《Realm of Adventure - Volume 01》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    Aogashima, Toyko Prefecture, Japan | 11:03 PM, JST


    Taiki Rokuro leaned back in his office chair, sighing and stretching his sore fingers. After spending the last 10 hours or so at his desk, he was feeling rather stiff.I suppose that''s only natural, he thought to himself.The last time I got up was at lunch. He yawned noisily - something he would never do if anyone else occupying the spacious office, then gazed out the window. It was nearly pitch black, with only the faint moonlight illuminating the starless sky. After that short, 30 second break, he decided to get back to work. Rokuro planned to leave at midnight unless a critical issue popped up, so he was almost done for the day and was looking forward to sleeping.


    What was this man doing in the office so late, anyway?


    He was re-coding a vital item in the world''s most popularvirtual dive game.


    Rokuro was an employee of StarShard, the only ''true'' virtual reality company in the world. StarShard was originallya tiny gaming company that hired just about anyone, but ever since the mysterious invention of the Reality/Shard, things were never the same. Rokuro remembered his time with StarShard before that fateful day when the first prototype Reality/Shard was created. He had recently graduated college and was seeking a job. His parents had advised him to take programming because there was a shortageof programmers in Japan, but despite this, he still hadn''t managed to find a job. The young and pennilessRokuro was staring at a street postencrusted with soggy flyers when he spotted it. A small, gaming company recruiting new members. StarShard. He fondly remembered his interview - acceptedin a mere five minutes. His first day. The warm smiles of his coworkers, and the fascinating work they did. It was a rather tight-knit group - and Taiki enjoyedit. However, ever since the creation of the Reality/Shard, everything had changed. StarShard expanded exponentially, and the number of employees skyrocketed. StarShard was forced to split itself into many different groups, each assigned to a single prefecture and game. Taiki Rokuro''s old workmates, but frankly, were untalented, yet hardworking.


    In contrast, Taiki was extremely gifted with his programming skills (which he compensated for with being socially inept), so he was split from his friends. He knew almost no one in his group, orPod as they were called, and he was lonely. Being a workaholic, he rarely got to talk to his friends outside of work or indulge in any of his creations. This loneliness was also his- and Avalon''s - undoing. Avalon was the most popular StarShard game because there were plenty of player unique features. Taiki, the support pillar of the Avalon Pod lost his creativity and players started to lose interest. Avalon was still number one, but if it continued to fall at its current pace, it would hit number two at around midnight - when Taiki scheduled to leave. The VR industry was truly brutal. He wished that the anonymous higher up that invented Reality/Shards would help - he stated via email that this was his favorite game,and had even gone so far to give the basic ''life code'' and provided many pieces of equipment.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Ah, that''s the end of it," Rokuro muttered to himself as he pushed back his chair and stretched his wiry and frail arms. "I guess I''d head home now that it''s fixed. He had just repaired an annoying bug which made the [Auto-Translate Ring] that he designed malfunctioned. The reason that he stayed so late was that his personal creation stopped working, and he took that as an insult. Taiki himself acknowledged that as a strange logic process, but he didn''t care too much.


    Fixing glitches, while important, was that all he could do to keep Avalon afloat? His digital watch read 11:16, but Avalon was losing players slightly slower than normal. Maybe it''ll last the night as number one, he thought dryly. Taiki shut off his monitor, then strode towards the elevator''s steel doors. He pressed the worn button, slightly greasy from his coworkers'' sweaty fingertips, leaving his own fingerprint on the faintly glowing button. Once the doors opened, he strode in, then waited for the ding that heralded the elevator''s arrival at ground level. The great metal door slid open once again, and Taiki walked out. He opened the front door and turned around facing it once again. He was extra careful to lock it because all the C/Shards (C stood for Consciousness) that hosted the minds of everyone in Pacific-bordered nations and everywhere in Southeast Asia. There was no answer to what would happen to Avalon''s players if the C/Shards were to be destroyed. This was his little way of preventing a tragedy, and he was the last person to leave, so Taiki had to be meticulous. He turned all six respective keys in their locks, then glanced at the ocean. It seemed rather turbulent tonight. Wouldn''t it be weird if a tsunami came without an earthquake right at this spot? Taiki mused. He dismissed the thought as a product of his tired brain then started walking into the calm night.


    He got about three steps away from the StarShard building before the tall structure came crashing down on top of him, devastated by a colossal wave.

 Chapter 1 - 1

    Chapter 1 - 1:Avalon


    Asaka, Saitama, Japan. 10:53 PM JST


    Tsukasa Yuuki sighed as he wrote in his mathematics workbook. It had been hours, but he still worked on the homework his teacher assigned him earlier that day. He was taking an English-immersion program, so the word problems would naturally be in English. Despite the logic of the workbook''s chosen language, Tsukasa struggled to decipherstrange- no, ''Latin Alphanumeric'' characters that the language used. He was more skilled at understanding foreign speech than letters, as he had lived in North America for the last 8 years of his life. However, returning to his home country, and language hadn''t been easy. Not possessingmastery in either of the two languages he studied, Tsukasa had to work harder than the rest of his classmates, especially after returning from summer break - more homework was assigned than before the blissful two weeks of peace free from high school.


    After a few minutes, Tsukasa wrapped up his final question then stood up and stretched. He squinted at his alarm clock, whose crimson display read 10:57 PM. If his parents were around, they''d tell him to sleep.


    He was tired. Really tired. But not too tired to log some Reality/Shard hours in. He withdrew the circular ring of steel and wires, reminiscentof an angel''s halo from a drawer under his bed and firmly pressed a button. In a mere second, the machine''s various display buttons sprang to life, inviting him to escape from his reality. He lay down on his mattress in preparation to abandon his physical body and without a second thought, he slipped the steel halo over his tangled sable hair and on his eyes with a practiced, fluid motion.


    As soon as he slipped the machine on, he could not sense his surroundings. Suddenlytransported from his comfortable bed, he was floating in a black void. He felt completely numb, but could still move - a result of the Reality/Shard''s influence.


    "Calibrating..." an automated voice declared as seven brilliant orbs of white light popped into existence, forming a ring around an equally bright logo of StarShard. "Calibration complete."


    The feeling flowed back into Tsukasa''s limbs, starting at his fingertips then branching out until he felt normal - well as normal as one could be floating in a dark abyss devoid of gravity.


    "Select game to launch," the voice said. "Based on your current location and time, Reality/Shard has prepared some options for you." A taskbar appeared out of thin air (or whatever stuff was in this void) in front of Tsukasa. It bore the symbols for several applications.


    "I wonder what I''ll play tonight..." Tsukasa mused. "Ah, whatever," he said, lightly tapping the icon for his favorite game - Avalon, the Realm of Adventure. He didn''t actually have many games, and his collection consisted solely of Avalon and two other games that were installed by default, but Tsukasa never felt any desire to purchase more of StarShard''s various games - he was engrossed in Avalon to much to give the others any thought.


    After he pressed the glowing icon, the black void around him melted away, transforming into a breathtaking landscape above which Tsukasa floated. Snow-crested mountains loomed at the edge of the horizon, while verdant hills and fertile valleys lay below the floating player. Next to the plains lay a great citadel with colossal walls of stone. Golden alphanumeric characters greeted Tsukasa, but these he read gladly, in contrast to his earlier reading of the mathematical problems. Avalon: Realm of Adventure. In his opinion, the greatest game ever created.


    Tsukasa initiated a basic, unarmed attack - a simple punch. This triggered the [Game Start] function, which, obviously, started the game. As a result, the ornate, golden letters that had greeted him vanished along with his [Floating] status, a condition temporarily granted by logging in or by using the high-level Monk class skill, [Levitate], which Tsukasa had not learned - for good reason, as hadn''t learned any unarmed combat techniques that were important to Monks outside of the game. Unlike most games, Avalon could make use of the player''s experiences outside of the game.


