The sky had a crimson tint. The sun was about to hide beneath the horizon. The night was about to fall. A cold breeze bade the sun farewell.

On the main street of the town of Briele, a man was walking down the stone-paved road with a steady gait. He wore a thick brown robe to protect him from the chilly wind. The bottom half of his face was covered as well. He carried a sword wrapped in cloth on his waist. He had a strong built and tall frame which even his robe couldn't conceal.

Walking besides him was a black horse like beast, with a saddle and luggage on its back. It was evidently his mount. The two had been traveling non-stop for quite some time to reach this town.

The man looked at the buildings on the two sides of the street. They had a medieval feel to them, mixed with a few elements of modern design. He was visiting the remote town for official work, but right now he just wanted to get rid of his built-up fatigue. The only thought on his mind at this moment was to indulge in warm food and delicious alcohol. He asked around for a suitable inn.

In winters, snow blocked the only road that connected Briele with the nearest city. By now, the worst of the winter had already passed. Still, it would take some time for spring to arrive and the weather was still on the colder side. It wasn't suitable for larger groups to travel yet. The streets appeared deserted; it would be a few days before merchants travel to the town again to trade. Thus the inns of the town didn't have many customers.

Briele was located right at the edge of the region called the God's Valley or the Divine Valley, which was a forbidden region with many mysteries. Briele didn't have extreme winters or summers. However, the soil around was not suitable for agriculture.

This didn't mean that it was an impoverished town. Rather, its location ensured that the flow of business was quite abundant. God's Valley, although filled with danger, was also full of resources. It provided several unique raw materials.

Many warriors entered the God's Valley to collect these materials. Many merchants bought the materials from them. Thus, a lot of people traveled to Briele. The town was developed keeping them in focus. As a town dependent heavily on travelers, there were many inns, budget ones, and lavish ones.

The man didn't hesitate to go with a high-end inn. He entered the cozy looking inn and let the staff there know his requirements. As it was the off season, even the best inns didn't charge much as they didn't want to lose any potential customers.

He took his ride to the inn's stable so it could rest up as well. The stable boy looked at the beast mount with admiration and a hint of dread. Even working at a large inn for several years now, he hadn't seen many beasts as imposing as this one. He realized that this customer definitely had deep pockets.

As the stable boy tried to feed it with the best animal feed that the inn had in stock, the beast growled in displeasure. Its aura caused the stable boy to nearly wet himself as he fell to the ground, cowering in fear.

“Be a good girl now, Anna. Don't scare the poor boy. He doesn't know you are a great predator. I'll tell him and let him feed you some delicious meat.” The man coaxed the equine beast. He knew that this troublesome partner of his had a prideful personality and also was a glutton for meat. He threw some sugar-coated words at her and patted her until she was satisfied.

The stable boy realized it was a meat-loving beast. He had taken care of some other meat-eating mounts a few years ago and wasn't very surprised. Instead, he got excited, imagining the fee and tip he would be receiving.

The man didn't disappoint him as he gave him a few paper bills. He asked him to feed the jet black beast some desolate beast meat. The boy looked at the paper bills in his hands with ecstacy.

Mar credits!!

There was no universal currency in the current era. Bartering was a common practice. There was no concept of precious metals or jewels. Refined Iron was used in various manufacturing processes. Many people considered it a trading benchmark. However, it weighed too much to be convenient for trading.

Some regional powers had their own currencies with different valuations. The merchants, however, were most confident in doing business with Mar credits. This was because they were issued by the Resurgent Army. Most human settlements were either fully-affiliated or semi-affiliated with the Resurgent Army. Mar credits could be used as currency in these territories.

The trust in Resurgent Army was mainly due to two reasons. Firstly, the army was reasonably fair in its dealings. Second, if one day the army fell, there wouldn't be much hope for humanity's survival as well.

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

Mar credits were not easy to earn. They were available in various denominations and had a high valuation. The bills that the stable boy held barely added up to a single Mar credit. Still, the amount he would be left with after feeding the mount would survive his family a whole month.

Thus, smaller denominations were needed for day to day transactions. Transactions between the army and big spenders like merchants and local powers involved more money. Larger denominations were used by them.

After making sure Anna was settled well, he carried his bag to the room he had rented. It was a large bedroom with a private bathroom. As it was already dark, lanterns were lit to brighten up the room. After taking a hot shower, he changed his outfit. He wore a simple white shirt and dark colored pants. He checked his hair in the mirror, donned a coat, and made his way to the inn's restaurant.

