The Kingdom of Aurumia was a competitive place, evident in the behavior of its noble families. Nobles constantly strived to outshine their peers. Earl families tried to outdo other earls, and dukedoms aimed to surpass one another, all under the watchful eyes of the Royal family. Even Talon, in the remote town of Eryndor, had heard tales of this competition from traveling bards and minstrels.Since Luth came from an Earl family in the Bluefeather Duchy, Talon guessed that this young noble might be more willing to answer his questions if he knew Talon was from a rival territory. He might even answer just to spite the Ironflower Duchy. Talon’s hunch proved correct."Hahaha," Luth laughed out loud. "I knew you must have been from that backward region when you didn’t even know what a Warrior was. Ironflower is truly the home of blockheads. No wonder."After satisfying his ego by insulting Talon’s hometown, he finally replied, "In the world, a Knight is neither high nor low. So, it is relat
Early the next morning, Talon headed to the guild branch in Bluefeather City. It was a large building, with architecture that proclaimed the grandiose of the Aurumia kingdom. It had many tall, colorful, translucent windows. There were no guards around, but hundreds of people entered and left the place, creating a bustling atmosphere. Tall opaque crystal boards hung on the northern wall, with words flickering in and out of existence. As a mission was completed, it vanished from the board. Whenever a new mission was available, the content appeared on the board as well. Talon was flabbergasted; this was far more impressive than the chalk and board used by the small guild branch in Eryndor.The general hall of the guild building was buzzing with conversations, people calling out here and there, trying to rally others to join a team with them, and so on. It was like a raucous marketplace.Talon was soon face-to-face with one of the dozen attendants stationed in the general
Hi everyone!It's been a while since my last update—sorry about that! Work kept me busy, but now I'm back. I'll do my best to write and post updates every two days (excluding weekends). Stay tuned!
Rainy nights shrouded the world in darkness, a veil many found unsuitable for a hunt. Yet, for those who thrived in the cover of night, it was an ideal time. The Verdant Brothers, led by the formidable Eren ‘Sun Fire,’ were a renowned team of adventurers capable of tackling the most suicidal quests. When they posted a notice at the Adventurer Guild seeking a porter, Talon seized the chance, believing he could earn guild merits without facing much danger under their protection.He was gravely mistaken.Panting behind his shield, Talon winced as blood dripped from his broken arm. His shield, now a warped mess, had partially fused with his left hand from Eren's fiery attacks. The other team members watched, their eyes glinting with amusement, some even laughing at his plight. Anger and helplessness churned within him.Just half an hour earlier, they had been escorting a treasure-laden caravan from Fort Avarack in the Lupin Mountain Range to Ironflower Duchy under the Duke's request. The
The ground was cold and hard against Talon's cheek. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find himself lying face down on a stony floor. Groaning, he sat up, a fleeting memory of Eren’s fiery attack flashing through his mind.“How am I still alive?” He inspected his body in disbelief. His broken arm and mangled hand were completely healed. His clothes, once charred and tattered, were restored as if nothing had happened.'But where is this?'The surroundings were unfamiliar. Darkness enveloped him, save for a single beam of light illuminating his position. The stone floor felt alien, unlike anything he’d ever seen or touched.“Hello?”A synthetic voice responded, echoing in the emptiness. "Welcome to the Interdimensional Bazaar, where infinite realities meet."Talon staggered backward in shock. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” he demanded, his hands instinctively raised."I am the Admin, the consciousness of the Interdimensional Bazaar. I cannot manifest myself for your own good."The voice was e
The white light cleared, revealing an abandoned inn room. Talon could hear the boisterous laughter from the ground floor, likely from the inn’s bar. He looked out the window and saw it was still early evening; the sun had not yet fully disappeared from the horizon.The Admin’s voice rang in his head. "The mission will be accepted as completed once the target is killed. Your target is within this inn. You can access your system by calling it with a thought." The voice faded away.Almost immediately, Talon thought, ‘System.’ A sky-blue translucent screen appeared before him, displaying several icons. As he looked at the icons, he instinctively understood their functions. There was even a mini-map showing the proximity of his target. 'What a great Admin. What a great system,' he thought, hiding the screen again.He noticed that his clothing was different from normal, designed to blend into this world. 'Can this be called a mission prop?' he muttered. A dagger and a coin purse hung from h
Talon joined Pontus and, using Pontus’ token, they entered the inner city as a trader and his assistant. Unlike the outer city, the inner city was cleaner but just as lively. The roads, paved with cut granite, impressed Talon. They were wide enough to hold five carriages side by side, allowing the heavy traffic to flow smoothly.The duo soon found a spot that satisfied Pontus, and they set up the stall. Talon got to work, attracting passersby with some of the goods. Within the next hour, he managed to secure several sales, convincing Pontus of his hard work. Satisfied, Pontus positioned himself on a high seat behind the stall to attend to customers.As the moon rose, Talon returned to the stall. "Hey, boss."Pontus enjoyed being called that, and Talon saw no reason not to take advantage of it. "Yeah, tired already?""Not yet, just hungry. Can I get something to eat? I can bring yours along as well."Pontus nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, that’s alright. We’ll be here most of the night, so
The moment Talon reached the busy street where he had settled with Pontus, he was already out of breath. Pontus was happy to see him return. "Good, good, a trustworthy man like you will definitely have good luck. He who doesn’t cheat others can never be cheated by the world."Talon gave a wry smile. "Did you think I would run away with your money, boss?"Pontus simply laughed without a word."I need to get some rest, boss. It's been a very tiring day.""Hmm. Be sure to come back early tomorrow morning; the real sales start then." Pontus handed Talon two silvers.Talon wanted to thank him, but he felt an icy sharpness invade his lungs. It was like he had glass shards inside him, making each breath almost unbearable. He had to do everything to avoid grimacing, but even then, his face changed."What? Are you not satisfied? You'll get better pay if you do even better tomorrow," Pontus said, waving his hand as if chasing away a fly.Before leaving, Talon managed to squeeze out a word, "Tha