Nexoria City.
The second-biggest city of the Valerian Federation.
Nexoria City, the sprawling heart of the Valerian Federation, stood as a testament to human ingenuity and ambition.
The city’s grandeur stretched far and wide, encompassing a landscape that blended the old with the new, the historical with the modern.
As I walked through its bustling streets, I found myself immersed in a sensory symphony that painted a vivid picture of this vibrant metropolis.
The reason why we have taken the portal to come here was because two cities, Arcadia City and Nexoria City, were on opposite sides of the federation.
Therefore, coming from Arcadia City to Nexoria City took ten hours by train. And even that was with the fastest one. The average train took 15 hours to arrive.
In any case, the atmosphere of the city was not that different from Arcadia City’s own. But if there were one distinct difference, then that would be the appearance of hunters being more here.
The reason for that was simple.
The landscape and the place that surrounds Nexoria City are filled with places that were yet to be recovered from the wildlife.
As you may have already expected, the Valerian Federation occupies a huge amount of land, and not all of them are habitable.
There are places where life has been taken over by monsters from the gate, and Nexoria City is in such a state.
The landscape around here has a lot more threats which is the main reason why this place is the second-biggest city since it is not the safest.
In any case, it was said that this city was the capital of a fallen kingdom before the Nexus Convergence; therefore, making this place another metropolis was not that hard, which is another reason for this city to be this developed.
‘Certainly, the landscape is similar to the game.’ I thought, walking on the streets. This place was another place in the open world where players could wander around freely. Therefore, I had prior knowledge of coming here.
With that thought, I kept walking and observing things.
‘For some reason, I feel in danger.’
I could not understand what was happening, but for some reason, my senses were constantly tense.
‘Am I being followed?’
This doesn’t seem to make sense. Why was I being followed? My past was clear; I didn’t show off or offend anyone. I mean, I did offend some, but it was not to the point where they would follow me like that.
Also, this feeling came after I stepped onto Nexoria City, so it didn’t make any sense unless the ones targeting me knew I would come here. But that was pretty unlikely since I don’t think the ones targeting me would do it right here rather than while I was visiting Black Market.
‘That means one thing.’
I thought.
‘Demons are nearby.’
There is nothing that made me more uncomfortable than demons appearing.
GRIT
If there were demons or demon contractors appearing, that meant something was going to happen that we didn’t know in the game.
‘I was expecting this kind of thing.’
After all, there was no way a world based only on a game would be enough to call a world. No game can cover a whole world with every action that are happening in that world.
However, that didn’t mean the game didn’t give any information.
‘But, seeing that we didn’t hear about this, this event should be disclosed. That means this is nothing big.’
Most of the time, things related to demons would be hidden from the general public since the federal government already did have their hands full with the invasion of other species and international problems.
Internal problems and the panicked society would be a lot harder to deal with, which is also something demons are trying to make.
Public Distrust.
Terrorism.
Underhanded techniques will make the power of the government and association lower, which will end up making the human federation weaker.
That was the reason why the news was mostly filled with happy news.
In any case, even though I felt like something was going to happen, I had no way of knowing the source. And even if I did, right now, I couldn’t even deal with Academy Students on my own, let alone demon contractors.
I also couldn’t inform other people.
Therefore, the only thing I could do was to continue my way and stay alert to any possible danger. 𝐎𝑣𝗅xt.
Just like that, I kept walking, wandering around the streets of Nexoria City with my watch open wide as the map of the city was before me.
“Freshly roasted monster meat! Try the delicacy from the dungeon itself!” A vendor’s enthusiastic call caught my attention, drawing me toward a lively food stall. The aroma of sizzling meat filled the air as a crowd gathered, curious to sample this exotic fare. It was not an easy sight one could see inside the serious atmosphere of Arcadia City.
As I reached the stall, a man with a wide smile and a twinkle in his eye beckoned me. “A taste of adventure, sir? The beast that roamed the dungeon’s depths – now on your plate!”
I couldn’t help but be intrigued. “What kind of monster is it?”
“Ah, a fierce one, that’s for sure! They call it a Skyrage Wyrm, and let me tell you, its meat is tender and succulent, thanks to its fiery nature.”
‘Skyrage Wyrm. I am hearing this for the first time.’ I thought. My curiosity picked up since the store was pretty crowded.
I raised an eyebrow. “Fiery nature?”
The vendor nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes! These creatures breathe fire, you see. But fear not, we’ve tamed the flames and left only the exquisite taste behind!”
I decided to give it a try, and the vendor deftly sliced a portion of the roasted meat onto a plate. As I took a bite, the flavors exploded in my mouth – a mix of savory and slightly smoky, with a hint of spice. It was unlike anything I had tasted before, a true fusion of adventure and cuisine.
This made me remember once again what type of world I was living in. The feeling of mana entering my body from the monster meat was alone, showing that this world was a world that could offer many things.
“Thanks. How much for the meat?”
I asked. The money was not a problem.
“500 Valer.”
Until I heard the price.
‘You can’t be serious?’ I thought, raising my head, only to see the name of the stall. Because I was constantly tense, rather than paying attention to the names of stalls, I was paying attention to the people, which made me miss what was before me.
