Desert town

Ron sighed after the battle, ('I've already become so strong, yet it still is nowhere near enough') Before Ron came here he would never think of fighting giant scorpions his size and dismantling it piece by piece. However he couldn't get complacent, he needed way more power. He knew some characters could press him into the ground and that they could be summoned.

"Not happy huh? I guess you feel a little of what i'm feeling right now" Scarlett said a little teasingly. The feeling of power quickly grew old, and the thirst for new power came back stronger than ever. It was a vicious cycle of martial artists and those who couldn't withstand it quit.

"I suppose so, it's also because I'm aware of beings far stronger than even you and if they're in this tower I cannot slack off" Ron explained to Scarlett. It was no joke, even if someone like younger Toguro was here he'd press them down in an instant.

"Then let's go to the dungeon already" Scarlett said as she walked away. It stung her pride to say he was right so she just walked away from the conversation.

"Coming" Ron said as he walked to where Scarlett was heading, by estimate it would take around 3 days to reach the new dungeon because it was a 3 day trek to where the needle pointed a different way.

Ron had kept training and learned the 'claws' technique during the 3 day walk to the desert. However he hadn't lit another star, according to Scarlett that was totally normal and Ron was just spoiled by the potion and the wish store.

In order to light stars the normal way one needed to breathe a certain way, it was called 'tinder breathing' and was used as fuel for the kindling fire. Training while breathing that way or walking in harsh environments were great ways to gather tinder. The tinder would ignite after a life and death battle to strengthen the body.

After drinking the potion and lighting 30 stars Ron's body changed significantly, before the tower he was slightly overweight hoping to lose some weight. Now however, Ron was lean and had a muscular physique. 

Ron's strength, speed, stamina and overall abilities skyrocketed, before potion Ron had trouble lifting 60 kilos, now he could lift double that amount no problem. Even fights didn't wind Ron like they used to. Going from normal man to trained athlete in a little over two weeks was absurd.

Learning a technique in three days was also absurd, however with Ron's increased talent and physique came something the technique needed: Muscle control. 'Claws' was all about muscle control to sharpen and elongate the nails into claws.

Ron was currently learning another new technique that would be of great use, it was a defensive technique that required timing. With great muscle control and timing Ron would flex and harden his muscles at the moment of impact causing them to become a shield and block the hit.

In essence Ron had to compact his muscles and make them denser in order for the technique to work. Training the technique was exactly what it sounds like, getting hit. A lot of getting hit. Ron had bruises on his arms and chest from where Scarlett hit him and he failed to use technique correctly.

This technique wasn't going to be learned in only 3 days that much was clear. On average it would take Ron around 2 weeks to get the technique down and be able to use it in combat effectively.

Walking through the desert wasn't easy, the heat was unbearable and the sun was relentless. In Ron's old world the desert was infamous for claiming the lives of people who were lost, thousands would die every year. Luckily with the wish store water was not really a big problem just yet. 

"Are there big deserts in your own world?" Ron asked Scarlett, it was just some small talk conversation starter.

"Yeah, some are even rumored to be so hot that fire combusts spontaneously on the ground" Scarlett shared some details about her own world.

"Rumored? Did you not see it?" Ron was a little surprised he thought it would be a prime training ground for martial artists.

"Nope, my own world is gigantic. Even I have my limits" Scarlett revealed that she couldn't access those types of places.

"Don't worry we'll get that sorted out once we get to the dungeon" Ron knew it was a touchy subject whenever her limits were brought up.

"Yeah, I know" Scarlett said, hoping the dungeon would not be a level one being only one like the previous one.

"Speaking of dungeons, you think Jacob got to the kobolds cave already?" Ron admittingly was a little curious if Jacob managed to clear the kobolds cave.

"Unlike you, that weapon he has will probably make him clear it a lot faster. So yes I think he's already beaten it" Scarlett said noting that Ron took over a day inside the dungeon.

"Guns huh? It's an interesting choice of weapon with a ton of opportunities" Ron was reminded of some of the most famous gunslingers in fantasy he had seen. Dante and Bayonetta to name a few off top of his head.

"I suppose with enchantments anything can become deadly" Scarlett noted the use of enchantments, even Ron's whip became a lot stronger with its enchantments.

They continued to chat while walking through the desert, soon the sun started to set and the moon started to come up. The temperature dropped hard and soon it felt like winter had come. With the kindling stage Ron had more energy and needed less sleep so they continued walking ahead while sleeping minimally and training along the way.

