Endurance +1
Constitution +1
Eric clicked his tongue, annoyed by the constant barrage of stat increase windows. He was happy to get the stat increases, however he wasn’t happy at what accompanied them. Focusing on putting them away, the windows stopped.
“What was that for?” the blue-haired man asked.
“Just some system windows. They’re annoying at times,” Eric answered, as he approached the desk that the golden-eyed man was at.
The blue-haired man took a mental note of what Eric said and turned his attention toward the way he was walking, specifically the ease with which he was doing it. The young human was slowly acclimating to the environment.
“Good day. What can I help you with today?” the golden-eyed asked, a smile clear across his face.
Eric raised an eyebrow in amusement but followed along. “Where am I? And what’s your name?” he asked, getting the most important questions out of the way.
“You’re in the library, of course. Isn’t it obvious?” the golden-eyed man answered, spreading his arms wide, as if presenting the library to Eric. “As for my name, just call me Ta’ir since most can’t actually pronounce my name.”
“And him?” Eric asked pointing at the blue-haired man.
“Ondal,” the man himself answered simply.
“Alright, that settles that,” Eric muttered. “But let me rephrase my first question. What is the Frontier? And more specifically, where is it?” he asked, this time choosing his words carefully.
Ta’ir’s smile faded, his expression suddenly turning serious “No, I answered one of your questions. Now you answer one of mine,” Ta’ir said, his voice still smooth but carrying more weight. “Are you a Breaker?”
Eric narrowed his eye, carefully considering his answer. He didn’t know the weight or meaning that the term carried here.
Before he could respond, Ta’ir spoke once more. “Show him around, will you?” he said, looking at Ondal. Eric didn’t know why, but both of their expressions became more solemn.
“Come on,” Ondal said, pushing Eric from behind.
Eric didn’t try to resist; he knew that it would be meaningless. Even now, he felt some strain with every step he took. If he coupled the strain with the fact that the Frontier was a goal for those still back on Earth, at least according to the Rankings announcement, that meant that he was somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be at.
Sure, he could thing badly of the two men who had taken care of him and assume that they were doing something that hindered his movements, but the two men didn’t give off that type of air. Dismissing his thoughts, Eric stood before the giant set of glass doors.
Onda, without a word, moved ahead and casually pushed one of the doors open with ease. The effort that he exerted was minimal, and it made Eric consider the effort he himself would have to make to budge it an inch. The difference between their strengths was like night and day.
But whatever astonishment Eric felt at Ondal’s raw strength faded instantly when he saw what lay beyond the doors.
The sight that greeted him when he exited the library was unlike anything he had ever imagined. Before him stretched a sprawling city—a place where the concept of time, style, and technology seemed to warp and blend chaotically.
The wide street beneath his feet was made of something that looked like stone but felt off somehow. The buildings in the distance were a mind-bending mixture of things he felt familiar with and others that just appeared like nonsense to him.
On one side, brick and mortar structures from Earth’s cities stood tall, some covered in modern glass facades, others old and more classical. Just beside them were traditional and fantastical wooden pagodas, some towering higher than any skyscraper he had ever seen, faint images surrounding them.
Then, there were buildings that seemed entirely technological, with machines that defied his understanding embedded into their very walls. Some of these structures shimmered like liquid metal, their surfaces flowing and shifting in ways that defied reason. White, sleek towers rose skyward, their doors invisible until they slid open to reveal an interior bathed in sterile, futuristic light.
But that wasn’t all. As Eric looked beyond the buildings themselves, he saw it, space. It was ever expanding and most importantly, no matter where he looked, it appeared like there wasn’t a single protection from space itself. How is there oxygen? What about the temperature? Gravity?! Questions raced through his mind.
Eric lowered his gaze to the streets, and what he saw made his mind reel even more.
Humans, yes, but not just humans. There were people of every size and color—some blue-skinned, others green, with markings or glowing patterns etched into their skin. Giants lumbered alongside the smaller humans, while others were no taller than children.
But it wasn’t just humanoid beings. Creatures from myth and legend walked openly here. Minotaurs, with their imposing, bull-like forms, strode alongside humanoid tigers, cats, bears and even pigs. Beings with different degrees of machinery in their bodies interacted with them, some appearing to be fully robotic.