    Tsukasa bent he knees as he landed absorbing the shock of his landing, which was rather redundant as for the first 30 seconds after spawning a player was invulnerable and his Racial Bonus as a heteromorphic Dragon Avatar virtually negated fall damage. However, it was a habit that allowed him to stay on balance, which saved him several times in the past.


    His ''home'' server, [USWest3], was virtually unpopulated at this hour, making it the perfect time to solo raid bosses and claim all the drops for yourself. This was also risky because soloing dungeons and events were extremely dangerous. However, Tsukasa had hit the level cap, 100, granting him a bonus to all his stats and greatly reducing the danger. Tsukasa had forgotten to specify his spawn point, so rather than be spawned in the city of Logres, the citadel on the other side of the plain, he had been dropped in the fields. Sighing, he activated the spell [Basic Teleport]. It consumed no mana at all but could only transport one to a [Teleport Gate], also known as Portals. Tsukasa felt a twisting sensation in his gut, then suddenly he appeared in the middle of a vortex of light. He stepped off, like someone alighting off a fancy carriage and strode confidently on the well-paved street.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The only people he saw were strangely NPCs, but this wasn''t too uncommon at this time. He turned left at the first intersection and walked into a large building with a large sign that read [Adventurer''s Guild]. Unlike the title screen, these letters were supported in Japanese kanji. However, it didn''t seem to work. Tsukasa checked his hand, making sure his [Auto-Translate Ring] was still in place, which it was. Strange. He tapped it, and several green forks of electricity flickered around the ring. This signified that someone was working to fix it. Red signified that the glitch was undiscovered and required the player to fill out a support ticket. Tsukasa was rather pleased that he was saved the hassle of filling out the ticket. Since he could read English, he should be fine for the moment.


    The Battlemage strode into the Guild Hall, which was empty. The NPC at the counter warmly greeted him, and he replied in kind, despite the fact it wouldn''t be registered. He walked over to the empty quest board.Wait, what? Empty?! Since there were none of the usual PVP events on now,as the staff were busy or asleep, he had nothing to do.


    At least I got the final [Daily Login Point], Tsukasa thought. He walked up to the Guild Receptionist and said "Claim Reward - 100th consecutive login." He reached into his dimensional rift of an inventory and withdrew a blue and silver token bearing the emblem of Logres. The number on it read ''99'', but as soon as he took it out it changed to ''100''. He slid the medallion over the counter to the NPC, who picked it up.


    "Thank you very much. Enjoy your reward!" The Guild Receptionist placed it in a drawer then took out a black and crimson medallion. It was an Epic tier item, designed as the crown jewel of a new player''s collection, but to a ''maxed'' player like Tsukasa, virtually worthless. However, Tsukasa had been seeking this particular item for a while.


    "Thanks!" he said, dashing out the door of the Adventurer''s Guild and onto the street. He started running to the NPC [Alchemist]''s shop. [Alchemist] was initially a player-only class, but since not many people selected the [Runesmith] or [Rune Knight] classes necessary to gain the [Alchemist] class, there were virtually no [Alchemists]. The [Alchemists] provided a valuable service - transmutation, and the lack of them made the game much less enjoyable. Tsukasa had the [Rune Knight] class but didn''t have enough levels in it to unlock [Alchemist]. He supposed he could modify his build, but Edward would still have a higher [Alchemy] level becausethe NPC was able to entirely bypass the [Runesmith/Knight] phase and could invest all of his levels into Alchemy. The crappy devs had decided for once to help the players rather than make things harder, and as a result [Alchemist]-class NPCs appeared in major cities. Thankfully Logres had one, whose services were accessible for a high price. Maybe that was the devs'' true intent - to make more money, Tsukasa thought wryly. Regardless, he walked into the [Alchemist]''s shop. The Logres [Alchemist] was named Edward and wore his long, blond hair in a single braid, which made Tsukasa laugh every time he thought about it. As soon as Tsukasa stepped in Ed''s shop, the [Alchemist]''s ahoge perked up.


    "Hey there, Tsukasa. What''s up?"


    Unlike most NPCs, Edward had a very detailed AI and could recognize unmasked player''s names.


    "Nothing much Ed," he replied. "I''d like to transmute these, though." Tsukasa reached in his inventory and pulled out nine Epic tier [Freshblood Amulets], the same item he recently received. He had been collecting them for a while now.


    "Alright. That''ll be one million gold, please." Tsukasa wordlessly transferred the money to the [Alchemist]. He was lucky to have so much money now, as he participated in the last major boss battle and had been rewarded tens of millions of gold. However, he hadn''t gotten any World class items from it, since the raid had been composed of players with much higher DPS stats such as [Bloodmages] and [Paladins] - and drops were rewarded to players who dealt the most damage. Edward reached out with his metal arm and took the gold and [Eclipse Amulets], then placed them in a transmutation circle. Then, he placed his hands on the mat and in a flash of blue light, the [Amulets] disappeared. In their place lay a pulsating black stone with a warm red light, beating like a heart. It was a raw material, and a Divine tier one at that - the most powerful craftable tier.


    "Thanks, Ed."


    "No problem." said the [Alchemist]. Tsukasa slid the material into his inventory, then used the spell [Guild Teleport]. This 5th tier spell randomly transported him to a Guildmate, or the player''s [Guild Hall] if no one else was online. Tsukasa felt the familiar sensation of teleportation then stepped out of the Guild Hall Portal. His Guild''s base wasn''t the biggest because they didn''t focus on the base - only Tsukasa did, but the others always invested their resources in raids and Guild Wars. Tsukasa regretted this - he wanted to have an awesome base with NPC Guardians, just like his favorite light novel, but he couldn''t have everything, could he?Despite him being the Leader of his Guild, no one had the time or items to help so he couldn''t order them to.


    Tsukasa looked around at the hall he constructed, feeling proud of his past work. The black, ornate walls made it look like a lavish (and somewhat evil) castle, but no one minded. He walked over to a discreetly placed door, then walked in. Two silver and goldgates guarded the treasury, which had been reinforced with absurd amounts of defensive wards.


    Tsukasa pressed his hand against the gate. which opened a slot. He then cast the Divine material inside a slot in the door then walked out, closing the door behind him.


    Suddenly, Tsukasa twitched. It seemed like everything, yet nothing had shifted.


    "What the..." he whispered to himself. He concentrated on the menu and willed it into existence. However, it didn''t seem to materialize. He tried again.


    And again.


    And again.


    "Well, shit."

 Chapter 1 - 2

    Chapter 1 - 2: Trapped in a Gilded Cage


    ???, Avalon(?). 01:14 AM JST


    "WHAT IS THIS?", Tsukasa yelled at the ceiling. "ANSWER ME, YOU SH!TTY DEVS!" The reality of the situation had finally sunk it for the boy, who was desperately trying to communicate with a GM or a Dev... or anyone else. Tsukasa''s HP and MP bars had vanished from the top of his vision, but it didn''t mean anything - it could still be an event, or an update, right? Tsukasa could now sense his mana reserves, but not his health - maybe it was because he was undamaged? He tried accessing the menu again, but nothing seemed to happen.


    "Maybe there''s a new logout function," Tsukasa said, trying to convince himself. He started making weird motions, jumping, and other actions, but nothing popped up. "Maybe if I just think about logging out?" Tsukasa tried but failed - and he was out of ideas. Despite this, he just wanted to keep trying.


    In his heart, Tsukasa alreadyknew he was trapped, but his brain couldn''tseem to accept it. He decided to calm himself down before proceeding. He took two deep, shuddering breaths and closed his eyes for a good minute.


