Aptly named, Neo thought.
It indeed bore a trace of the Immortal World.
Neo was fascinated at first, but he soon thought the whole thing to be of poor taste.
If it was built by those who had been rejected by the Immortal World.
If this was a way for them to reminisce about a place they could never return to.
Then it was pathetic.
They were pathetic.
Neo knew if he had what it took to build a place like this.
He might as well tell the whole Immortal World to be damned.
He stared at the city for a long time.
As the carriage got closer and closer to the city, he took his gaze away from the approaching gates.
He raised his hands before him, and looked both over.
Then he tightened both into fists.
He clenched hard, as he took deep breaths.
Being rejected by the Immortal World had really affected his state of mind.
He needed to get over this, and regain his calm.
There was still much to be done.
Now.
And in the future.
It was busy at the gates, as there was a toll to enter into the city.
It didn’t take long however, and they were soon inside.
Past the gates, the city was a mix of order and bustle.
The roads paved and wide, gently inclined upward.
The higher in the city you were, the more affluent that part of the city was.
The whole thing almost felt like a pyramid.
The higher you were, the better things were for you.
Just like the Immortal World and the mortal world.
Neo took a deep breath.
Now was not the time for that.
The carriage stopped at the destination he had requested.
He was the last person inside.
The carriage turned back, as he stood before the building.
He looked the building over.
It was a large building with three floors
The organization that owned this building had a presence in every part of the mortal world, and to some extent, the Immortal World.
The Adventurer Guild was a reputable organization in the whole world.
Even when they might have gone by other names, none can provide the services they provided.
They were well known, and they provided the means for him to achieve his goals.
Neo opened the door to a new chapter of his life as he stepped into the Adventurer Guild.
Inside the building, it was quite the scene.
The scene before him was reminiscent of a rowdy tavern.
He had been in quite a few since he entered this mortal world.
It was simply impossible for him to escape such raucous atmosphere.
It was quite early in the evening but the place was already bustling.
He weaved through the haphazardly arranged tables, passing by boisterous drunk adventurers as he made his way to the bar.
There at the bar, appeared to be the only person other than him who was still sober.
“You seem to be new here.
What would you like?” The barkeeper asked him.
His tone kind and friendly.
“I am not here for a drink.
I came to join the Adventurer Guild.” Neo was direct with his purpose.
“Ah.
A newbie.
Welcome.” The barkeeper smiled.
“Take the door over there.”
He pointed to one of the doors at the side.
“That is where you get registered.”
Neo thanked him, and moved with haste.
Even as the place got even more rowdy, he spared not a glance.
That door was all he had his eyes on.
The barkeeper watched him from behind.
He only shook his head as Neo stepped through the door.
Then he was back to pouring drinks.
Neo stepped into the room, and closed the door behind him.
The moment he did so, all the sounds from before disappeared, everywhere became quiet.
For him, this was a welcome reprieve.
In the room was a table and two chairs.
On the chair facing the door sat a woman, who looked up at him the moment he entered.
Her gaze was piercing, as she measured him for a while.
“You are welcome.
Please sit, as we get your registration done,” she said.
Her invitation was professional.
He took his seat on the only other chair in the room.
This woman who sat cross from him was at least a rank above him.
He was sure of that.
Her presence alone said it all, and that gaze that looked him over when he stepped inside the room.
“Name, please,” the woman said.
“Neo.”
She raised her head from the book she was filling.
“Just Neo.” He answered the unvoiced question.
That was the only name he would be known as from now on.
No other name was needed.
“Where are you from?”
Neo thought of what to say, then decided on a simple truth.
“Just a wanderer of no account.”
The woman probably thought it better to skip some questions.
“Rank?”
“F-Rank.” Neo replied.
The woman nodded.
She handed a blank card over to him.
“Welcome to the Adventurer Guild, F-Rank adventurer Neo.
Please, release your essence aura into the card.”
He did as she told him.
He seeped his faint aura into the card, and the once blank card now had his name and adventurer rank on it.
And also a contribution point which was at 0.
“That is your Adventurer Card.
Always have it with you.”
Neo nodded.
The woman retrieved a thick book from under her desk, and placed it before him.
“This contains all the common knowledge and information you will need to know.
A gift from the Adventurer Guild.”
Neo took the book.
All knowledge was welcome.
“You can view the available missions on the mission board outside.”
“Thank you,” Neo replied.
He left the room, as there was nothing else to be done.
The instant he stepped out of the room, and back into the rowdy tavern.
He killed all thoughts he had of staying back for a moment to check the place around.
He would come back at a less busy time.
He glanced at the large mission board on the wall across from him.
There were a few people crowded around there.
He really must have been too focused not to have noticed something that eye-catching when he first came in.
He looked around the place once more.
At the rowdy floor.
The bar.
The mission board.
The stairs leading to the upper floors of the building.
The adventurer life, he thought, was quite the life.
It was time to move, and find proper lodgings.
With the little he had left on him, it was best to walk down to the lower parts of the city.
He was going down, but one day, he was sure he would reach the top.
Maybe, when that day came, he might even decide to give this damn city a more befitting name.
The City of Neo didn’t sound so bad.
He shook his head, his thought moving as he walked down to the less affluent and more affordable parts of the city.
(^o^)
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