The walking continued for roughly 3 days, during these days Ron had fought multiple foes. Like scorpions, beetles, salamanders and even ants. The ants were not small either; they were as large as the spiders Ron and Scarlett had encountered.

After walking for 3 days a change happened, they came to another town. This one was not taken over by goblins or deserted, this was fully functional and much, much larger than the previous one. The compass pointed towards the town, Ron had a feeling the dungeon was inside the town and walking around the town made the arrow move as well.

"Seems like it's here" Ron concluded after seeing the arrow move.

"You think they'll let us in?" Scarlett said after looking at the guarded gate.

"Can always try right?" Ron said optimistically, hoping they would let them just go through.

Walking up to the gate the guards at the gate stepped forward, Ron could feel that these guards were no joke when it came to strength. Whoever was in charge of these guards did a damn good job at training them.

"Halt, what business do you have with our town?" The guard asked them, he could feel their strength and although the man was still manageable the woman was a different story. If she was here for trouble only the town lord would be able to stop her.

"We are travellers who look for dungeons, I've heard rumours of your town having one" Ron said to the man. It was both the truth and a test, if the man acted oblivious to the dungeon Scarlett would know at once.

"Ah! I see, well you are correct there is indeed a dungeon in our town" The guard confirmed a dungeon inside the town. Knowing their motive for entering the guard was a lot more relaxed.

"Great! Can we go inside the town? Or is there a toll?" Ron asked if they could enter.

"You can indeed enter the town, for newcomers there is no toll" The guard explained that there was no toll system, it seemed a little off to Ron.

"What's the reason for no toll? Seems like a missed opportunity to me no offence" Ron pressed the guard a little.

"No offence taken we get that a lot, however for that question to be answered I have to ask you a question of my own" The guard was not offended but had a question instead.

"Go ahead" Ron gave him the green light.

"Do you know about Wishmasters?" The guard asked a very important question. Ron half expected this line of questioning to come up.

"I am aware of Wishmasters yes" Ron didn't tell him about his own status but confirmed knowledge of the subject.

"Then it makes it easy, there's an anti-wish field all around the town stretching a good kilometre around the town. As a result Wishmasters can't wish for currency and upset the balance of the economy. It also gives the town protection against them" The guard revealed a bomb shell to Ron, an anti wishing field around the town was a great boon in this tower.

"I see, that makes a lot more sense indeed. I assume we do tasks once inside the town and that's also how we enter the dungeon correct?" Ron guessed the way to enter the dungeon.

"Pretty much, you do some tasks for the town and we'll let you enter the dungeon. They range from monster hunting to food gathering to even building infrastructure" The guard explained the system for the town.

"What's stopping someone from just entering the dungeon without doing those tasks?" Scarlett this time asked, she wanted to jump in right away not waste more time.

"Well normally it's us the guards that would stop you however someone as strong as you? It will fall to the town lord and let me warn you, do not mess with our town lord. He is extremely strong" The guard told Scarlett.

"How strong is he?" Scarlett seemed eager to actually fight someone close to her level for once.

"For starters he's a level three being, and from what I can tell you're at the peak of the second level" The guard plainly told Scarlett the town lord was stronger than her. He also revealed to be able to tell Scarlett her level and the level of the town lord.

"How can you tell?" Ron was a little interested if it was a skill.

"Experience, however I will tell you this. Our town lord broke through after the dungeon and has been looking for a good fight ever since. It's another reason newcomers are allowed inside" The guard told them a small secret.

"Seems like the dungeon can work some magic!" Scarlett was even more excited at the thought of being able to break through and getting a good fight after the fact. She seemed so excited that even some intent escaped from her without her notice.

"Hm?" A man inside the town noticed something stirring at the gate, it was someone fairly strong but not strong enough. At the cusp of breaking through it seems. The man smiled hoping whoever it was would be able to break through in the dungeon to give him a good fight. Indeed this man was the town lord.

"Calm down Scarlett or else we can't enter" Ron advised Scarlett after seeing the guards on high alert. Scarlett noticed this and took a deep breath calming her intent down once more.

"I apologise for my outburst" Scarlett apologised earnestly, she didn't want to be denied entry.

"Hahahaha, It seems like someone is eager to break through" Another voice came and a man suddenly entered from the gate. The guards suddenly saluted and stood straight up.

"We greet the town lord!" They both saluted. 

It seems like this man was the town lord, Ron took a close look at him and could feel his hair standing straight up as he looked at him, the man was extremely strong like they said. He had long medium length hair and was dressed in typical desert robes, however even those couldn't hide his bulging muscles and had multiple scars on his face including a beard. Overall he looked like a grizzled old man who came back from three wars.