    "Okay. I should start by looking for some other players - there ought to be a few solo players hunting bosses at this hour who hadn''t noticed. Tsukasa left the room he was in and into the entry hall. Another gate lay on one end, while a large banner labeled ''iNCITE Guild Hall'' - the name of his guild. iNCITE stood for No Cash ITEms, while his guildmates suggested adding an ''i'' so it made more sense. The name was strange, but everyone got used to - and eventually loved - it.


    As soon as Tsukasa opened the front gate he realized something was wrong - instead of the mountain range near Logres, strange scenery greeted him. He had expected something like this, but not to such an extent - iNCITE''s guild hall was hidden amongst a few grassy hills, while the great city of Logres had been replaced with a flat plain illuminated by a radiant sun half shrouded in clouds., its tall grass whipping in the wind. Tsukasa noticed something else that was wrong - he could smell the plants, the dirt, and the... another smell he couldn''t identify. Despite being a ''true'' virtual reality device, a Reality/Shard could not emulate smell. Therefore Tsukasa was forced to face reality - this was no longer a game.


    Tsukasa felt as if he should have been more shocked. Or scared. Or desperate to get home. But the more he thought about it, what was here to return to in his previous reality? An empty home with an aloof guardian, one he''d had since his parents... left but had never warmed up to him, endless hours of homework and school until he reached college- and probably study something interestingthere. After that, what then? Look for a high paying job, but end up as an overworked salaryman until the end of his life, struggling to maintain a middle-class lifestyle. And that was an optimistic outlook compared to certain other possibilities. Living on the streets, eating out of dumpsters and begging? Although Tsukasa would hate to admit it, he was rather proud. Sure, he could suppress his emotions for a plan, but sacrifice his dignity just to scrape by? He couldn''t do that.


    Life in Japan, no, on Earth, was a pointless cycle - one could experience joys, but they never lasted long and usually had repercussions or a price. However, Tsukasa could accept that. It was the only path he could take, and that was much better than nothing.But if he could live the rest of his days in a twisted reality, removed from his old world and free, would he take the path out? Tsukasa couldn''t decide, but he reached a conclusion.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    As far as he knew, there was no way out of this plane of existence. Hating the time he spent here would be foolish - he should at least try to enjoy it, and who knew - he might find it better than Earth. Assuming this wasn''t Earth.


    Determined to make the most of his time trapped in this gilded cage, Tsukasa started walking, searching for signs of life.


    After an eternity of walking, Tsukasa had discovered multiple things. Firstly, he could access his inventory by using the same method he had in Avalon. He also realized the scent earlier was that of animals - while his in-game character looked mostly human, in reality (this reality) he was a Dragon Avatar - descended from Dragon mages and hermits who sought wisdom, power, or both through a lonely path of pondering and eternally searching their souls. Since a Dragons form was immensely powerful and possessed many distractions, they took on human forms - avatars, However, some of these Dragons'' descendants grew weary of these lives and mimicked human lifestyle. There were few players who chose the Dragon Avatar class for several reasons. Dragon Avatar hermits hadn''t fought in ages, therefore they possessed a low racial bonus in the attack stat. They were also heteromorphic, which slowed down their leveling up and received harsh treatment from other players - heteromorphs could be thought of as the minority of Avalon. As a result, Tsukasa had been PKed every day until he reached level 30 - several months. However, this class had some pros to balance out the cons. They had a naturally high magic defense, resistance, and physical defense, as well as mana and speed. Unfortunately, they were unable to transform into a true draconic state. Since Tsukasa had high ''survival'' stats via racial bonus, he focused on overlevelling his physical and magical attack.


    Tsukasa eventually stopped walking when it grew dark. He was tired, but thankfully his character had good stamina so he had covered a lot of ground. Tsukasa activated [Guild Teleport], half hoping to find a guildmate but simply returned to the iNCITE guild hall. Since he could use a normal [World Teleport] spell to return to places he''d previously been, he could resume his journey the next day. However, [World Teleport] used a lot of mana for a 4th tier spell - it wasn''t much, but its cooldown and cost could tip the tide of a battle. Fortunately for Tsukasa, he had obtained a unique, Divine class item a few events ago - the [Tarnkappe], a cloak of invisibility inspired by Das Rheingold and the Nibelungenlied, the theme for a chain of event bosses a few months ago that would fix this problem. He''d hide under it for a while after teleporting.


    It rendered the user completely invisible but drained a mana at an alarming rate, but in battle, removed the invisibility and increased physical stats and mana regeneration. However, the combat boost didn''t work if one had full mana, which was very important for [Assassins] and other classes, making it more useful for a melee build.


    Tsukasa walked up the winding staircase in his guild hall to his room, one the nine large ones - which were for the Leader and Co-Leaders - the first nine members of iNCITE. The room was sparsely decorated, yet beautiful in its own way. Despite being windowless, it was not claustrophobic and had a very comfy bed - the one thing the Tsukasa had been focusing on. He quickly unequipped his clothes and armor, tapped his [Amulet of Greater Sustenance], which cleaned his body and nourished him, then slipped into bed - he still hadn''t gotten to sleep since last night(?).

 Chapter 1 - 3

    Chapter 1 - 3: Rayfield City


    10:06 AM. iNCITE Guild Hall, Avalon(?)


    "Ugh..."


    Tsukasa tossed theblanket off the bed, depriving himself of warmth. This trick usually got him up before but due to his Resistance stat, the change in temperature didn''t affect him. He groaned again, then rolled off the bed sleepily, tossing the fallen blanket back on the mattress as he did so.Uncertain, Tsukasa tapped [Ring of Greater Sustenance] hoping it would wake him up upon use. However, it simply cleaned and nourishedhis body so it did nothing to alleviate his sleepiness.


    Tsukasa just decided to use a spell, [Create Water]. The cool liquid splashed on his face before he realized what he was doing, and as a result, he was fully awakened.


    "[Absorb]" He chanted, and the excess water slid to his body and infused his exposed skin. Tsukasa wasn''t sure why he just said the spell''s name out loud - it was probably a habit left behind by his time in raids, where communication was essential. Tsukasa hated it when some player cast AoE, high damage spells without chanting their names - many other players got hit, and sometimes they ended up as meatshields for the boss. On that thought, he decided to don his armor.


    "[Equip - Speed IV]." His silver and black armor materialized from his inventory in an instant, saving him the time of sifting through his inventory, which was quite large. Since Avalon had no inventory restrictions, Tsukasa kept all the loot and drops he ever acquired- even the lowest tier ones, which earned him the nickname ''collector'' from his guildmates. In addition to his regular gear, the [Tarnkappe] lay idle on his shoulder, having appeared with the rest of his gear. Tsukasa put it on before chanting the incantation for [World Teleport].


    After experiencing the familiar teleportation symptom, he suddenly appeared where he had previously left off. Thankfully there appeared to be no enemies, and since if one was invisible, they could see other invisible entities using the same or lower tier cloaking spells, Tsukasa decided to remove the [Tarnkappe] and stow it in another dimension. This cloak had the highest tier invisibility to compensate for the extreme mana depletion, so Tsukasa was confident in his security. However, he remained vigilant - who knew what kind of magic this strange new world had?


    Tsukasa decided to equip a weapon for the sense of security, if not the actual protection. He was also hesitantto bring out powerful weapons, so he simply said "[Equip - Speed I]", and the Tier 2 [Cold Steel] slowly formed in his hand. This was the only one he had, but it was very strong for a weapon of the second tier - an extremely rare drop from enemies near the spawn point. The familiar hand and a half sword had been his favorite weapon for his first 14 levels. Along with having DPS similar to a Tier 4-5 weapon, it had the bonus of reducing the opponent''s dexterity on every hit, and since it was only Tier 2 he could repair it for barely a hundred gold.Strapping the sword to his back, he marched onwards into the wilderness.


