"I’m Idriss, your guide," the young boy, who looked like a teenage kid, explained as they walked side by side. "Newcomers can collect a room key from the Administration Office. They get seven days of free accommodation, and the countdown begins the moment they receive the key, even if they’re not present.
"After the seven days of free accommodation, Awakeners are expected to pay a thousand Terris Credits per day. Moreover, they have to be present, meaning they can’t hold a room in their absence."
Then he ducked and whispered to them, "I heard there are some VIPs who can stay in very well-furnished rooms, which aren’t much different from the rooms in the city. Though only a few can enjoy such privileges. Money can’t buy them, and only the Castellan can approve them."
Elvis nodded without any change in his expression, remaining aloof.
The boy continued the tour, introducing them to many places and things that wouldn’t be mentioned in the research, such as who offered the best prices, who might be a scammer or sell problematic goods, and a few dangerous individuals never to offend.
Elvis nodded.
Suddenly, Elvis noticed a well-equipped group of ten riders mounted on silver gray and pale brown horses.
Judging by the horses’ streamlined builds and sleek coats, he could tell they were superior to those belonging to the coachmen.
People quickly made way as the group rode past them.
As they passed, their guide watched them with passionate eyes.
One of the boys on horseback suddenly whistled at Caelithia.
"Beauty, want to ride with me?" he asked with a proud smile.
She immediately became the focus of the surrounding bystanders.
However, she merely shot him an indifferent, dismissive glance before turning her attention ahead.
Meanwhile, Elvis backed the group and continued surveying the surrounding buildings with his hands clasped behind his back, occasionally giving a tiny nod as though they had passed his inspection.
Their aloof demeanors made them stand out among the onlookers.
The young boy merely grunted in displeasure before riding ahead with his group.
Their guide’s eyes suddenly grew inquisitive, but Elvis wasn’t going to satisfy his curiosity. Not that there was anything to satisfy.
"So, what are the rules?" Elvis asked as he strutted ahead. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
"Erm... Nothing much. Killing or fighting in the fortress is prohibited. Most of the rules are the same as those in Vinegard City," he said. "Also, if you want to hunt in a group, you should buy a Lifecrest Badge. It’s a badge that glows softly and becomes warm when you get the last hit. I heard it detects Life Mana extraction."
’Right. Getting the last hit is almost synonymous with Life Mana extraction, but they’re not quite the same. What happens when a Spirit Beast gets the last hit?’ Elvis pondered while listening to the boy.
However, he decided not to ask, maintaining his aloof persona. He was going to find out himself.
"So, do you know any hunting spots around here? Like Level 6, even Level 8?"
"Well... the areas closer to the fortress have few monsters ranging from Level 4 to Level 6, though Level 6 monsters are very rare. They’re overpopulated with Awakeners. However, if you go deeper, the risk increases, but there are more monsters. Those guys are from the Bluefrost Guild, and their aim is definitely to venture deeper. Perhaps even the..." His voice trailed off as he eyed Elvis with a knowing smile.
"I’ll add a thousand extra. So, what is it?" Elvis stated calmly, his gaze tranquil.
"Two thousand," he bargained.
Elvis nodded with an unperturbed countenance despite his aching heart, knowing it might be a rip-off. It felt as though someone was using his own tricks against him, and he couldn’t even cuss the swindler.
The boy pulled them to a corner and vigilantly scanned their surroundings before speaking in a very low voice. "I heard there might be a monster with a bloodline in the eastern part of the forest."
Elvis arched an eyebrow. He had read that monsters with bloodlines were rarely seen and mostly appeared at higher ranks.
"One of those guys from the Bluefrost Guild might want to hurry and contract it as a Spirit Beast before the top guys return. They just returned from the wild and are now heading back, which is very suspicious. I think they’re faking their calmness to avoid revealing their plan, though I don’t know how true the information about the bloodline is."
Elvis nodded and transferred the money, and the boy left.
He then turned to Caelithia, whose eyes were gleaming.
"Let’s go hunt it," she suggested.
"Hell no! We won’t disrupt our plans for some rumors. Besides, I don’t need it," Elvis dismissed her suggestion before squinting at her.
"What?" This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
"Nothing." He shook his head.
He had wanted to ask her why she didn’t have a bloodline tab but decided against it. He couldn’t predict how the nutcase would react.
The inability to absorb monster core outside the dungeon was already stressful enough.
Suddenly, a group of three young ladies and two men walked up to them.
"Hello, I’m Zara," the leading lady greeted them. She wore light armor, had long jet-black hair, and wielded a long staff.
"Elvis," he replied coolly.
"Do you want to join our group and hunt in the depths of the woods?" she asked with a friendly smile.
Elvis turned her down with a shake of his head.
"Okay. Have a nice day." The group swiftly left.
"Let’s go get our Lifecrest Badges and begin leveling." He turned and headed to a nearby shop, where he bought two Lifecrest Badges, almost emptying their combined account.
It was a branch of the Universal Trading Center.
The Lifecrest Badge was a dull, gold, shield-shaped badge. They each bound one to themselves with a sliver of their mana.
And they were good to go.
His Hunter Watch contained a map with a few marked danger zones, which would be crucial in the field.
However, since numerous battles took place almost every day, the situation in those locations might have changed. The danger might have been eliminated altogether—or perhaps worsened.
That was why he had hired the guide, and it had paid off. He had heard that the number of insect monsters in the east—which was predominantly inhabited by them—had multiplied, turning the area into a death maw for most Acolyte Awakeners.
Elvis connected his Hunter Watch to Caelithia’s so they could always know each other’s locations, even though she deemed it unnecessary.
Then they left the Greenhouse Fortress and entered the forest, jogging in a direction diagonal to the path taken by the Bluefrost Guild group.