Days passed as we traveled through forests, mountains, and unfamiliar lands. When we finally saw smoke rising over the hills, I knew we'd reached civilization—though calling it that might've been a stretch.
This was the town of Small Beginnings. The same town I was first teleported to. I still had no idea how or why Red had brought me so far from that place.
As we walked through the town, it felt almost ghostly. There weren't many people around, and most of the buildings looked worn down and abandoned.
The dirt road we followed was wide enough for two buses to ride side by side. Along the edges, a few stalls were set up with people selling all sorts of strange items—bottles of colorful liquid, unfamiliar food, trinkets, and what looked like alchemical ingredients.
That's when it hit me.
"I... don't have any money."
"Can't Master just make money using that skill from earlier?" Red asked innocently.
"I could... if I had the materials. But I don't think that's very ethical."
Meanwhile, the two foxes had shrunk themselves even more and were now curled up comfortably in the chest pocket of my tattered college uniform. That uniform… yeah, it was in absolute shambles. Another reason I needed money. But how was I supposed to earn any?
As if reading my mind, Blue spoke up.
"My Master, if I may speak."
"Go ahead."
"If we sell the dragon's scales, we could make quite a large sum of money."
I hesitated. Letting go of such valuable crafting material hurt, but… she had a point.
"Okay. But how much do you think it'll sell for?"
"Roughly 1,000 Yulian coins."
"Yulian coins?"
"Yes. Yulian coins are the primary currency of the Yulia continent..."
Blue proceeded to give me a brief rundown of the world and its structure.
There were four major continents: West, East, South, and North. Then there were the minor continents—small in size but considered independent due to their unique currencies and local industries.
Yulia was one of those smaller continents, located a good distance from the Western continent.
Each major continent was further divided into four kingdoms.
According to Blue, 1,000 Yulian coins could feed a family of four for two years.
So, we began searching the village for a place that would buy a dragon's corpse.
While walking around, I noticed that the remaining villagers kept glancing at me. It wasn't because my tails were out—I'd hidden those. Maybe it was my face? My beauty?
Anyway, we eventually arrived at a worn-down weapons shop with a sign above the entrance: Tinker's Touch.
One thing puzzled me, though—how could I read a language I'd never learned? I didn't think too hard about it and just rolled with it.
I stepped into the shop and was greeted by an old man, probably in his fifties, standing behind a wooden counter.
"Hey kid, whatcha doin' in a place like this? Where's your parents?"
He gave off that 'old guy trying to be hip' vibe.
I stepped forward, now standing right in front of the counter.
"I want to sell something."
"What? Kid, this ain't no candy shop."
"I know. I want to sell a dragon's corp—"
The man burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You? Selling a dragon's corpse?!"
My eye twitched. This old guy was starting to get on my nerves. Did I really look that weak?
Then, still chuckling, he tried to shoo me away.
"Kid, go back where you came fr—"
Geuss I have no choice but to show him.
"Blue," I said, cutting him off.
A portal opened above the counter, and the dragon's corpse dropped down with a heavy thud.
The man's expression froze. He stepped back, as if he'd seen a ghost.
"H-H-How...? How does a kid like you even have a dragon's corpse? And how did you even bring it here? Did you steal it?"
"No," I replied firmly.
He stroked his full beard, raising a brow at me.
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Fine, fine... I'll believe you. But I still need to appraise it first. It's in rough shape though. What'd you do to it?"
I averted my gaze, rubbing my chin. "Well…"
He sighed. "If you don't wanna say, I won't ask. But I won't be able to finish processing this today. Come back in a few days."
"But I really need the money now…"
After a brief pause, he reached under the counter and pulled out a small bag of coins.
"Here. Take this for now. I'll give you the rest tomorrow."
"Thank you very much."
I handed the pouch to Blue, who stored it away instantly.
Before I left, he gave me a few instructions. Apparently, I needed something called an identification stone to conduct formal trades.
When I told him I didn't have one, he looked surprised and explained how to get it. Oh, and his name? Tinker. At first, I almost laughed at how soft the name sounded, but then I remembered mine... so yeah, I held it in.
Anyway, he told me to register at the Global Guild—an organization found across every continent.
After finishing up with Tinker, I headed in the direction he pointed out.
It only took a few minutes of walking before I reached a split road. Straight ahead stood the Global Guild building.
It was the only structure in the entire town made of bricks and looked surprisingly new, as if it had just been built recently.
I walked up to the double wooden doors and stepped inside.
What I saw blew my mind.
From the outside, the building looked average in size. But inside? It was huge. Completely furnished with elegant décor and even a fountain in the center. It felt like I'd entered a palace.
The scent of fresh air floated through the space, probably from the numerous potted plants arranged tastefully around the hall. Laughter and conversation filled the room, adding a warm atmosphere.
I made my way to a counter where five staff members stood wearing matching uniforms. Each of them had a welcoming smile.
I approached one of them—a woman—and she spoke first.
"How may I help you today, sir?"
She didn't flinch at my appearance and tattered clothes. No hint of judgment. I could see why Tinker spoke highly of this place.
"I want to register."
She nodded and disappeared behind the counter before returning with a smooth, round stone.
"Please place your finger on this."
I reached out—but Blue's voice rang out.
"Master! Please be careful! That object will reveal your power!"
I immediately yanked my hand back.
"P-Please forgive my rudeness! Master!" Blue said.
"No, it's fine," I replied.
I leaned in and whispered, "How do I stop that?"
"My Master just needs to suppress Master's magical energy before touching it," Blue whispered back.
Got it.
"Is something the matter?" the receptionist asked.
"I was just curious about the ranking system," I said aloud.
The receptionist gave a polite smile and closed her eyes briefly.
"There are six ranks in total: Normal, Soldier, Knight, Noble, King, and Emperor."
She continued explaining. This world's hierarchy was based entirely on magical energy.
If someone had the energy level of a Knight, they were automatically declared one. Same for King and Emperor. That meant power decided status.
And if your energy was high enough to rival a king's? You could challenge for the throne. Of course, that also made you a target for assassination.
That's why Blue had warned me. To survive in this world, I needed to keep my power hidden.
And since I'm such a genius, I was probably already King level or higher.
With Blue's guidance, I suppressed my magical energy. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard.
I touched the stone.
Crack.
"W-What happened?!"
The orb split down the middle.
The receptionist's eyes widened. "Please wait here, sir—I'll be right back!"
"…Did I do something wrong?" I muttered.
"No," Blue replied. "Even suppressed, Master's magical energy exceeded the stone's limit."
"Am I really that strong…?"
"Yes! Master is the strongest person I've ever seen!" Red chimed in.
"Indeed," Blue added. "In human terms, Master is something akin to a god."
I'd always felt strong, but… this strong?
I just hope this doesn't cause problems.
After a few minutes, the receptionist returned empty-handed.
"The Guild Master would like to speak with you, sir."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"N-No. The Guild Master simply asked to meet you."
Sigh. I was hoping for a quick registration…
"Alright, fine."
She led me up four flights of stairs until we stopped in front of a door with gold letters that read: Guild Master.
She opened the door, revealing a spacious, sunlit room. A beautiful woman sat behind a desk, sunlight streaming through the windows behind her, casting a radiant glow around her.
"Welcome. Please take a seat… one who broke a measuring stone," she said in a voice both elegant and intimidating.
I stepped inside as the door quietly closed behind me.