    In about 5 hours of this world''s time, a village appeared on the horizon. The sun had begun to set, and despite Tsukasa''s newfound physical endurance, he was mentally exhausted. He thankedthe god/gods of this dimension and increased his pace. He swapped out his Divine class armor for a simple [Light Armor] which was just dyed black leather and metal reinforcements of questionable quality. Within a few minutes, he came across a tall stone palisade, whose rather large oaken gate was, unfortunately, closed. Tsukasa was about to knock on it when a voice from above called out.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Halt! State your purpose on coming to Rayfield" A guard''s helmeted head popped up at the top of the wall. From this distance, Tsukasa could make out a strung bow slung on his back and a spearhead beside him - whose shaft was presumably held by the man. "A failure to comply will result in y-"


    "[Chrono Accel - Rank III]!" The speed of the world seemed greatly reduced, but in reality, his ''personal time'' had been accelerated. This was a peculiar spell, as it periodically consumed HP rather than the caster''s MP - and was modified by one''s innate Physical Defense stat. This gave Tsukasa plenty of time to analyze the situation. While [He could have used the Tier 10 spell [Time Stop], Tsukasa did this because the Chrono Accel spells only affected the user - similar to a buff, and couldn''t be prevented by the common Tier 7 [Time Shield] which canceled [Time Stop] and [Time Freeze] (a 6th Tier replacement)''s effects.


    "[Instant Appraise Item]" Tsukasa muttered. From what he could see, the guard''s equipment was from the ''Starter Item'' and 1st Tier. Satisfied, he released [Chrono Accel - Rank III]. It was fortunate that the guard spoke English - as far as Tsukasa knew, his ring might still be malfunctioning. He had left it in his room for safekeeping - the door was nothing compared to the front gate, but it would still hold out for a while unless the person trying to breach it was around level 70 or higher.


    "-our entry being barred until further inspection!" The watchman finished his sentence as if nothing had happened and was oblivious to the magical shenanigans that had just occurred. More or less confident that the guard posed no real threat alone, Tsukasa stopped preparing the withdrawal of his [Smoke Bomb] from the dimensional pocket.


    "I am but a simple traveler. Unfortunately, I got a bit lost. Where exactly are we?" Tsukasa said in a bashful voice. The guard''s expression softened up a bit but remained attentive.


    "A simple traveler? What''s with your sword and armor?"


    "Well, it''s rather dangerous to be traveling in the wilderness by yourself, so I had to take precautions." The watchman seemed to buy his story, nodding in assent. "Do you know where we are?" The guard shot him an odd glance but replied nonetheless.


    "Rayfield City, in the kingdom of Luminaris. A border settlement that was recently founded - you may not know it."


    "I don''t, but thanks anyway," he replied.


    "Alright then - do you have the entry fee? I''ll let you in in a second."Oh crap,Tsukasa thought in panic. He seriously doubted Avalon currency would work here. He needed to come up with an excuse - and fast.


    "Uh, well I''m a trader of sorts and have a few magic items I''m looking to sell for a low price. Someone took my wallet in the last village I passed, so I don''t have any cash. Is there a place where I could trade these items?" Tsukasa said nervously. Thankfully, this appeared to be normal.


    "Sure, there''s a government Trade-In shop. Take a left near the fountain and it''ll be on your right. Come here before midnight tomorrow with a silver mark and two copper." The guard replied calmly as if this happened every day. "I''ll be back - just gonna open the gate."


    "Thanks," Said Tsukasa. As soon as thesentinel left, he sighed in relief. He had plenty of mid to low tier items, so he could probably make a decent amount of money.


    Moments later, the wooden gate started to rise, along with an iron portcullis that lay behind it. The guard stood on the other side, spear in hand. Tsukasa walked passed him, waving, then looked around. He glimpsed the watchman climbing a set of stairs back to the top of the wall and in a few seconds, the gate began to fall. Tsukasa left the entrance, walking forwards on the cobbled road. Eventually, he came across a marble fountain. It appeared simple but flowed smoothly and the splashes from the water didn''t exit the smooth bowl. There were severalcopper coins laying at the bottom of the fountain. Tsukasa was tempted to reach in and grab a few but resisted the urge - that might have been illegal or at least indecent in Rayfield. The last thing he wanted was trouble.

 Chapter 1 - 4

    Chapter 1 - 4: Settling In


    After passing the fountain, Tsukasa turned left into a broad alley and eventually came across a shop with a sign that read ''Luminaris Item Trade-In''. It had a red, corrugated tile roof like a vast majority of the other buildings but had walls that looked sturdier than most. The door was a similar affair and looked a bit like Rayfield''s front gate. Tsukasa walked to the door and knocked loudly on it three times. After a few moments, a muffled voice rang out.


    "Come in! We''re open!" Tsukasa pushed the door open and walked in. The interior of the shop was... cluttered, to say the least. Strange items lined the wooden shelves that adorned the otherwise bare walls, and a large wooden bar lay in the back. A young woman wearing large spectacles sat at the counter, fiddling with something hidden from view - probably a safe or container where money was kept. Once she spotted him, she took off the large glasses and wiped them on the front of her shirt before setting them aside.


    "Welcome. How may I help you today?" she said, a hint of nervousness in her voice.


    "I''m looking to sell some items," Tsukasa glanced at the walls, noticing the price tags on the goods. "and perhaps purchase a few as well."


    "Okay then. Would you mind setting them on the counter for appraisal?" Tsukasa stepped forward, then placed his hand behind his back, withdrawing a few items from his inventory. He selected a gold amulet with a dull beryl stone embedded in the center which raised the wearer''s speed by 6. This was a lowly Tier 2 item and a rather common drop from mid-level monsters, but Tsukasa just wanted to check out this world''s currency value compared to the treasure in his inventory. Just as he was about to place it on the counter, he decided to withdraw another item - the Tier 4 [Mist Dagger], whose blade was shrouded in mist. It was popular amongst [Assasins] who used the spell [Mist Shroud], which made it virtually invisible. He placed both items on the counter and the lady took them gingerly, then closed her eyes.


    "[Middle Appraise Item]!" A bluish-white light appeared above the items and a few lines emitted from the light ran over the surface of the dagger and amulet. After a few seconds of scanning, the woman opened her eyes, slightly paler than before. She seemed to have expended a lot of mana on such a low tier spell. Maybe she had a low aptitude for magic.


    "W-where did you steal these?! And from who?" she exclaimed, drawing them closer to her. Her right hand also slipped away from the counter, reaching for something below. A crossbow, maybe?


    "I didn''t steal them!" Tsukasa replied, flustered. "I bought them a while ago for a hefty sum - I''m in dire need of funds, so I''m kinda forced to sell." She calmed down a bit hearing that he purchased them for a ''hefty'' sum.


    "Alright then. Um, I apologize for the fuss I made." The clerk blushed, clearly embarrassed at her outburst. This amulet is worth around..." she put on the spectacles once more and began flipping through a large catalog. "E-eighty gold marks. And the dagger is about sixty-five gold." Tsukasa was slightly disappointed at the dagger''s selling price, but was very happy at the amulet''s - he had much more of those than [Mist Daggers].


    "I''m sorry, but I''m not from here. Uh, could you please give me an overview of the currency?" he asked, nervous. What if she asked about where he came from? He should have asked the guard about the surrounding region.


    "Of course, sir." Tsukasa noticed her change in attitude but dismissed it as trivial. "Well, a gold mark is worth 10 silver marks, and a silver is 100 copper. There are also null marks, which are made of mithril and have a hole in the middle." The made a little ''o'' shape with her hand to demonstrate. "Those are worth a hundred gold marks."


    "Thank you very much," he replied, glad to easily have gotten enough to pay the toll.


    "Er, your welcome. Would you like a null mark and forty-five gold, or a straight up 145 gold?" Tsukasa thought for a moment, then decided.


