" Welsh asked Lev, the man having noticed him staring at the walls a few minutes ago.

  "They are," Lev honestly replied. The walls were extremely smooth even from afar, something that would be impossible without magic. Just their sheer size was something Earth's denizens couldn't hope to match. Lev was fairly certain that the wall was very thick too, which only added to the grandeur.

  Unlike The Pit, the newcomers were noticed from afar and a guard squadron embarked on horses to intercept them.

  Lev counted five of them, led by a Master warrior in full-plate armor.

  "Director Welsh!" The Master guard boisterously greeted. "Glad to see you made it safely."

  "Daniel, my man, you wouldn't believe how close we were to not making it."

  Daniel's face instantly became serious as the guards fell in line along with the caravan. The carts were now moving much slower, allowing for easier conversation.

  "Report and leave no details out."

  "There are no details. We met an orc general during the last stretch."

  "So close to the city?" Daniel asked, his voice containing a tiny bit of disbelief.

  Lev, who was observing the conversation from his cart, stayed quiet and collected. The reason was very obvious to him, and one of his greatest worries was his extended stay in Runespires.

  That could end horribly in too many ways. He planned to delve into as many dungeons as he could to gather more strength during his stay to be prepared.

  If he was causing more waves, then it was also his duty to deal with them to the best of his ability.

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  "It is not completely unexpected," Daniel eventually spoke up. "Orc generals and commanders are unpredictable. They have appeared even in Windkeep's waves despite the constant patrols. We will also increase our patrols, especially scouting patrols, to see if you were just unlucky or if there's more to it than meets the eye."

  Welsh gave him a grateful nod. "Any news about the city?"

  Daniel cracked a smile at that. "Same old, same old. The tournaments and smaller competitions will start in a few weeks. The city is more crowded than it ever was before."

  Welsh smiled too, his excitement showing. "Sounds like business is going well."

  Daniel rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "You and your business." He turned more serious. "Other auction houses are taking their advertisements up a notch, so you better get to work quickly."

  "Ah, those little goblins," Welsh waved him off. "Don't worry, I already have plans in motion."

  "Of course you do," Daniel snorted. "I'll find you later."

  Lev watched the exchange curiously, Identifying the guards as they turned to leave.

  [Warrior - ???]

  [Warrior - Level 198]

  [Warrior - Level 199]

  [Warrior - Level 209]

  [Mage - Level 210]

  Less guards, more hunters, Lev observed. The reasoning made sense. They weren't guarding the cities against humans after all, except the occasional troublemaker.

  Monsters presented far too big of a threat for crime to feasibly exist.

  The caravan reached the gate after another half an hour, the huge double doors a sight to behold. Lev had to crane his neck to see the top, making him wonder what exactly could require them to be so tall.

  The next few minutes were unexpectedly amusing. Before the merchants and defenders even stepped off the carts, a team of animal caretakers was already scanning and healing the horses. The humans were completely ignored, not asked even once if they needed any help or healing.

  They sure have their priorities straight. Lev mused, stifling a laugh.

  "Young man," Welsh called out to him, "Let's go and get your quest finished."

  Lev followed the man, leaving the caravan behind. Passing underneath the ten-meter-wide walls, the city was revealed in all its glory.

  Which was to say, there were still several kilometers of empty space between the gate and the city. In the distance, however, Lev could spot seven spires, each nearly a hundred meters tall.

  They were pretty tall, no doubt, but they wouldn't be famous if that was all. The real size of the spires was hidden underground, extending downward for hundreds of meters.

  Going higher than their current height would be far too dangerous. Everyone knew the skies were not to be challenged, and constructing gigantic spires seemed like a surefire way to invite a calamity.

  Growing underground was a far safer option, for humanity had yet to explore beyond what was considered the "surface" of Monarch.

  The planet was just that gigantic.

  "Is this your first time coming here?" Welsh asked Lev.

  "Yeah," Lev replied, mouth dry from letting his jaw hang open for too long.

  He licked his lips and swallowed before speaking again. "Can I hire someone to give me a tour somewhere?"

  Welsh grinned. "You can just pay a loitering runner from any guild. They will happily show you around for a silver."

  Lev shelved the idea for later and looked around as they entered the city proper.

  The most prominent color, once again, was white. Lev expected the Great City to have a poorer area but nope, the edges of the city were just as prim and proper as The Pit.

