Tarrus took a deep breath, basking in the moment. He’d traveled far, and had learned long ago that taking the time to appreciate moments, both consequential and insignificant, was the best way to celebrate a success. Taking regular breaks just to admire the distance you’ve gone and the strides you’ve made solidifies the otherwise nebulous idea of progress. Specific goals are helpful, of course, and he had plenty of those, but when the time or distance between milestones is substantial, he found that stopping to look at the new sights kept him on pace.

And the sight before him certainly was new. At least, it was to him. He stood on a small red hill, looking out at the desert that lay around them. It stretched off to the horizon, a land of dusty red earth, occasional patchy bushes, small trees, and a frankly hostile looking plant he’d learned to call “cactus”. Even in such a hostile environ, there was fauna, with the occasional beast flitting around. This land was dangerous, but beautiful.

It would be even more beautiful when he’d conquered it.

He nodded to himself, a short, quick, affirmative nod. It wasn’t quite what he’d expected from the area, but it would be a good place to start again. A fitting place, even. He glanced briefly at his retainers. They were, understandably, sweating and tired. It had been a long trip, and hard on those not used to the sheer physicality of travel in this new world. They had, however, taken the hardship well. He was pleased to have found such quality servants in this new life. He turned to address them.

“When you’ve finished taking respite, we must prepare to set out once more. I know the trek has been challenging, both mentally and physically, but we are nearing the end. We will reach our destination soon, and from there I will be able to launch a campaign to claim the powers of an age long past,” his voice rose in intensity, as he cast his hand across the horizon. “Soon, I will claim dominion over this realm, and all within. I will have the authority that my existence demands, and I will not forget the faith and loyalty you have shown to me. You will be rewarded handsomely for your services in this endeavor, and your names will be immortalized alongside my own. Know this, and let it fuel you on this final push,” He pointed off to the distance, where a small town had come into sight. “For the end is nigh.”

His retainers glanced at each other briefly, small knowing smirks on their faces. The woman turned to him.

“Aww, that’s so sweet! You’re giving us a pep-talk! Well, I for one feel very encouraged after that, don’t you honey?” She said, turning to the man.

“I sure do, feel like I could march for hours!” he said with a wink. “But, when we get into town, hows about we leave any campaigning until after a good few days of rest, huh? It’s been a hot second since we’ve had time to put our feet up or enjoy a nice, casual walk,” He grinned, glancing at his wife “And, you’ll need to keep your energy up for any kind of conquest to happen, I can tell you that from experience.”

She blushed and poked him in return “Oh, you~~”

Tarrus turned away from their flirting. “There is wisdom in these words. I am amenable to a brief period of rest, but there are a few arrangements that must be made in town first.”

“Oh sure, you wanted to stop in at the guild to register, right?”

“Yes. Their knowledge and resources will serve me well while I lay the foundations for my own operations. While I have extensive knowledge of the relics we seek, much has changed since I last set foot in this region, and it is never wise to run headlong into danger without performing reconnaissance.”

The man tilted his head a bit at that, a slight twinkle in his eye. “And you know about these relics because…”

Tarrus sighed to himself. The retainers were good help, but they could be insufferable at times. He turned sharply, planting his right foot ahead of himself on a rock, thrusting his open right hand out towards the man and woman, left fist held tight by his hip. “I am Tarrus! Greatest archmage of an era long past, I was known far and wide across the greatest civilization this world has ever known as Demon Lord! In an age that feared the magics of the Abyssal Realm for their destructive and corrupting nature, I was the first, and the only to dive in headlong, defying those corrupted waters, breaking the beasts of the Abyss and taking their powers for my own!” his voice came down an octave, into a register that could only come across as deep, gravelly and, dare I say, intimidating. “In my final moments of life, I broke the veil between our realm and the Abyss, allowing the full, unmitigated force of mana in that realm to pour through our leylines, fracturing this world. Everywhere you look,” he said, casting his gaze out at the desert that was once a rolling, grassy plains, “my influence is seen.”

His retainers responded with some light clapping, and an ‘ooh’-ing and ‘ahh’-ing that he’d grown accustomed to. He scoffed, shaking his head. “With how often I’ve had to remind you, it should be engraved into your souls by now. But never mind that; time grows short. Let’s move on,” he said, shouldering his pack as he set off.

The man and woman followed excitedly. “Next stop: Waystation Gran!”

-=-<^>-=-

The rest of the trip to town was uneventful, as they’d already put most of the distance behind them at this point. At least, it was supposed to be uneventful. Few people approaching the town would consider it to be an exciting moment; it was situated in an essentially abandoned region of the continent, far from the trappings of civilization. But-

“But despite all that, the town still stands as a kind of sentinel at the edge of the world. There are valuable resources out here, but there aren’t many people willing to make the trip out this far – except for adventurers!”

The man turned toward his excited wife, a light smile on his lips. “Really? What else does your book say?”

She smiled right back. “Well, as the name implies, the town was actually founded as a kind of basecamp for operations in the area. Those resources I mentioned? There are a ton of ruins in the area,” she said, making a sweeping gesture with her arms. “Once upon a time, there were enough salvage and archaeology operations in the area to warrant building an entire town out here, just to house everyone.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

The man frowned. “Then why is it mostly adventurers that come out here now?”