    "Just gold, please." A null mark would bring more attention than gold, and he didn''t want that. She fished out a leather pouch with a drawstring and opened something, and carefully poured 145 gold pieces from whatever she opened into the pouch. At least he thought it was 145. It looked like it.


    "[Chrono Accel - Rank II]," he muttered before casting his next spell. "[Instant Appraise Item]." He appraised the pouch, which was composed of cow leather and string. Inside were a perfect 145 gold marks. He then released the spell - he didn''t want to lose too much health. Since no one appeared to have [Time Stop/Freeze] countermeasures he probably should use them instead - he had a rather large MP pool. He then released the spell, and the flow of time returned to normal.


    "Thanks again," Tsukasa said. "but do you mind if I buy another pouch for 1 gold?" The young woman seemed to understand why.


    "Not at all. One silver is enough. I can convert some gold as well. Um, would it bother you if I asked your name?" she said timidly.


    "That would be good - and my name is Ts-" Tsukasa paused. This might not be a great idea. "Yuuki."


    "... Tsuki-san?" She asked.


    "Uh, Yuuki. Sorry, I kinda mispronounced it. Yours?" Tsukasa Yuuki felt like facepalming himself with the force of a thousand suns - this was so embarrassing!! At least they had the same honorific system. He gave her 5 gold marks, then she put a mixture of copper and silver marks into a bag, which Tsukasa appraised in a [Time Stop] break.


    "Melissa," she replied.


    "Have a good day, Melissa-san," he said leaving the shop, storing the lighter pouch in his pocket and the heavy one in his inventory.


    "Y-you too, Yuuki-san!" he heard faintly as he walked out the door. He fished out a silver and two copper from his pouch and ran off to the guard, passing the fountain as he went.


    "Back already?" the man said, looking down at Tsukasa from the wall. "I guess you couldn''t sell those items. That''s okay, rea-"


    "Uh, I have the money."


    There was an awkward pause.


    "Oh, well, in that case, I''ll take it." Tsukasa handed over the coins, and the guard thanked him. "Do you have a place to stay?" the watchman inquired.


    "No, actually. Do you know any inns here?"


    "Yes, I do. There''s a fairly cheap one to the right of that fountain, but from the looks of your purse you might wanna stay at the Silver Eagle. It''s a tad pricey but a lot cleaner, so I recommend it. Even if your pouch was full of copper you could afford it. Just walk all the way down to the inner wall of Rayfield - which is straight past the fountain - and it''s beside the portcullis. You can''t miss it." the guard said.


    "Thanks a lot!" Ts-Yuuki said as he ran off past the fountain.


    Tsukasa reached the inner wall after two minutes of running, and sure enough, the Silver Eagle Inn was right beside the gate. He caught a glimpse of the interior through the portcullis'' bars and saw that it was clearly for the ''upper-class''. While the exterior was no slum, the interior seemed much more opulent. However, he noticed a few beggars in the alleys surrounding the gate, hoping for scraps of food or marks. This was the same thing as his old world - however, the class divisions manifested in the form of a wall. Was this world truly better?The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Discarding those trivial thoughts, he walked into the Silver Eagle. The interior was painted mostly white, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, bathing the walls its mottled light. Tsukasa noticed a receptionist sitting behind a desk to his right, and walked towards them.


    "Excuse me, can I please rent a room for one?" he asked the seated man. The receptionist glanced briefly at his attire before replying. I should probably get some normal clothes, Tsukasa thought. He made a mental note to buy some later.


    "Of course. How long will you be staying?" the man replied smoothly. Tsukasa sighed in relief - he didn''t want to get thrown out based on his strange appearance.


    "Well, I haven''t given that much thought. Could I pay for a week, then extend at a later date if needed?" Tsukasa asked.


    "Very well. That will be 5 silver and 25 copper, please." Tsukasa withdrew six silver marks from his pouch, but the receptionist frowned slightly. "I''m afraid there is a no change policy for denominations below 1 gold." Unfortunately, Tsukasa only had eight copper marks left. He''d have to pay an extra 75 copper.


    "Just keep the change," Tsukasa said, trying to appear confident - and willing to waste a few dozen coppers. The receptionist nodded and accepted the money.


    "Your name, please?"


    "Yuuki."


    "Enjoy your stay, Yuuki-san." The man said, writing his name down neatly in the ledger. "Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the right hallway. Here is your room key - make sure the number on the door is the same as that of the key."


    "Thanks," Tsukasa replied, accepting the key. The number ''207'' was indented neatly onto its surface. Tsukasa headed to the stairs and up to his room. Once he was inside, he locked the door and gazed at the room. It wasn''t the largest room, nor was it ''special'' in any way, but that didn''t matter - he had primarily come here for information.


    "[Barrier of Effulgent Bery]!" Tsukasa said, feeling the noticeable MP drain, comparable to that of [World Teleport]. However, it was worth it - the door and walls were completely immune to physical attacks until he released the spell or the infused mana ran out. However, he didn''t feel completely safe.


    "[Negative Mana Field]. [Fire Resist]. [Gas Filter]." He chanted, directing the wards around him. "Should I make a golem as a sentry?" He mused, taking his [Incantation of Awakening] fro his inventory. However, he decided against it. I''d like a more... intelligent servant. Golems are rather nice, but the higher end ones are a bit costly and not too bright. I don''t know if I can acquire any of the required materials in this world, so I should save the ones I have. Suddenly, he remembered something that would serve quite nicely as a guard, and perhaps even a traveling companion. Last year, Avalon had received a new update - the [Age of Adventure] expansion. Since most of the events required 3 or more party members, the devs had decided to add the feature of Guardians. Most players at that time had trouble getting into groups above 2, so these Guardians could be summoned to replace party members if necessary. They also had decent ''meta'' skills and spells, but as a drawback, they were generally weaker in terms of raw strength than an average player of equal level.


    [Guardian Summoning Crests] allowed a player to summon a Guardian (hence the name) but were an extremely prized and rare commodity, contrary to their original design. Tsukasa had never killed the event bosses that dropped these for the sole reason that he was too weak. He was rather frustrated at the time, but after a few weeks, the Guardians were deemed ''trash'' because the game gained popularity and players, leading to their decline - right before Tsukasa got transported here, no one used them - but he still thought they were ''cool''. Luckily enough, Tsukasa had beaten a player in the PVP event, the [Aegis Tournament], and got to take half a dozen items from that player''s inventory. He had sold half of them for materials to build his guild hall/base, but he also had looted two [Guardian Summoning Crests]. To his dismay, the Ritual Spell used to activate a [Crest] required a catalyst - a raw material of the Divine tier - exactly what Tsukasa had obtained at the [Alchemist]''s shop. He originally wanted to forge a weapon out of it, but he already hadobtained several powerful ones, so this was simply a pet project - which he would discard in favor for another.


    "[Teleport Anchor - Set]!" This spell essentially created a gate where he and his guildmates could teleport to with the [Teleport] spell, the most basic variety of instant transportation. "[Guild Teleport]!" he cried, then arrived in the iNCITE base. Ignoring the familiar sights, Tsukasa headed toward the side door to his guild''s treasure room. He stepped inside, then placed his hand on the elegant doors. He certainly hoped that the search function worked the same way it had in Avalon - he could access his items by simply thinking about them, similar to his inventory.


    However, he had no such luck.Crap, I guess I''ll have to sift through the entire treasury. It should be near the front though. It was the last thing I deposited here, anyways.He thought, bracing himself to heave the massive gates open. Before he could do so, and an idea came to him. He manually opened the slot, then attempted to peer through, but it was too small and couldn''t see the item. That was fine, though.


