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Chapter 21 - The First Journey on a Strange Continent (1)

The port of the continent was packed to the point where there wasn’t even space to set foot.

The green city of Karshiko only gets crowded when the canal steamers arrive at the archipelago.

But here, it\'s always like this. That’s the difference between the continent and the islands.

As Arzen pushed through the sea of people, he suddenly caught a hand sneaking toward his waist.

"Not happening. I’ve been an adventurer for too long to fall for that."

"Ah."

It was a filthy little kid, so dirty that grime practically dripped off his skin.

‘Even in a grand city like this, there are still street kids living off pickpocketing. The world really is hopeless, isn’t it?’

He was about to give the kid a proper scolding but decided against it.

"Hey, where’s the adventurer’s guild?"

"Wh-what?"

"I’m asking, which way is the adventurer’s guild?"

The frightened kid pointed to a signpost.

With so many people around, Arzen hadn’t noticed it while he was distracted by the crowd.

Given the city\'s enormous size, the signpost listed the locations of various government offices and major buildings.

"I’ll let you off this once. Don’t do that again."

Suddenly, Arzen realized he was hungry.

It was probably because of the tempting smell from a nearby food stall he had passed by earlier.

He returned to the stall and bought a skewer of fish cakes and a piece of dried squid, each for 2 silver coins.

‘Oh, damn, this is too good!’

It wasn’t exactly the weather for hot food, but even under the scorching late summer sun, the taste was incredible.

***

Aristapo Adventurer’s Guild

The adventurer’s guild in one of the continent’s seven great cities had a much more intimidating atmosphere than the one in Karshiko.

The building alone stood about five stories tall.

Inside, the counters were double in number and teeming with adventurers who clearly had some muscle to back up their bravado.

Compared to Karshiko\'s guild, which was full of small fries, the difference was night and day.

‘It’s been a while... since I’ve seen so many real adventurers, the kind that carry the stench of blood.’

Could it be that the assassination team from Helsea is hidden among them?

He glanced around just in case, but everything seemed fine.

If he acted too cautious here, it would actually make him stand out and attract unwanted attention.

Arzen walked past the central request board and got in line at one of the counters.

After the three people ahead of him finished their business, it was his turn.

"Verbal abuse or violence against guild members can result in a significant drop in contributions, fines, and even the confiscation of your adventurer’s tag. How can I assist you today?"

"Is there a decent base in a nearby small town? Somewhere with good hunting grounds?"

"Yes, may I check your adventurer’s tag to recommend a location that matches your rank and verify your identity?"

When Arzen showed his steel-ranked tag, the receptionist let out an exaggerated sigh, as if to make it clear she was exhausted.

"If you\'re a steel rank, it shouldn’t matter much where you go..."

Is it because this is a big city, and she couldn’t care less about small fries?

Or maybe she’s just worn out dealing with so many low-ranked adventurers.

Either way, Arzen was not pleased.

‘How outrageous! I may be a steel rank now, but thanks to the power of the Void, I’m practically destined to reach diamond rank in the future!’

However, arguing with a guild employee wasn’t the wisest course of action.

‘I need to advance in rank soon. They’re underestimating me just because I’m steel-ranked.’

The adventurer guilds in big cities had the power to back up their presence. Many of the staff were former adventurers themselves.

"Oh, I’ve got this."

Arzen handed the receptionist the letter of recommendation he received from the Karshiko guild, even as she continued to wear a clearly annoyed expression.

In an instant, her eyebrows shot up.

As she broke the seal and read the letter, she glanced back and forth between the letter and Arzen, her expression now one of disbelief.

"This... this seal is genuine... Wow... I didn’t expect you to have a recommendation from the Karshiko guildmaster. Especially from him."

"Is he famous?"

"You don’t know? He’s a former high-ranking adventurer. One of the top-tier ones, in fact."

Adventurers referred to those ranked in the top 100 of the gold tier as "Rankers."

‘What the... That muscular guy didn’t look like much, but turns out he’s not just the guildmaster—he’s a Ranker too?’

Even in the Divine Guillotine, only the top brass were Rankers.

"I’ve never heard of a Ranker named James."

"That’s just his alias. His real name’s something else. Want me to tell you?"

"No, that’s fine."