In the end, it was a stall that was opened by a famous chief. Thus, the only thing I could do was to pay for my meal and make my own way.
As I wandered, I couldn’t help but overhear snippets of conversations, a blend of excitement and familiarity.
“Did you hear? The Blackfang Guild is organizing an expedition to the Wildwood Dungeon!”
“Yeah. Finally, some high-ranking guild is stepping in.”
“Indeed. I don’t even understand why did it take this long for them to enter the dungeon anyway?”
“I heard a problem with the tax occurred. They are saying the association demanded quite a lot this time.”
“That makes sense. Nowadays, they are saying the association is putting too much pressure on the guilds in terms of taxes.”
Such words were a testament to Nexoria’s adventurous spirit, where Dungeons and the treasures they held were a part of everyday life, but here I could see the strength of association a lot better.
Since I was mostly associated with the Black Market Dungeons, I didn’t have a license for now. I could get one, but I hadn’t.
Therefore, I didn’t know much about the dungeons of the association.
In any case, after walking for a while, I finally managed to reach the place of my destination. The museum.
‘The feeling of threat also disappeared. I guess they retreated.’
I thought.
Since I was not feeling the discomfort anymore, I decided to enter the museum without wasting any more time.
‘This trip feels a little refreshing.’ I thought. I had been working non-stop for the past three weeks without doing anything, and wandering around like this made me clear my head a little bit.
I walked through the museum’s entrance, the name “Nexoria Museum of Enchantment” displayed in elegant lettering. With a sense of quiet determination, I decided to navigate the exhibits on my own, forgoing the assistance of a guide.
The receptionist at the front desk, a young woman with a warm smile, greeted me. “Welcome to the Nexoria Museum of Enchantment! Are you here for the guided tour?”
Her clothes were tidy, and she had an amicable smile. Looking at her sleeves and the small pocket on her uniform, I could see she was smoking; at the same time, she was using capped teeth.
‘The brand she is using is a high-quality one. Her breathing doesn’t seem to be rugged. She has been smoking for at least ten years; the signs of nicotine addiction are masked with her extensive makeup under her eyes. She is not married, but her sex life is well-satisfied. There are three different scents of male perfume mixed with her own. I guess she is a player.’
‘Well, that’s enough for now.’
After concluding that, I replied to the woman. “No. I wish to explore alone.”
She nodded understandingly. “Of course! Feel free to take your time. If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to ask.” Even though my tone was blunt, she didn’t mind it.
‘A rare professional.’ With a nod, I stepped into the lands of the museum, making my way to the museum.
This place was a place where things from other worlds as well as from the past, gathered.
The first stage of the museum was a place where the materials from the other world were showcased.
The first display caught my attention—a collection of gleaming metal ingots that seemed to emit a soft, ethereal glow.
<Luminarus.>
A plaque nearby indicated that these metals had been recovered from the depths of the Luminary Cavern, a Dungeon renowned for its intricate network of subterranean tunnels.
These crystals were said to harness and amplify mana, making them valuable resources for spellcasters and enchanters.
However, that was only in the past. It was a material that made the civilization what it was since one of the reasons why humans were able to resist the invasion of the species who had access to mana firsthand.
The technology that has worked with mana rather than electricity was thanks to this material. A groundbreaking discovery. Being able to convert any type of mana into raw energy, fill mana batteries, and many other things.
This world was different from Earth in this fundamental way.
Earth’s civilization was formed on electricity, while here, the world revolved around mana.
Moving on, I encountered other fascinating materials. There were iridescent scales recovered from the Azure Abyss, a Dungeon immersed in an underwater realm. These scales were imbued with a protective aura, rendering them ideal for crafting formidable armor.
A few steps away, delicate petals from the Celestial Blossom, harvested from the Elysian Fields Dungeon, were displayed. These petals held extraordinary healing properties and were revered for their ability to mend wounds and ailments.
THROB
Just as I was walking further, suddenly, I felt a throbbing feeling in my head.
‘What?’
Before I could ask any other question, the throbbing feeling intensified as my vision momentarily blacked out.
“Astron.”
A voice echoed inside my head as the silhouette of a woman appeared before my eyes.
‘Sister.’
However, no words could leave my mouth as I felt my chest suffocating. It was the same dream I had been having over and over again all the time. (N1)
Now, a cryptic sound would come, which was veiled with an unknown presence.
“Seek the moonstone.”
However, this time the words rang out like a bell, the meaning crystallizing within me. It all fell into place. The throbbing in my head was no longer a cryptic enigma but a guiding force, leading me to a purpose.
As my vision was cleared out, my eyes were drawn to the corner of the museum, where a soft silvery light illuminated the protective cage.
Like a child bewitched by the smell of candy, my steps guided me in front of the cage, my steps staggering.
And the moment I reached the cage, a stone was revealed, as well as the name of the bracket beside it.
<Moonstone.>
It was written there.
———————–A/N————————–
N1: This dream was shown in ‘Chapter 4.4 – Nights are dangerous.’
There were a bunch of cryptic letters and some blank spaces among them.
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The link to the discord server is in the description of the book.