Small town

The presence of the soldiers meant that he wouldn't be able to enter the dungeon easily, but what most surprised Eldi was the existence of a small city that had grown around it, a city he didn't remember from the game.

Initially, an inn had been built to house the frequent adventurers. Later, a blacksmith shop to fix and sell weapons. Then sales of potions, clothes, magic jewelry… Over time, farmers had arrived to cultivate the land, and it had begun to be an interesting stopping point for merchants. And even some adventurers had settled, forming families.

Gradually, it had become a village, and had continued to grow to the current size, that of a small town with a few thousand citizens.

Eldi was dressed in a long hooded robe, under which was his armor. Gjaki had forced them to buy it during an incognito mission, arguing that it was more realistic, and both Goldmi and himself had resignedly agreed. Their partner could become quite insistent on these matters.

He was at level 35, since he had used Disguise to adapt his visible level, and also wielded an average quality staff that they had bought as an accessory for the disguise. Feigning to be a magician, specifically a healer, allowed him to hide his body and face, in addition to acting as a class very different from his own. He hoped it would be enough not to be discovered, but he didn't stop watching carefully just because of that.

Most of the adventurers had levels between 33 and 42, although there were few of the latter, and he only saw one with a level higher than his. It was as expected, since most of those who reached level 43 had the option of going to other more profitable places, and where they could continue to level up.

He was more concerned about the soldiers, although the ones he had found were at low level. However, he had only seen a few, so he needed to be careful. Luckily, his appearance was not especially suspicious there.

It was a somewhat special town, full of adventurers, so safety was guaranteed. Therefore, access wasn't controlled, assuming that any problem would be solved by themselves. After all, some had settled there, and most had been in the town for several years, so everyone knew each other. It took an average of five years to level up to 43 in that dungeon, from the 33 that was barely the start point. The first floor was 35, so it is enough being two levels lower if you go in a group.

He decided to get closer and go around the stalls, although there were a couple of those he preferred to stay away. He had felt something strange in a woman with blue hair, as well as in a man with some scars, who was selling antidotes. He couldn't point exactly where the problem was, but something that could be defined as their aura looked artificial.

He glanced at weapons and equipment, but the quality couldn't be compared to what he owned. The magic crafting stations were far away, and the cost of transporting the equipment was high. It was better for the adventurers to make a trip to the workshops and choose the right equipment, than to buy one of those that could be found here, so the merchants no longer bothered to bring them.

He bought some fresh baked bread and something like butter. Just its smell had whetted his appetite. He wrapped it up and put it in a bag, although he was actually keeping it in his inventory, since he was using the bag just as a facade.

He kept walking as he peered through the stalls, and was very attentive about his surroundings, being the crying of a kid what caught his attention. There was a group of them playing, and apparently one of them had fallen, so his leg was bleeding slightly. Nobody paid much attention to them, it was common, but Eldi decided to approach.

The boy suddenly fell silent when he saw the approaching stranger, with more curiosity than fear. They were used to adventurers coming and going, and there were many people there. Although he didn't expect him to crouch in front of him and bring his hand to the wound, which was completely healed in an instant.

"Thank you!" exclaimed the boy, just before starting running after his friends.

Not many adventurers bothered to act if the problem wasn't serious, but it wasn't something exceptional either. Therefore, once they found that there was nothing to worry about, the gazes left Eldi, without him knowing to what extent his actions had been watched carefully.

Without a concrete plan and in need of information, he sat at an outdoor table, near a group of about ten adventurers who were talking animatedly. He was hoping to listen something interesting from there, while drinking a kind of bluish beer, slightly sweet taste and with a high alcohol content. He drank it slowly, along with a slightly hard and overcooked meat, but whose taste wasn't bad. He was somewhat worried about the effect that alcohol could have on him in that world, although for no reason. His resistance to poisons was also helping him with alcohol.

"Excuse me, are you a healer? We saw you heal the kid. Are you interested in entering the dungeon with us? It would be nice to have someone who can heal us. We'll take care of the skeletons, each one goes with his own stone and, if we find something, we divide it among all of us," a young woman said, almost without breathing. She had short green hair, a long sword behind her back, and was of medium stature.

"Idiot, you haven't even introduced yourself," a man slightly older than she and with the same hair color reproached her, after punching her with a slight blow to the head.

"Oh, you don't have to hit me," she complained, touching her head and somewhat sulking.

"You're always like this," sighed a third, with her black hair tied in a tail behind, just like the man next to her. Both were similar in age to the other two.

"Ok, ok," the first one spoke again. "I'm Etina, I'm a warrior. This brute is my brother Jubo, also a warrior but specialized in defense. She's Lánita, fire mage. And he's Lánoto, his brother and ice mage."

She puffed her chest proudly as she introduced herself, while dodging his brother's blow, and while Eldi were watching them between surprise and amusement.