Even if she told him, Arzen wouldn’t know since they had operated on different continents. The vast oceans separated many things, after all.

Just from this brief conversation, Arzen noticed subtle differences in how the receptionist pronounced certain words. Even though they were both speaking Republic Common, the regional accents were clear.

"The letter says he’s willing to vouch for your skills and take full responsibility if anything goes wrong. You’ve got some serious trust from him."

"…!"

"Well then, I have a few locations I could recommend. One is the Ilbas Forest."

Recently, goblin hordes had been running rampant, causing trouble for many villages. The guild here didn’t have enough manpower to handle it, so they requested help from outside.

It was a six-day journey by wagon.

‘Goblins, huh... Goblins!’

Individually, they were weak, but in groups, they became far more dangerous, much like humans. Small-scale hunts were typically assigned to rookies. However, when it came to larger groups, those missions were given to upper-level steel ranks or mid-level bronze ranks.

"And the next option is─"

"─I’ll take the goblins."

"The goblins?"

"Yeah."

"That’s surprising. Most people avoid goblin nests because they’re so filthy, so it’s hard to find anyone willing to take the job."

For Arzen, though, a place like that was perfect. It meant he could use the Void’s power without worrying about anyone noticing.

"The canal route is the fastest way, but since you have the guildmaster’s recommendation, I can arrange for you to take on a guard duty mission aboard the wagon heading to the Euphoria branch."

"Is that a good option?"

"It’ll take a bit longer, but as a guard, you won’t have to pay the fare. Plus, for the first three days, you’ll be traveling along the main road that connects to Aristapo, so there’s not much danger."

For now, it seemed wise to save every penny.

‘One of these days, I should really go and pay my respects to good old James!’

Arzen took back his adventurer’s tag while receiving a rundown of the key instructions.

"The wagon departs tomorrow at 8 AM. Please don’t be late. If you are, and it causes any losses to the guild, we may file a claim for damages."

"Understood."

"Here, take the mission receipt. You can check the full mission details and collect your reward at the Euphoria branch. Any other questions?"

"No."

"Thank you. Next adventurer, please."

Dealing with the receptionist, who stuck strictly to business without any idle chatter, made Arzen already miss Karshiko.

He longed for the warmth and friendliness of the islanders. The cities on the continent felt cold.

Life as a steel-ranked adventurer was even harsher.

‘First things first, I need to find a place to stay...’

Being a big city, even the adventurer guild\'s lodging, though cheaper than the local market rates, was still more expensive than he expected. Since he only needed to stay for one night, he ended up booking a shabby inn on the outskirts of town.

The only valuable possession he had was his coin pouch, and that could stay with him.

Not knowing any good local spots for food, Arzen wandered the evening streets until he found a place bustling with people and took a seat.

‘Since this is a major port on the continent, there’s not just seafood but a ton of meat options too.’

Aristapo was known for its pepper-based cuisine, with pepper being added to just about everything.

Having had his fill of fish on the ship, Arzen craved meat for the first time in a while.

The most intriguing dish on the menu was pepper chicken legs. Seeing the person next to him eat them made his mouth water, so he ordered two.

The server asked, "Do you want old hen or young chicken?"

"Do they taste different?"

"The old hen’s really tough. I don’t like it, but some people love the chewy texture. Just so you know, we don’t serve it to elderly folks anymore. Too many lost their teeth chewing on it, and it’s pretty gross for us to clean up."

Wow, how blunt. That’s how servers are on the continent, I guess.

"Give me one of each."

"And to drink?"

"What’s good?"

"Do you drink alcohol?"

"No, I hate alcohol."

"Then just water for you."

"Give me milk. I need to grow taller."

"Sure, one cold glass of milk. That everything?"

Arzen clicked his tongue.

‘Even this kind of conversation feels so cold in a continental city!’

But any lingering resentment he had was immediately washed away... by the overwhelming flavor of the chicken.

"When you eat the old hen, use these scissors to cut it. It might be tough, so pair it with the cabbage here."

From the moment the dish arrived, it was clear this was no ordinary meal... As soon as the juices burst in his mouth, he forgot all the hardships of the world.

‘Wait, is this paradise?’

"No, this... this is happiness."

Tears of joy welled up in Arzen\'s eyes.

‘Next is the old hen...’

Unlike the young chicken, the old hen’s meat had shriveled up significantly.