And then there were the things Eric couldn’t even categorize. Beings transparent like ghosts, their forms shifting and changing as they moved. Creatures with multiple limbs, some walking on air rather than the stone-like road. Things that defied logic and biology. He could barely wrap his mind around it all.
Ondal stood before Eric, extended his arms, and with his normal booming voice said, “Welcome to the Frontier!” A wide smile spreading across his face as he did so.
For the first time in a long while, Eric was speechless, he genuinely didn’t know what to say. “Wha—”
“Come on. I have to show you something,” Ondal said as he began to walk, not making sure if Eric was following or not. “Any questions?”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Eric’s head whipped from side to side, his eye darting around the scene in front of him. “What is the Frontier?” he asked, the words basically being shot like bullets. His childlike curiosity had been piqued and he wanted answers.
“Just like you guys—well I guess not you—will have events and the integration itself is an event.” He once again opened his arms wide as he walked. “The Frontier is an event for the established powers of the multiverse.”
“What do—is that a fucking church?!” Eric exclaimed, pointing to a white building.
The church that Eric pointed at possessed a design and size that put even the greatest churches on Earth to shame.
Towering spires reached for the boundless space above, shining with a brilliance that felt ancient yet futuristic. A grand entrance with no doors invited all to enter, revealing a vast interior where a monumental blue flame blazed at its center. Banners bearing the same flame as a symbol fluttered along its walls, shinning as brightly as the flame.
That,” Ondal said gravely, “Belongs to the Flamebearers. And let me be clear: do not do anything stupid here or to any of their members. Not even Ta’ir or I could save you if you anger them. They’ll burn your entire galaxy to cinders, taking the Frontier with it.”
Eric didn’t really know how to react to that information. His mind faltered as he tried to grasp the scale of that destruction. Even Earth’s most devastating weapons felt like mere toys in comparison. A nuke might level a city, but this—this was incomprehensible.
Nodding cautiously, Eric directed his attention back to the ground, focusing on where he stepped as they continued through the city.
“Anyway,” Ondal began once more, his tone lighter, “in essence, that’s the Frontier. A gathering of the multiverse's established powers.”
“But why?” Eric asked, feeling that he hadn’t really been told anything. “Why gather? And where is here?” he added, gesturing at the ground.
Ondal took a moment, rubbing his smooth chin in thought. “It’s an investment,” he began. “If they establish a force here, these powers gain easier access to whatever might be valuable in your galaxy. Resources, artifacts, knowledge—whatever piques their interest.” He stopped, crossing his arms. And trust me, there’s a lot of interest this time around.”
“What do you mean?” Eric asked, his brow furrowed.
“Take the Flamebearers, for example,” Ondal said. “They only move when they have a hint of their flame being somewhere. However, if that were the case, they’d have torn through the System’s protection by now, but instead... they’re just waiting.”
His gaze shifted, and he pointed toward a group nearby. “Oh! See those?” Ondal asked pointing at a group of figures of various shapes and sizes, all clad in different styles of clothing but united by the same color scheme of red and black.
“Those are the Followers. They only appear when a large amount of death is going to occur. Normally, even the destruction of an entire galaxy wouldn’t be enough to make them move. Yet, here they are.”
“Followers of what?” Eric asked, feeling an inexplicable tug that made him want to step closer toward the group.
Ondal shook his head. “Nobody knows. Some say the Dreamer, but nobody really knows. You know? Anyway,” he said dropping the topic of the Followers. “One of the theories for why there is so much interest this time around is—we’re here.” he said, cutting himself off.
Before the pair stood what appeared to be a small old antique shop. Words that Eric couldn’t even begin to imagine how to pronounce were written in a wooden piece of wood that was missing entire chunks.
Ondal pushed open the creaky door, holding it for Eric to enter. Inside, the shop was nothing, but a counter draped in velvet and an odd, wooden puppet sitting atop it.
“Welcome, welcome,” the puppet said in a clacking voice, making Eric’s nose flare along with a hidden gasp of surprise. “What is it that you could be, perhaps, looking for, here and now?”
“Number 32,” Ondal replied.