…

The kitchen seemed to be cooking some delicious local dishes as was evident from the smell wafting in the restaurant. The man approached a girl in her late teenage who was working for the inn.

“Can you help me out, Miss?”

“...Ah, yes. You can call me Kate. You are the guest who arrived this evening, right? How may I help you?”

The girl called Kate had helped him choose a room when he arrived at the inn. At that time, he had been travel-worn and had his face covered. She couldn't immediately associate the handsome man in front of her with the previous him.

Six feet tall, dark hair, square jaw, a deep voice, broad shoulders, neat facial hair, his body seemed to exude masculinity and a youthful aura. He had a polite smile and a clear gaze.

Kate looked excited to be of any help to him. Seeing the man in front of her, she understood what the phrase 'created by a master craftsman' meant.

“Are there any seats with a good view available?”

“There are! The seats on the first floor balcony have a nice view of the night street. They are also suitable for having dinner and drinking wine. I'll guide you there.”

She led the man to the seating on the first floor. Satisfied with the arrangement, he took his seat and ordered some local specialties to eat.

Seeing him order the local specialties, Kate realized, “It's not your first time visiting this town, right?”

“I traveled here once a few years ago as well.”

“I knew it! In that case, you must know about our famous fruit wine, right? I recommend you to have a serving of it with these dishes. Since it is made from fruits that grow in the Divine Valley, it is very beneficial for the body even in small quantities.

Normal people can't drink a lot of it, but Warriors can. They can get stronger by consuming it regularly over a long time. The body develops increased resistance each time you drink it. So benefits exponentially decrease over time.

The fruits picked each year differ slightly. As a result, the wine tastes unique each year. It will go well with the desolate beast meat dishes you have ordered.”

'Hmm... Briele's fruit wine might not be very beneficial to me, but it is said to have an exquisite taste. And we're talking about authentic Briele's wine. The wine they serve in the town is different from the one they sell to merchants in larger quantities. Those merchants often mix it with cheaper alcohol as well. I missed out on it the last time I visited; it would be a shame to not try it out again.'

The best of Briele's fruit wine was produced comparatively, in a lower quantity. It was not sold to merchants in bulk, but only served at various installments in smaller amounts. This was done to promote tourism to the town.

He took out a paper bill and handed it to the peppy girl. He said “Very well I'll take your recommendation, but make sure you get me the best stock available.”

“Sure, you can count on me!”

After saying so, Kate hurried to the kitchen to get the dishes and alcohol ready. The man took in the scene of town from the balcony. His mind was full of thoughts about the town of Briele and their wine.

'Sure enough, finding ways to earn money is what humans are best at. Right next to God's valley on one side, and on the other side, the threat of mutant beasts. Well, the mutant beasts are quite far from here. Still, who would expect this place to be so peaceful. Is this what peace at the center of a storm is?'

The God's Valley was a forbidden land lurking with ancient horrors. Still, the region's special characteristics made its vicinity a "safe zone".

The man turned his face towards the sky. The night had fallen. The night sky was clear of clouds and was dotted with stars. Accompanying the stars were 2 "moons". One was white and the other blue.

The man glanced at the white moon first, and then fixed his gaze on the blue one. The white one appeared crescent-shaped, while the blue one was a full circle. As he looked at the latter, his body experienced a soothing sensation. A few breaths later, he felt a chill, as if his body temperature had fallen a few degrees.

He wasn't alone in feeling so. Every creature in this world would feel the same when they looked at the blue moon. Although it didn’t cause harm to one's body, the discomfort it caused was not something you get used to.

'Transcending Mortality and Attaining Divinity. Leaving an eternal mark on the origin of world. Even in death, influencing the material world.'

'The New Moon Raus, I wonder what is your story?'

While he let his thoughts wander, a noise of commotion could be heard. It originated from the ground floor of the restaurant. It moved towards the first floor. Soon, a middle aged man followed by a few soldiers approached the table where the man was seated.

The middle-aged man leading them was wearing expensive clothes. They were superior to the clothes regular people wore in appearance as well as material. It could be inferred that he came from a position of power.

However, his current demeanor lacked any arrogance. He stopped at an appropriate distance and raised his right fist to his chest. The soldiers following him did the same. Together they greeted the man gazing at the night sky.

““Welcome to Briele, Commander Leo!””