    "[Eagle Eye]!" Tsukasa cried, activating his skill - it was a weaker version of the Tier 7 spell, [Hawk Eye], which let him have an unlimited field of vision and expand vision through small holes. It was very popular when peering through keyholes, but Tsukasa had never bothered to learn it, because he had several skilled [Thief] class guildmates who knew this spell, amongst others. [Eagle Eye] did nothing about blind spots, but still expanded one''s field of vision and the ''keyhole'' thing. He spotted the catalyst at the very front amidst a pile of gold coins.


    "[Steal]." Tsukasa ironically stole his own item with the low-level thief skill, and it appeared in his hand momentarily. He probably could have used [Lesser Telekenisis], but this would suffice. "[Teleport]."


    In a flash, he had returned to his room at the Silver Eagle. The room appeared untouched, but Tsukasa left [Eagle Eye] active for a few moments, ensuring that he was alone. He took his catalyst then cast the spell [Planear Slash] which cleaved it in two - he didn''t need the whole thing, and he had two [Crests] - and each one required a catalyst to activate. He withdrew the two [Crests] from his inventory, then placed them gingerly down on the bed. He knew couldn''t be destroyed without the use of the [Destroy Greater Item] spell, but he just wanted to be careful. The [Guardian Summoning Crests] were surprisingly a viscous liquid, not unlike mercury and were contained in diamond vials with a vellum scroll tied to the side. From what he had heard, you had to spill it on a clean surface in order to activate it, preferably devoid of cracks as to not let any liquid seep through. Tsukasa cast the spell [Mana Barrier - Rank IV], and a wall of pure mana escaped from his MP pool. It formed a membrane on the floor, akin to a rug. Tsukasa gulped an [MP Potion] to restore the reserves he had drained, the popped open the first [Crest]''s vial - and poured it onto his flat [Mana Barrier]. The magical energy crackled when it came in contact with the crest, but due to its strength, it held fast. Once all the silver liquid had settled, it started to form an intricate pentagram encircled by foreign runes. Tsukasa unrolled the vellum scroll and began to read.


    "O mighty spirit, accept this offering, reclaim thy strength, and rise upon my command.


    You shall be my sword, and slice clear the path to my victory.


    In exchange for your noble service, I grant you form, freedom of will, and this sacrifice to your glorious name.


    Spirit, Guardian, I call upon thee!"


    Tsukasa held the catalyst above the summoning circle then released it. However, it was not captured by gravity but rather caught in a beam of bright light. The light flashed, and the half of the catalyst Tsukasa had offered the Guardian disappeared for a moment, he panicked - had something gone wrong? It had taken him almost a year to collect the [Eclipse Amulets] necessary for its creation. In quite a literal flash, half of it was gone. Fortunately, his ritual had succeeded. The drain on his mana reserves was immense - despite having a racial bonus for mana and high MP as his primary class was [Battlemage], roughly 80% had disappeared in an instant. However, it was enough to cast the spell which he had forgotten.


    "[Soundproofing]!" he cried, pointing at the door before the rest of his mana was leeched away by the greedy force. Higher tier [Crests] required higher quality catalysts and these required vast amounts of mana. Normally, a few players of the [Magic Caster] class would share the burden, but Tsukasa hat to face it alone - this left him exhausted and unable to guzzle [MP Potions]. Suddenly, a high pitched sound rang out from within the room, followed by an explosion. Luckily, it didn''t actually damage anything. Tsukasa peered through the smoke at where the explosion had come from. In the place of a pentacle stood a Dragon Avatar - this [Guardian Summoning Crest] was a [Mirror Crest], which summoned a guardian with the same race and one of the summoner''s classes. From the looks of it, the spirit was either a [Paladin], [Warrior], or [Magic Caster] - Tsukasa would have guessed [Battlemage] if it was not a unique class. The Guardian pounded her(?) stave on the [Mana Barrier] below, which shattered into glowing shards, then disappeared entirely. The figure landed on the ground with a soft thump.Tsukasa was impressed. I guess these Guardians aren''t just collector''s items, he mused wryly.


    "Greetings, summoner. I assume you are my master?"

 Chapter 1 - 5

    Chapter 1 - 5: Luminaris'' AdventurerGuild


    Silver Eagle Inn, Rayfield City, Kingdom of Luminaris. 09:47 PM JST/LST (LuminarisStandard Time)


    "Greetings, summoner. I assume you are my master?"


    Despite the gap between their power levels, Tsukasa felt intimidated by the figure that had appeared. He attributed it to the [Aura of Intimidation] passive skill, but deep down he knew he was just convincing himself. If the Guardian even had [Aura of Intimidation], it was probably no higherthan Rank II.


    "Y-yes. Do you have a name, Guardian?" Tsukasa asked nervously as the smoke cleared, revealinga woman clad in armor and a robe underneath. Her raven hair spilled out of helm''s opening and sheheld a staff in her right hand, humming with magical energy. In her left hand, she carried a black leather backpack with a sword strapped on top - the ''bonus'' items that came with the summoning of a Guardian.


    "Yes, Master. I am known as Astran, Harbinger of Doom, but you may addressme however you wish, Master." Astran bowed and fell to one knee.


    "Very well. I shall addressyou as Astran, however, in public, we shall have to come up with an alias that is relatively common in this world--er, country."Crap, I''m not cut out to be a leader, Tsukasa thought to himself nervously.Who knew I''d already be stressed after barely having a subordinate for a minute!


    "That is an excellent proposal. As expected of the wise Master who summoned me." Astran said. Unfortunately, she didn''t seem to be sarcastic - and therefore had high expectations of Tsukasa.How did this even become worse,Tsukasa internally screamed. He regretted summoning a Guardian - despite the company and extra safety, he would have to play the role of a master.To be honest, I think I''m more of an M than an S - and I''m not even an M! Or at least I think I''m not...


    "Um, thank you." Tsukasa shoved down the doubt inside. If he wanted to survive in this world, a Guardian would certainly improve his chances. Better not in danger than in danger, Tsukasa thought, messing up the English proverb, ''better safe than sorry''. Not having mastered any language was sometimes confusing. "Do you have any ideas for an alias?" He asked, moving on.


    "I am honored to have been given such an opportunity," Tsukasa sighed in relief - he was bad at coming up with names, especially common names in a foreign land. Now that he thought about it, he didn''t know anyone''s name except for the girl at the Luminaris Trade-In - whom he had forgotten already. "but I humbly request you name me yourself. It would be a great honor to be named by you, Master." Astran said, blushing slightly.Great. Just wonderful.


    "Uh, well..." Since Luminaris appeared to have the same honorific system as Japan, he decided to use a name from his home country. "How about Tetsuya?" Tsukasa was pretty sure Tetsuyameant ''wisdom'' in Japanese, and that was a quality he wanted Astran, no, Tetsuya to possess.


    "Thank you, Master! I will bear this name with pride!" Astran said. "If I may be so rude to ask your name-"


    "It''s Tsukasa. Tsukasa Yuuki, but please refer to me as Yuuki in public." After all, thatwas his fake name here and he was used to being called that at school. Tsukasa could also somehow tell between reality and the virtual world and was rather unaccustomed to being called Tsukasa by people that were not in his family in the real world.Have I already acknowledged this as reality?Yuuki thought.


    "Thank you, Tsukasa-sama," Astran said, bowing once more.


    "Astran, I also have a few questions for you." The Guardian raised her head, listening. "What class, level, and race are you?" It was probably a good idea to learn this before they engaged anyone - or anything - in actual combat.


    "I am of the Dragon Avatar race, and am level 100, like yourself. I am a [Magic Caster], but have some levels of the [Paladin], [Cleric], and [Demon Lord] classes." This surprised me a little, as [Demon Lord] was a mob-only class. Then again, she was technically a mob.


    "Hmm... that''s good. I can frontline very well so you should be able to stay back and support with magic."