The puppet didn’t respond and after waiting in silence for a couple of seconds, the sound of rattling and clattering filled the room, and moments later, a small wooden hand emerged from behind the counter, holding a jet-black vial.
Ondal flicked his fingers in a gesture, as if paying the puppet, though no coins were exchanged, and he turned to leave. Eric followed behind, clearly confused by the whole interaction.
“What was I saying?” Ondal asked as he raised his hand, to stroke his chin. “Oh! The reason, right.” He extended his finger and pointed upward.
Following along, Eric, like he had been ever since he woke up, was once again astonished at what he saw.
Above them, as if just out of reach, was a swirling galaxy, closer than he had ever seen one before. Which wasn’t really a high bar to clear, since he had only seen them in pictures.
“It was integrated a couple centuries ago. And every single power that was interested in it, failed to grasp it,” Ondal said, clenching his fist.
“What made them fail?” Eric asked, his gaze still fixed on the spiraling galaxy above him.
“The galaxy’s natives extended their protection period —again and again. Even now, they’re still protected and anyone that has gone in, has never returned. Their advanced technology, combined with mana and the System, gave them the edge. Every force that entered disappeared without a trace.”
Mulling over what he had just heard, Eric wondered if his friends already knew how to extend the protection period.
Ondal continued, “Also, none of the interested powers sent that much over. Their Frontier was an abandoned town from the beginning, unlike this one, you even have a library. Lucky you.”
Soon, they were back at the library, Eric took the chance to check its exterior, which he hadn’t done before. It reminded him of a Greek temple, but what he found most amusing was the size difference between what he saw inside and the exterior that he was currently looking at.
Ondal pushed the door open and gestured for Eric to hurry up.
Once inside, Eric still found the library to be empty and much less lively as all the magical cleaning tools had disappeared.
“Here,” Ondal said, tossing the black vial toward Ta’ir.
Without lifting his gaze from the stack of books he was reading, Ta’ir’s hand shot up, snatching the vial effortlessly. His attention remained on the books, yet his question was direct. "Any trouble?"
“None,” Ondal answered.
Ta’ir lifted his gaze, his golden eyes turning to Eric. “There's not much you can do here for now. The Tower won’t open until the first wave of newcomers arrives, and that's still weeks away. Most of the shops, including this library, aren’t open yet.”
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin. “I can't assist you with much yet, but here’s my advice: go and rent a room at one of the pagodas and evolve as soon as possible. It shouldn’t be that hard, cultivation only gets difficult after you evolve. That being said, it’s already a miracle you’re standing, considering the state of your core and meridians."
Ta’ir took a deep breath. “Head to the system shop in the city square, find the best manual you can afford. It’s your only shot at surviving here. After all, no one enjoys being dead, do they?” Ta’ir was opening a book when a sudden question struck. “How did you mess up your meridians anyway?”
Eric narrowed his eye, not hiding the distrust he was feeling. He couldn’t grasp Ta’ir or Ondal at all. Something about the way they moved, spoke, and even their presence—it was otherworldly. He doubted they were human.
And from the way Ondal phrased it when describing a possible encounter with the Flamebearers, he could infer that they were somewhat strong.
“I know you didn’t have guidance when you first cultivated, since that’s the only way to get the Breaker title. My question is more about how you survived cramming so much energy to the point your core cracked? You should be dead,” Ta’ir said, amusement clear in his voice.
Eric shrugged, giving up on hiding anything. If they wanted to kill me, I would be dead already, he thought. Without hesitation, he began explaining his crude, haphazard method of handling energy. Cultivation wasn’t something he had ever done—he simply absorbed the energy, with no thought of consequences.
It was a short tale, but as he spoke, Ta’ir’s and Ondal’s faces shifted from mild amusement to outright horror, their expressions growing more twisted with each new word that Eric added. By the time he finished, they looked as if they had just heard something unspeakable.
“And you thought cramming it in would be a good idea?” Ta’ir asked incredulously, horror still in his face. "Do you even understand how close you came to ripping your body apart? Correction, your body SHOULD be nothing but gore inside that dungeon"
Ondal glanced at Eric like he was something that shouldn’t exist. "What you did... that's beyond reckless. It's a miracle you're even here. Do you understand?”
Eric shrugged.