[AN: Changed mission location from Beast continent to the Wastnds]


    [[ Mission Overview: You have finally received your first custom order. It''s time to let the world witness your light.


    Mission Description: Craft a high quality weapon, using the Violent Sun ores from the Wastnds, in one month.


    Reward: Bronze Grade Card.


    Penalty: Loss of reputation.


    ]]


    "System, this says the Wastnds right?" Lucas couldn''t help but ask.


    "Yes."


    "Same region swarming with deste beasts, correct?"


    "Indeed."


    "How am I supposed to, you know, go and not die?"


    "As a legacy inheritor of a god and the sessor to the Crafts-God, the host should be familiar with the term ''miracle''. With that in mind, the mission has been with the host''s strength put under consideration."


    ''Bullshit.'' Lucas cursed internally.


    The Wastnds was one of the most dangerous ces in Eretre. To the people of Bands city, the Wastnds was a risk-filled location with many deste beasts all over the ce. It was home to a horde of deste beast with varying degrees of strength. Here, there were deste beasts of all levels.


    It was even rumoured that a few of them couldpare with city-lord ss existences, in other words, ten Apertures Opening stage ster practitioners. However, this rumour was either false or the number was far too small, otherwise, the deste beast would have overrun Bands City.


    With his current strength, heading over to this region was no different from suicide.


    Lucas ignored the system and began thinking of how to make it work. He could have ced an order for the Violet Sun ores andmissioned a frencer to get it for him, but the system clearly stated that Lucas had to make the trip himself.


    ''Wait, it didn''t.'' Lucas suddenly thought of something.


    "System, do I have to do it myself? Can''t I justmission someone to get it?"


    "No, as doing so would eliminate the purpose of the mission." The system replied.


    Lucas sighed. He was partly expecting such a response, and the system lived up to his expectations. Even so, Lucas wasn''t entirely disappointed or frustrated. He couldn''t keep living like this—locked up in a store and only working on vestiges. He had to get stronger to secure his safety.


    Although this mission was very risky and even deadly, since the system gave it to him, there was a significant chance of survival. With that being the case, there was no reason for Lucas to reject it.


    This was an opportunity to see the world outside, beyond the walls of the city. He would encounter different deste beast and people. As long as he was careful and nned properly, there shouldn''t be much harm.


    Frencers frequented the Wastnds in search of wealth, with the lowest of them being at the peak of the Body Strengthening stage. Although Lucas wasn''t truly there, relying on the craftsman gloves and some of his self-made vestiges, it was possible for him to take on someone at that level. His attack power might evenpare with that of a one Apertures Opening stage ster refiner.


    This meant that even without the protection of the store, Lucas could ensure his safety to some extent.


    ''No use thinking too much about it.''


    Lucas decided to leave the next day. After the customers were gone and the store was empty, he closed for the day and made his preparations.


    . . .


    The next day, Lucas hung a ''Closed'' sign and left the store. He had already done his research and knew that there was a public transport system to the Wastnds, courtesy of the city state government.


    The history of Bands City was quite interesting. Historically, the Wastnds predated the city and was home to much more deste beasts than at the moment. Back then, it was said to be the central hub of deste beasts on the Groeten continent.


    When the Oklo Dynasty began its war for expansion, theyunched multiple assaults and raids against the deste beasts on the Groeten continent, but even then, they failed to annihte them entirely. In the end, they forced most of the deste beasts into the Wastnds and built a fortress city to blockade a possible deste beast retaliation or invasion. This city was known as Bands City.


    With Bands City as the central area, other towns and cities propped up around it. Under the control of the Oklo Dynasty, these cities and towns were known as districts, and by swearing fealty to Bands city, they would be offered protection and other services. This was how the Bands city-state was formed.


    Being a fortress city, Bands city was the wall between the rest Wastnds and the rest of the Groeten continent. To be specific, it was the West Wing district that was the real border.


    To prevent a possible deste beast upsurge, the Bands city-state government, which was essentially the Bands city lord office, allowed frencers to venture into the Wastnds. In fact, they encouraged this act and put in ce different incentives to attract frencers to the city and send them to help explore the Wastnds while cutting down the number of deste beasts.


    One such incentive was free public transport to and from the city and the Wastnds. Although the Wastnds was said to border the West Wing district, this didn''t mean that the distance between the two ces were close. One should still recall that there was a small area ofnd known as the Slums, just outside of West Wing district.


    One would still need to go further west, at least seven hundred kilometres (434.96 miles) away, before they reached the Wastnds. With the current technology, this distance was just alright for the Bands city-state government to monitor the region and react in time to any changes.


    After purchasing a ticket for a ride, Lucas headed into the light-rail train and took a seat. It was surprising that he got admitted despite not having a frencer identity, but the agency in charge didn''t care. Some people would always want to try their luck with their meagre while others desired suicide or an opportunity to run away from reality.


    While this might sound sad, some saw it as a means of poption control, and so, didn''t stop anyone. As long as one was of age, they could get a ride. The only difference was that non-frencers would have to pay a fee, albeit a small one of three federal coins.


    Using a light-rail train, it would only take thirty to thirty five minutes to cover the distance even with disturbances. Despite being called a train, it was actually a flying shuttle merely shaped just like a train. In truth it could go faster, but due to the weight and weapons attached to it, as well as other safety reasons, it maintained a speed of between 1200km/hr-1350km/hr.


    Nheless, this speed was already fast enough for most.


    Very soon, the light-rail train hadnded at its destination and everyone inside stepped out.


    The base station in the Wastnds was a small camp made up of a couple buildings. Some of these buildings were lodges and the others were varied spots like bars, restaurants, shooting ranges and even training centres. At the edge of the camp was thending zone for the light-rail trains.


    The base station was made by the city-state government, but other forces helped with the further development, investing their resources into the ce. For instance, somepanies, especially those rted to frencers and basic needs, had their branches set up here. However there were few suchpanies.


    This was because the base station was located in the Wastnds, and very few individuals would want to work there.


    The living locations were only essible to frencers so if a regr individual wanted to work in the Wastnds, they would have tomute from the West Wing district. As a result, most stores were operated by robots.


    The Wastnds base station was the gathering spot intended for the frencers who worked here. It wasn''t a strange thing for frencers to spend months in the Wastnds. The city-state government hence built the base station just at the outer edge of the Wastnds. This was another incentive program to motivate frencers to spend more time in the Wastnds.


    Although it didn''t have everything, the base station had everything one needed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lucas admired the sight and thought to himself that it would have been better if he had set up his store here instead.


    While others could buy vestiges, the major customers of a vestige store were frencers. Other parties, like students and the city patrol corps, didn''t engage in muchbat, and as such, their vestiges were usually in top form. However, frencers fought day and night as it was their source of ie. This led to their equipment being damaged regrly.


    Just the expenses on maintenance alone was the bulk of a frencer''s expenses. If Lucas had set up shop here, the money he would have made from maintenance in two weeks alone might have cleared his debt.


    ''No use crying over spilt milk.'' Lucas thought as he walked away from the port and towards the base station. His first task at the moment was to find a map to help him navigate to his destination.