    "I would be honored to help you, Tsukasa-sama!" Astran said eagerly.


    "Er... thank you. Since it is late, we shall rest here for the night. Tomorrow, we can find work in the city - if we didn''t have a job people will grow suspicious."


    "Of course. However, I do not require rest, and may find work now."


    "Oh. That''s nice, but I kinda need to sleep. Sorry." Tsukasa replied.


    "Forgive me, Master!" Astran said. "I apologize for not taking your body''s needs into consideration - I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate!"


    "There''s no need for that!" Tsukasa replied hastily. "Well, do you mind keeping watch? I would feel safe-"


    "Yes - of course!"


    "Um, thanks," Tsukasa said. "I''ll go to sleep now - just sit down on that chair for now. I doubt anyone will breach my wards but if they get past the third layer, please wake me up."


    "Yes, Tsukasa-sama."


    "Good night, then."


    After Tsukasa had dressed up and taken a shower with [Create Water], he decided the first thing to do was to get some ''normal'' clothes. He decided to leave Astran in the iNCITE base, as she only had one set of clothes - her armor. If second and third tier items were expensive, Astran''s plate and robes would be priceless. Not something a vagrant should have. Once the Guardian had been dismissed, Tsukasa pulled a bell beside his door, whose sign read ''ROOM SERVICE''. After a few minutes, a someone knocked on his door.


    "This is room service! May I come in?" Tsukasa opened the door and lowered a few wards, permitting the bellboy entry."What would you like to order, sir?" He said, pulling a notepad from his pocket.


    "I apologize, but I didn''t look at the menu. However, I have a different request. Can I... buy one of your spare uniforms?" Tsukasa said. The boy looked at him oddly, squinting through his brown hair.


    "You''re not from here, are you?" He asked Tsukasa.


    "Yeah. First time visiting."


    "Then I suppose you had no way of knowing we don''t hand out uniforms, nor do we sell them." The boy paused. "But I have a few extras though. How much will you pay?"


    "Three silver marks." The boy''s face remained expressionless, but Tsukasa could sense his avarice.


    "If one can afford three, they must have five to spare. Do you?" Tsukasa made a smalltch sound in disdain, then bent down to the boy''s eye level.


    "Listen, boy. I don''t have time for your games." He hissed. "Name your price. Nothing too extravagant." The bellboy backed away, frightened.


    "Um-"


    "What was the ''final'' price in your scheme? Spit it out." This time, Tsukasa activated [Aura Copy], which mirrored someone''s passive skill and leveled it down to Rank III. He chose Astran''s [Aura of Intimidation], exuding a foreboding atmosphere.


    "E-eight silver marks, sir..."


    "I''ll give you one gold for the clothes and your silence."


    "Okay." He said, swallowing forcefully. He strolled away briskly, presumably to fetch a uniform. He returned shortly with the uniform, folded neatly. It was identical to the one he was wearing - black slacks and vest, a red tie, and a white shirt. Golden buttons adorned the vest''s front and an expensive looking handkerchiefsat in the pocket. A pair of dark shoes lay on top of the clothes, socks neatly tucked inside. Tsukasa flicked a gold mark at the boy, who scrambled to catch it, then left wordlessly. Tsukasa deactivated his [Aura of Intimidation], then unfolded the uniform. He tossed the handkerchief and tie to the side, then slipped into the clothes. It wasn''t the most comfortable attire, nor was it shabby. Simply average - that was good. He then cast the [Message] spell to Astran, who was in the Guild Hall.


    "Astran. I am heading out, and you may return to the inn. I shall return by noon.


    Very well, Master.


    With that taken care of, Tsukasa buckled on [Cold Steel], whose gold hilt glinted in the sunlight from the window. He then shoved open the window, letting in some fresh air. However, that was not his intent. Since he now wore a hotel uniform, despite being less fancy and lacking a nametag, he would seem suspicious if walked out the front door. Instead, he decided to hop out of the window. Unfortunately, Tsukasa wasn''t fond of heights. He just braced himself, then jumped out with his eyes closed and feet facing downwards, trusting in his Physical Defense racial bonus to keep him safe. He landed smoothly, albeit off balance, on the side alley beside the inn.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "[Ward of Death]. [Magic Breaker]." He chanted, targeting the open window. He didn''t want just anyone to get in, did he? If an Avalon player got past his wards, they would probably be at least level 80 - so defending the room would be pointless, as it would end up wrecked by their and Tsukasa''s attacks if they fought. To damage higher level players, you needed to use powerful attacks not designed for bedroom use. Tsukasa walked out of the alley and into the sunlight, then began to walk around town.


    What should I do for work? I doubt anyone would take on a completely inexperienced apprentice, even if they didn''t need a salary. I''d just get in most people''s way. Is there an adventurer guild in Rayfield? I suppose that would work. I told the guard I was an adventurer who wanted to sell magic items, so that would check out with my story...Tsukasa thought.No harm in asking someone where it is.Tsukasa went to a beggar next to the inner gate, crouching down to talk to the grimy man.


    "Excuse me, is there an Adventurer''s Guild in this town?" The man nodded silently. "Can you please tell me where it is?"


    "It''s a few streets to the east, next to the other gate." He rasped. The man appeared to be in his mid-fifties, obviously not in his prime. Life out here must be hard on him, Tsukasa thought. "Do you have some food to spare, by any chance?"


    "I''m sorry, I don''t," Tsukasa said. "Take this instead - I''m sure you can buy something. Tsukasa tossed him a few gold coins - he probably needed it more that Tsukasa did. Plus, Tsukasa could trade in items whenever he wanted for money.


    "Thank you very much, sir!" Tsukasa smiled and waved briefly as he walked eastwards, to the guild. After a minute of walking, he arrived at the building. It was huge, even compared to the inns, but only had two floors. That made sense, as Tsukasa doubted people would spend too much time there. Unfortunately, the Adventurer''s Guild door was locked. Sighing, Tsukasa knocked.


    "Hello?" He called. An eye slot was opened in the door, revealing a pair of green eyes. A gruff voice rang out from the interior.


    "Adventurers only before noon! Come back later!"


    "Wait!" Tsukasa said, holding the slot open. He could feel the man trying to push it shut, but ignored him. "I want to become an adventurer. Can I register here?" The man stopped pushing, then replied.


    "You should have said so in the first place," he grumbled. The door swung open, revealing the person behind it. He wore leather armor with a few steel plates, similar to the basic armor Tsukasa had equipped before and had a hand ax and sword tucked in his belt. The man was taller than average, at around 5''11, but not quite as tall as Tsukasa, who was around 6''2 - short for a Dragon Avatar, but still tall as a human. "Just go to the receptionist over there." He pointed to a booth near the end of the room, next to a board covered in paper. There were also a few tables scattered around the room, but they were mostly empty. Only a few adventurers were here at this hour, and most appeared to be drinking. Tsukasa hoped it was water, but their demeanors coupled with the piles of empty tankards made him think otherwise.


    "Excuse me, I''d like to register as an adventurer," Tsukasa told the receptionist.


    "Oh, all right then. You''re the first new adventurer in quite a while, so I might take a while getting the paperwork ready." She said, setting down her pen and whatever she was writing. It took a few minutes, as promised, but she ended up with pulling a stack of paper from a filing cabinet. She flipped through them until she found what she wanted. "Here, just fill this sheet out. Since we''re unsure of your background, you will be placed at the lowest rank. However, that can change in time if you prove your combat ability or trustworthiness. Preferably both."


    "Thank you, I''ll do my best." Tsukasa took a pen from the counter and filled out the sheet. He handed it in to the receptionist, who accepted it.


    "Are you aware of the Adventurer and Quest Ranking system, Yuuki-san?" She asked.


    "No," Tsukasa replied meekly. "Do you mind explaining it to me?"