Tarrus turned back towards them slightly from his position in the lead, “In the age before the leylines ruptured and became Abyssal Domains, they were the ideal place to build cities. The increased ambient mana improved everything: people, plants, crafts. Of course, that’s still the case, but they also tend to spawn vicious, violent creatures from another realm. I can imagine that fighting for one's life might make archaeology difficult.”

“Ahh, yeah, that- that’d make sense.”

Tarrus looked around. They were walking down the streets of Gran now, and it was apparent to any blessed with sight that the place had been built for a population it no longer supported. Buildings on the outskirts were largely abandoned, with most others having some level of dirt or disrepair. It wasn’t until they got closer to the center that they began to see signs of fresh repairs. Along with this, they also began to see a few people scattered here and there. Overall, folks here tended toward the swarthy complexions common in this part of the world, but with how willing adventurers were to travel, there was a fair mixing of peoples not seen in most places.

The man grunted, “Reminds me of Tenarran. Must be some good stuff here to attract all these folks. Now I’m really curious to see what goes in and out of this guild!”

“Well, I believe you’ll get the chance rather soon. It looks like we’re here,” Tarrus said, pointing ahead.

Situated within the center of the town, where one might expect to find administrative buildings or places of such importance, there was a walled complex. Not quite a castle, the wall was built tall enough to rise above most structures in town, and even had a few minor towers along its length. There were, very occasionally, guards patrolling along the top.

The woman perked up. “Oohh, I read about this! Gran was first built quite a while ago, when Abyssal Domains were still unstable. Because they are close to a pretty big one, they needed fortifications to be weather monsters from the occasional Flare.” As they passed through the open gate, nodding to a few bored-looking guards, she said “... I guess the guild took it over when it was abandoned.”

The man looked around, eyebrows rising, “It looks like they needed it, too.”

They certainly had. Unlike most towns with guild branches, here the adventurers' guild had been able to claim an entire fortified compound. And everywhere they looked, there were swarms of adventurers. There were adventurers in groups, on their own, armed and unarmed, all either moving efficiently between buildings or relaxing with their parties. At a glance, Tarrus could see signs marking out a smithy, stores, and various administrative buildings. Taking a minute to orient himself and ask around, he quickly found where he needed to go.

Bracing for a moment outside the door, Tarrus turned to his aides. “This is it. The last step on this journey, but the first step of a new age. We go now to begin laying our web in this place of power, that we might collect every artifact and scrap of information that comes into reach. This is to be our home, and our hunting ground for the foreseeable future. Are you each prepared for your role in this undertaking?”

The man patted his bags, “Well, we’ve got all your papers here with us, and we’re also all set with some letters of introduction from back home. We should be able to get all settled in the community nice and quick, I think.”

“Yep, yep, and we have some money left from the business if we want to get a house or anything else. Also, I made sure to get a bunch of sightseeing guides, so we’ll always have something new to go and see!” The woman smiled, almost bouncing with excitement.

“Ooh, I heard there were some crazy canyons and gorges out this way, on account of the fracturing. Might make for a romantic picnic view one of these days, hmm~~~?” He nudged his wife, and the two smiled at each other.

“...Well,” Tarrus began, as the two started planning a picnic date in one of the most inhospitable environments on the continent, “It is good to see neither of you are nervous for your part in this. If you are ready, we will being.” With a nod from both, Tarrus turned, planted his hands firmly on the double doors, and pushed his way in.

Of all the buildings in the compound, the reception building was the most “classical” guild building. The area immediately by the entrance was set aside for adventurers to mingle socially and professionally. It looked like they sold food and drink here, but with a glance Tarrus could tell no one ate here for the food. This was where parties and alliances were formed. A bit ahead was where quests were taken and turned in: the reception desk. This building would be the main hub for all adventurers in town purely because of this desk. It was also where he needed to register.

He was, finally, at the starting line. In but a few short hours, his life would be on a new trajectory, a path where he could reclaim all he’d lost with the end of his previous life. Here, he would unlock his latent magics, a carryover from his previous life. Here, he would train his new body into a weapon, aimed solely at delving into the ruins he’d made of the world long gone, and he would take back his relics, using their might to bend the world to his will. Here, he would start anew.

He breathed in, realizing that he hadn’t moved. He also realized that the room in front of him had fallen silent. He glanced over the crowd of adventurers, noting that every face in the room was turned toward him, and he could read shock and surprise on them.

Finally, he smirked, people that recognize the power of my soul at a glance. He shook his head. Of course it would be adventurers, wouldn’t it? After all, I can think of no one else in this world that embodies my own ideals more. Fight the Abyss, and grow. A realization startled him. In a way, I’m like a father to them, aren’t I? Of course, of course! How did I not see this before? Well, he chuckled, I’d best set an example for them then.

He took another breath.

A hand settled lightly on his shoulder from behind. “You’ve got this!” the woman whispered.

His chin lifted ever so slightly. “Hah! Of course I do.” He stepped forward, and made his way to the back, locking eyes with the free receptionist as he went. He could see the fear in her eyes, the part of her soul that recognized his might cringing away, hoping never to come into contact with the sheer pressure of his gaze. Yet, she was destined to fail in this. He stopped before her.

“Woman. I am here to register as an adventurer at this guild.”

She paused, her mouth slightly open, clearly taking a moment to compose herself. Then she let out an exasperated- exasperated? Surely not. She let out a regular sigh, and said “I’m sorry, but we don’t let children register.”