‘What the... It’s hard to even cut this thing with scissors, damn it!’

But the moment he put it in his mouth, his opinion changed.

‘Hmm, this is... an unusual taste.’

The flavor, chewy and tough, was definitely one people would either love or hate. It wasn’t the most delicious thing, but it was the kind of taste that could linger in his mind, making him crave it now and then.

‘Is it because they’ve used pepper like it\'s salt? The flavor’s unique, but it’s not unpleasantly salty either.’

As Arzen chewed on the old hen, he gazed out into the evening streets.

Countless wagons continued to stream through the city gates.

Cargo ships from the grand canal endlessly flowed into the city via the sluice gates.

‘So busy, even at this hour...’

The continent of Acrad was fascinating in so many ways.

‘The distinct seasons here must be why people wear such a wide variety of clothing, unlike in the desert climate of the Adrion continent.’

After finishing his meal, Arzen sipped on his water for a while, watching the lively streets, then paid his bill and stepped outside.

The cool air was refreshing.

‘It’s even cooler than the Tersh Archipelago, not to mention the Adrion continent.’

Though the late summer was transitioning into early autumn, the climate here was entirely different.

‘It’s unfamiliar, but not unpleasant, so I guess that’s fine...’

Arzen wandered the streets a bit longer before finally heading back to his lodgings.

---

Once back at the inn, he spread out his holy book on the bed and began organizing his plans for the future.

‘I need to find stronger monsters.’

When he defeated the giant slime, the worker turned into a master key. This meant that powerful monsters were the key to growth.

‘To hunt strong monsters, I need to raise my adventurer rank so I can take on those kinds of requests.’

Of course, advancing in rank wasn’t just about defeating strong monsters. He also had to build up his contributions to the guild.

‘Contribution varies by request.’

Some people slowly rank up by completing hundreds of small, easy tasks. Others take on extraordinary missions, select only the most difficult ones, and advance quickly.

‘And after that, there’s still the promotion exam... hmm...’

The promotion exams were a chaotic mess, filled with all sorts of unsavory characters, but Arzen already had a plan to deal with that.

‘I’ll set those thoughts aside for now. I should train the power of the Void and then get some sleep for tomorrow.’

His training regimen consisted of two parts:

First, he would summon the Demon’s Arm, draining all of his internal energy.

Then, in his exhausted state, he would summon 24 Void Bugs.

The challenge of his training was to summon a 25th Void Bug, pushing himself beyond his limits.

“*Barolus! Move the holy book to the nightstand!*”

From beyond the dimensions, the Night Face responded to the apostle’s command.

Ripping through the fabric of the dimensional rift, the eldritch entity made its appearance.

The creature moved swiftly and menacingly, grabbing the holy book, but in the process, it tore the bedsheet.

Before it could even finish placing the book on the nightstand, its time ran out, and the book tumbled to the dusty carpet below.

"......"

Arzen, with wide, unimpressed eyes, stared at the disappointing scene. He then subtly covered the torn sheet with his pillow.

"I know nothing. Some demon did it. Kaz tu Arcturas!"

Arzen proceeded to summon the Void Bugs, starting with the First-Bee.

‘21st... 22nd... 23rd... 24th...!’

In a frantic effort to summon the 25th creature from the other side, both Arzen and his Void Bugs struggled, but not even a leg emerged.

"Hah... hah... damn it..."

Collapsing onto the bed, Arzen panted heavily. His eyes met the First-Bee, now perched on the torn sheet, and for some reason, it looked like it was judging him.

Tears of frustration welled up in Arzen\'s eyes.

"I\'m sorry, First-Bee. It\'s all my fault. I made the wrong choice back then! I should\'ve trusted you from the start... sniff."

Arzen picked up the holy book from the floor once again.

Su Ja Heros.

On the next page, which described the fusion of Void Bugs with the First-Bee, the requirement read: 24/30. The following page listed the next requirement as 24/44.

‘Tch, if only I had made the right choice back then, I would\'ve unlocked two Void Bug techniques at once.’

It was too late for regrets now.

‘I’ll focus on building up my contributions, and master the Void’s power so I can command 30 creatures simultaneously.’

Resolving himself, Arzen lay down to sleep.

"First-Bee, wake me up in the morning."