  The more he walked through, the more luxurious everything became. It seemed that wealth discrimination was still a thing on Monarch, albeit to a much lesser degree compared to Earth. Lev would be concerned if it didn't exist. Humans were still humans regardless of The System's blessings.

  That did nothing to diminish the living standards of the populace. Lev followed Welsh on a wide road, forged out of the same white stone as every other road he had seen so far. These roads were wide enough to accommodate ten carts at once, the point proven immediately as two carts passed in the middle of the road without interruption.

  They walked for thirty minutes, Lev finding the residential district just as massive as he had imagined. Just the one road they were traversing had hundreds of large houses or mansions, and it was just one of many roads, though the rest were smaller.

  It wouldn't be surprising if this road was for the richest, given it directly connects the gates and the spires.

  The spires in question loomed ever closer, towering and domineering in Lev's vision. Despite the heavy attempts at cloaking everything, nothing could completely hide just how shrouded the spires were in enchantments.

  If someone told him every brick in their construction was enchanted, Lev would believe it.

  Time couldn't have passed any slower as they marched to the Hunter's Guild. Lev really wanted to enter those towers.

  It was bad enough that Welsh glanced back at him and chuckled, accurately reading his mind.

  The Hunters Guild was so very similar to all the branches he had seen before but this one outclassed them all with sheer size.

  Lev estimated it was as tall as a small skyscraper and far wider. Stepping inside, he was greeted by organized chaos. There were hundreds of people in the gigantic hall, several different reception counters, and several large doors leading to the backside of the building. Lev assumed that was where the training rooms and halls were.

  Welsh seemed used to the crowded building, nimbly leading them to a counter where the receptionist was already eyeing their group.

  "Hey Dory," Welsh greeted with a huge smile. "I'm back."

  "Welcome back, director. Let me take care of the quest first," Dory cheerily spoke, taking the quest paper from Welsh. "Can you give me your badges?"

  Lev did as he was told, and so did the other team.

  "Hmm, first quest?" Dory asked, glancing at Lev, who nodded. "The quest gives, based on the long timeframe, 35 merit points. You need 750 of them to qualify for the next rank."

  "Simple enough," Lev remarked, curious about possible avenues. "Can I inquire about the jobs hunters of my level normally take?"

  Dory held up a finger, updating the badges of the other team that was also waiting for her answer.

  "Most silver hunters resort to dungeon clearing, escorting miners, escorting travelers, protecting gatherers, and cave exploration. Please bear in mind that cave exploration underneath the city is far more unpredictable and dangerous than the rest."

  Mining quests… Lev tossed the idea around in his head, interested in the prospect of delving underground with a group of miners.

  "Thank you," Lev nodded and turned to Welsh, "Do I still have any obligations for the quest?"

  Welsh shook his head with a smile. "Consider the quest complete, hunter Lev," He turned to Dory, "Do we have any free runners who would be willing to show Lev around the city?"

  "We do. What part of the city are you most interested in?"

  "The spires," Lev instantly replied, causing her to grin.

  She excused herself for a minute, returning with a young girl around the age of 8. The girl looked positively adorable with her pinchable cheeks and short black hair.

  "This is Maya, one of our youngest runners. How much do you want for a few hours of tour Maya?"

  The girl pretended to think for a moment, her calm eyes betraying the fact that she had already made up her mind.

  "Three silvers," she eventually echoed, rendering everyone silent. Seeing the reaction, she hastily lowered the price. "Two silvers, I mean."

  Lev chuckled and summoned two silver coins, giving her one. "You can have the other when we're done."

  "Are you rich, Mister?"

  Lev spared one glance for her wide, 'innocent' eyes. "No."

  The girl's cute facade cracked as she pouted. "Let's go. I don't have all day."

  Lev watched in amusement as the girl lightly stomped away, mad that her cuteness had failed.

  "Here," Welsh handed him a gold coin, "the quest reward."

  Storing the coin, Lev said his goodbyes before following the little tour guide waiting for him.

  "You can call me Lev instead of Mister."

  "Will that increase the pay?"

  … How can someone be so innocently shameless?

  "Depends. If you can show me the best places for new crafters, I'll consider it."

  Her eyes lit up, and Lev knew he was going to learn a lot today.