    "Not at all. Quests or jobs are always assigned a difficulty level, and only members of the corresponding rank are allowed to take it. However, a party of three or more can take on a quest one level higher than their average rank. The ranks of adventurer are brass, bronze, iron, silver, gold, platinum, duralumin, mithril, and altarium, from lowest to highest. The symbol of an adventurer''s status is their amulet, which is crafted from the metal of their rank. You can also obtain gemstones that go on your amulet by fulfilling certain conditions, such as donating a large sum to the guild or preventing a war. You don''t really have to worry about those just yet." She let out a small laugh, and Tsukasa shifted awkwardly. "Anyways, here is your Amulet. Just take this [Spell Tag], write your name on it, then it will be imprinted to the amulet. Once you rank up, you can keep the amulet or give it back for some money, then we''ll give you your new one. But first, you have to pay the registration fee of one gold mark. I know it''s expensive, but being an adventurer can be very profitable. Consider it an investment."


    "Alright then,"Yuuki said,thinking about all the gold he had given to the homeless man, regretting messing up Rayfield''s economy. He placed the coin on the counter. The receptionist accepted it, then gave him a brass amulet. He wroteYuuki Ryota on the [Spell Tag] then placed it on the amulet, which burned the tag. He sensed that the item had been ''soulbound'', so he didn''t worry about the lack of visible writing. Yuuki slipped the brass necklace''s strap over his neck, feeling its weight.


    "Good. Now, for quests. Feel free to grab whichever one that tickles your fancy. Within difficulty, of course." Tsukasa scanned the board, looking for a quick, 1-hour job. He found none, simply large posters such as Exorcise Evil SpiritsorSubdue the Red Scorpion Gangobscuring the smaller ones - likely symbolizing their importance. The quicker jobs were probably hidden there, but Yuuki didn''t have time for searching.


    "Thanks, but I won''t for now. I''m going to take a job in the evening - I must be off. Goodbye!"


    "Goodbye," the receptionist echoed as he left the room. Ducking into an alley, Yuuki pulled a pocket watch from his inventory and looked at the time. After taking a few seconds, he found that the hands ready 9:53. He then decided to head back to the homeless man for directions. Unfortunately, the man had left, probably buying food somewhere with his gold. Tsukasa sighed in disappointment but was relieved to see the man off the street. He then pondered where to go.Maybe I can go to the Trade In... I could also get some money there too. The girl from before seemed nice enough, what was her name? Crap, I forgot it... Oh well.


    Tsukasa followed the semi-familiar path to the fountain, then turned right - as he was facing the opposite direction than yesterday. Sure enough, the Luminaris Trade in was there, and Tsukasa walked in.


    "Oh hello, Yuuki-san! Have you come to exchange some items today?" The bespectacled girl from before said to him.


    "Yeah," Yuuki replied. Since he appeared distracted, Melissa, the trade in clerk assumed he''d forgottenabout her.


    "Do you remember me? I''m Melissa, from yesterday." She said,blushing slightly.


    "Oh, yes. I remember."Shit! I forgot her name and assumed she had a Japanese sounding name based on what I''d heard. Now both Astran and I have weird sounding aliases! It would be awkward change her pseudonym... I suppose we look ''foreign'' enough though... We''ll be fine. "Actually, I have a few questions for you as well."


    "Okay!"


    "Do you know where the nearest cheap clothing shop is? I have to buy some spare clothes for my friend and I. Oh, preferably a shop that has both male and female attire."


    "Um..." Melissa paused for a moment, thinking. "There is one next that has nice clothes in the interior, but I don''t remember the name. Give me a second..."


    "Oh, it doesn''t have to be fancy. Anywhere will do." Yuuki said.


    "Ok then. There''s one around here, actually. It''s just a few stores away from the fountain. They mostly have used clothes, but there are a few new ones too. Not many, as the newer clothes are cheaper than interior store new clothes and are usually all bought soon. You might get lucky though."


    "Thank you. Well, I have these for today." Yuuki pulled out some more trash loot, fifth tier bracers, and an eighth-tier crossbow. "The crossbow is inscribed with arcane runes, which make it shoot Rank I [Icebolt] shots instead of arrows. It shouldn''t run out of mana either because it''s pre-enchanted. Nothing too special about the gauntlets, though. Just some basic strengthening magic. Not that much actually, it lets you lift only 20 extra pounds. However, they''re pretty well made."


    "Um, what rank adventurer are you, Yuuki-san?"


    "Brass, unfortunately. I hope to be bronze by the end of the month, though."


    "You should probably use these instead of trading them in," Melissa replied. "I''m sure you''ll be able to find many uses for the bracers and crossbow or even offer them to people who join your party."Party members? Ast-er, Tetsuya will definitely join, but we may need a healing class... I suppose I won''t be taking on hard quests right away though. No dungeons or dragon-slaying, then.


    "I''ll be fine, thanks for the advice anyways.My friend will apply too, and she''ll probably join my party, so I won''t have to worry about that."


    "Okay, then. Um, give me a minute. [Greater Appraise Item]!" Yuuki waited patiently as she appraised the items, silently checking the time.


    "Wow! The crossbow is worth 47 null marks, and the gauntlets are worth one. I''m afraid we don''t have enough gold for that because the limit per customer is 1000 gold. We do have some null marks, though. Is that all right?"


    "Uh, yes. That will be fine." Yuuki received a pouch will 47 null marks and 100 gold, which he slipped in his inventory when Melissa wasn''t looking.


    "Be careful not to get robbed, okay? There sure is a lot of money in there." Yuuki grinned at her in reply, nodding his head then walking out the door, presumably to the clothing shop.Where does he get this stuff anyway?Melissa wondered to herself, getting up from her chair to stow the items in a safe.


    Yuuki found the clothing store in less than a minute and walked inside. In contrast to the near-empty Adventurer''s Guild and Trade In, this establishment was filled with people. Most people were dressed in threadbare or tattered outfits, most likely seeking the cheapest clothes they could find to replace the ones on their backs. In his fairly clean uniform, Yuuki stood out, attracting multiple glances from suspicious looking men. Ignoring them, he decided to rummage about and check out the used clothes. He decided to prioritize finding Astran an outfit as he already had his uniform.


    Unfortunately, Yuuki was terrible at finding clothes and even worse at finding decent female outfits, so he elected to abandon his search in the used section and move on to the new section. Many of the clothes were gone, leaving only a few pair of trousers, a cloth bag labeled socks and gloves, a cloak, and half a dozen shirts. He grabbed them all, then picked out some plain looking shoes from the bottom rack. Astran will probably be fine with these,he thought to himself.Before heading towards the cashier, Yuuki picked out another pair of shoes, just in case. He didn''t really need them because there were many boot-type magic items in Avalon, many of which he possessed in his expansive inventory. He then proceeded to squeeze through the unruly crowd towards the line to pay. Once Yuuki got to the front, he laid all the items on the counter.


    "That will be five silver marks and five bronze." The man said, not looking up from the clothing. He seemed rather tired, and after seeing the number of people in the store Yuuki couldn''t blame him. He handed the cashier six silver marks for the trouble, then left the store, clothes in hand. However, Tsukasa noticed a few men from the store following him. A few more came out from alleys in front of him, trying to herd him away from the inn he was headed to. Tsukasa was about to activate a [Chronos Alter] spell and dash past them butpaused. A few of them had black armbands with a red scorpion on them - probably part of this ''red scorpion'' gang that was ''wanted'' by the Adventurer''s Guild. Instead of escaping, he simply walked away from the men, and into a secluded alley. No one seemed to be around, and there were no windows facing the alley. Perfect. After a few moments, the men appeared in the alley''s mouth, bearing knives and cudgels. Pathetic, Yuuki thought, not bothering to draw [Cold Steel] yet. This would be simple. Very simple.