The Emberbrook City

As Kuber made his way toward the exit, a beam of light illuminated his face. However, what awaited him there was beyond his expectations.

"Sir, you have the opportunity to become a member of our esteemed Rising Phoenix Guild. Our guild leader possesses Draconian lineage and is blessed with the Blazing Phoenix Bloodline."

"Do not be swayed by their words, young one. Join our revered Grand Pyrothius Order and receive eternal blessings from our Pyrothius God."

"Respected sir, ignore their claims and instead join our noble Emberforge Clan"

The exit was teeming with individuals representing different factions vying for Kuber's allegiance. Thankfully, two guards stood firm at the entrance, ensuring that things didn't get out of hand. "No need to engage with them; they always swarm here whenever a rare or unique newcomer arrives."

In this bustling scene at the exit, Kuber had quite an array of choices before him as various groups sought to recruit him into their ranks.

Darryl explained, glaring at the relentless recruiters who were making a fuss. However, their thick-skinned persistence seemed unyielding as they continued to blabber about joining their groups.

"I see, let's leave this place then," Kuber suggested, noticing the increasing crowd at the exit as more and more people appeared out of nowhere, vying to recruit him.

Following Kuber's lead, Darryl took action, gently pushing aside two recruiters who were blocking their way, creating a path for them to leave the chaotic scene.

As they walked away, Darryl turned to Kuber and asked, "So, do you have any questions, young man?"

Darryl was taken aback by Kuber's quiet demeanor. Unlike the fuss-making newbies, he was surprisingly calm and composed, but Darryl knew there must be things he needed to know about this new world he had entered.

"Yes, I do have some questions," Kuber replied, his gaze fixed on the city, which stood about 100 meters away. The city was surrounded by enormous walls and had a long line of people waiting to enter. It looked as if it had come straight out of a historical movie.

"Oh! It's good to see that you still have normal doubts," Darryl chuckled, wiping the sweat from his brow with a cloth in his hand. He seemed to be struggling to walk properly.

"I just want to ask if there's a good restaurant and a library in this city," Kuber inquired, his eyes still fixed on the impressive cityscape.

Darryl stopped in his tracks and looked back at Kuber, intrigued by his simple yet essential inquiries.

"What? A library and a restaurant? You are funny...haha," Darryl couldn't stop laughing at Kuber's question.

Managing to compose himself, Darryl cleared his throat before responding, "We do have a library and a restaurant. You can ask anyone in the city for directions. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Thanks for the information."

"No worries, young man. Let's start walking again. We need to register your name in the merchant association too."

"Yes, I see. It's convenient to have a merchant association."

"Um... yeah, let's just leave this place," Darryl said, turning around and walking toward the city again with some urgency.

Despite his limping leg, Darryl walked without taking a break since coming out of the white room.

"By the way, what happened to your leg?" Kuber asked, raising his eyebrows as he observed Darryl's limp.

"About my leg... I got injured while completing a quest on the 9th floor," Darryl explained, looking at his leg and rubbing his neck.

"I see, is that how you ended up here?" Kuber inquired.

"Yes, that's how I ended up here," Darryl replied, not wanting to dwell on the details.

Sensing Darryl's reluctance to discuss it further, Kuber refrained from asking any more questions, allowing them to continue walking toward the city. Eventually, they reached the city gate after waiting in line.

"Ah! It's you, Darryl. I see a new face today. What class and race did he get?" A soldier clad in green armor with a spear in hand approached Darryl, sporting a bright smile. His long, pointy ears and flowing blonde hair reaching his shoulders marked him as an elf.

"Good afternoon, Alec. Please meet Kuber Walton," Darryl introduced, gesturing towards Kuber.

Alec, who looked to be about 18 or 19 years old, stepped forward with a grin and extended his right hand for a handshake. "Hello, I am Alec Edwards."

Kuber observed Alec's outstretched hand before pausing for a moment and then reciprocating the handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Kuber Walton from the Neutral Faction."

Alec seemed captivated, shaking hands with Kuber repeatedly until Kuber had to request him to stop. "Um... Can you please stop shaking hands with me? Your grip is hurting me a bit."

Startled, Alec snapped out of his thoughts and retracted his hand. Kuber, with a slight narrowing of his eyes, caressed his hand, which had turned red due to Alec's tight grip.

"Haha... You haven't seen a vampire before, have you, Alec?" Darryl couldn't help but laugh at Alec's enthusiastic but immature behavior.

On the other hand, Alec's face reddened with embarrassment. "Stop making fun of me, Darryl. I have seen a Dhampir before; it's just my first time seeing a pure-blooded Vampire."

"Pu-pure-blooded Vampire? What are you talking about?"

Darryl's laughter subsided, and he turned towards Kuber.

"You see, young man, Dhampirs are a sub-species of Vampires with human blood mixed in them. Unlike pure-blooded Vampires, they are quite easy to find," Darryl explained with a stern expression.

As Darryl conversed with Kuber and Alec, another soldier with the same uniform as Alec glared at Darryl with narrowed eyes. "Oi! Darryl and Alec, stop talking with the newbie and do your work properly. Do you want me to handle all the work here?" he shouted with rage. He seemed overwhelmed by the people lining up in front of the gate, waiting to enter the city.

"Ah, I'm sorry, friend. We'll get moving," Darryl apologized, bidding farewell to Alec before guiding Kuber into the city.

The city's name was Emberbrook City, one of the most prominent cities for the Neutral Faction. With a population of around 900K citizens, it was a vast city surrounded by walls. At first glance, it might seem like a historic city from the medieval era, but in reality, it was protected by an invisible barrier covering its entire expanse.

"Finally, we have arrived at your temporary residence," Darryl said after they had walked for a few hours, reaching a building that resembled an old inn.

As soon as they stepped inside the inn, they were greeted by complete silence.

"Hello! Is anyone there?" Darryl shouted, trying to call for someone's attention.

"I'm sorry, customer. I had my hands full with washing the dishes," a woman in an apron rushed over, sweating profusely.

"It's you again, Darryl. You brought a newbie this time too," the woman said, checking Kuber from head to toe with an annoyed expression.

"Yes, this is Kuber, and he will stay here for 10 days. You know the rules, right?" Darryl said, introducing Kuber with enthusiasm while placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I know your rules very well," the woman sighed heavily, eyeing Kuber's simple hospital-type outfit.

"He can take room number 32 on the second floor. You can show him to the room, Darryl," she continued, instructing Darryl.

"Got it. Come on, Kuber. Let's go," Darryl said, leading Kuber up to the second floor.

Room number 32 was simple but cozy, with a small bed, a table, and a chair by the window overlooking the city.

"Here's your room. You can rest here for now," Darryl said, gesturing toward the room.

"Thank you for helping me, Darryl. I really appreciate it," Kuber expressed his gratitude.

"It's no problem at all. If you need anything, just let me know," Darryl assured him with a warm smile before leaving to attend to his own responsibilities.

Kuber bid farewell to Darryl with a smile. As soon as Darryl turned to leave, Kuber utilized his unique technique to see Darryl's status.

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[Level] – 46

[Name] – Darryl Pollard

[Race] – Draconian

[Bloodline] – Draconith Emberforge

[Title] – Retired Veteran, Guardian of Drakesword

[Lifespan] – 63/300 years

[Class] – Sword Saint

[Unique Skill] – Moonless Cleave(SS)

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Once again, Kuber found himself at a loss for words after seeing Darryl's impressive status. The constant surprises never ceased to amaze him.