Westland was a small city that could be explored entirely within a few hours of walking. A large semitransparent barrier separated it from the outside world, and although many said that not even a level 100 would be able to break it down, the only certainty was that a level 9 would end up getting hurt trying to scratch it.

"So this is how a rat feels," I thought.

As I explored the city and its busiest places, I came across the immense dome, where some people touched it and others tried to break it. It appeared to be transparent glass, but on the other side, there was only desert, which made me wonder if it was an illusion or if it was truly what it seemed.

"I guess it's time to head back," I reflected.

I had explored every corner of the city, and the two moons were shining in the sky. Yes, apparently, this place had two moons, of the same color and size, but larger than the one I knew. Perhaps they were closer, but I was never good at astronomy. What I knew was that even during the night, my vision was as sharp as on a full moon night.

"It feels like we've explored more in one day than in my whole life. Let's go back to the guild dormitory," I decided.

With my two dogs following me, we returned to the city. This time, unlike when we arrived, I was riding Guts, who was now as big as a horse, and by my side was Themis, flying tirelessly. Both of them were enchanted by their abilities, and even after insisting that they deactivate them, they ignored me. But I must admit that seeing them like that was magical, and the joy they exuded was rewarding.

"I think the market is open. Are you hungry?" I asked my dogs.

"Woof! Woof!" they responded eagerly.

Westland's market was open 24 hours, as some creatures were nocturnal. At any given time, you could hear the shouts of the vendors. The magical lights made that part of the city shine in a strange way, and being in the midst of it was invigorating. I must admit that it took me a while to find a stall that sold something edible and with an appetizing appearance.

"Good evening, how much is that skewer?" I asked the vendor.

"Wow, is it for you or for those beasts over there? If it's for everyone, I can do 5 for 3 bronze," he replied.

"Please, give me 5 then," I requested.

What made me apprehensive was that the food was expensive, but it made sense. We lived in a dome, and everything edible came from the Dungeon and a vegetable field to the north. The diet here consisted of 90% meat, with a few unknown vegetables. The cost of food included the price of battle. The harder it was to defeat the monster, the more expensive it would be to savor its taste. Therefore, guardian meat was the most common option, whether breaded, fried, roasted, or wrapped. But by the end of a year, I would probably be tired of it.

"Woof" my dog responded.

"If you were smaller, you wouldn't think you ate too little. We don't have money to waste. Come on, I need to find a place to sleep," I told them.

The busiest spots were undoubtedly the market, the dungeons, and finally, the guild dormitory. The dormitories were shared and cheap, so there was no luxury or privacy. However, there were advantages to being there, mainly the opportunity to meet new adventurers and try to join a decent group.

"I'll need you both to return to normal size, otherwise, we'll have to sleep outside," I warned my dogs.

"Woof."

"No, Themis, just because you're small doesn't mean you can stay like that. I'd rather you go back to your normal form. We don't want to attract any more attention," I explained.

Taking care of both of them was challenging, but we finally managed to enter the dormitory. The cheapest area was the large wing, a long corridor with beds aligned close to the ground. The only private part was the lockers that separated the side beds.

"Excuse me, my name is Jonathan. I'd like to know if I can choose any bed or if I need to go to a specific place to request one," I asked the person who seemed to be the caretaker of the place and had a similar appearance to Fritz, which led me to conclude that he probably worked for the guild.

I felt apprehensive when our gazes met, but his smile reassured me.

"Sure, Mr. Jonathan, my name is Anuk. We have some recently vacated spots at the end of the corridor, four beds before the end. If you can go there, Kriv, who sleeps on your right, can explain how it works better. But if you need anything, just ask me, I'll be here to help," he replied.

I needed to ask Anuk some questions, especially about my companions, but I was interrupted by a group of adventurers who seemed to know him.

"Trying to make friends again, Anuk? Don't forget you still owe me some stones, and we need a professional carrier. Hahaha," they mocked.

I was certain that the tone of their sentence and the laughter from that group was more of a bullying attempt than a friendly banter. It was strange to see a much smaller group laughing in Anuk's face, and him doing nothing. Seeing his face lower in shame made me understand that he was the type who accepted mistreatment, but since none of that had anything to do with me, I quickly distanced myself, apologizing.

"Everything here is very strange," I thought.

As I approached my bed, I saw a creature unlike anything I had seen before. Despite having a human appearance, its lizard-like scales and tail indicated that it belonged to an unknown race to me.

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"Good evening, my name is Jonathan. Are you Kriv?" I asked.

"I heard your name. Look, I'm not a tour guide. What you need to know is that your bed is right here on my left side, and the key to the locker is inside. I suggest you put everything you're afraid of being stolen there. The locker has expansion magic and can fit even a whole Guardian inside, so don't worry about space."

My first reaction was to doubt that he had heard my name, since I was clearly speaking softly and was more than 50 meters away. However, what was most surprising was that, throughout our conversation, despite seeming rude, he gave me valuable tips about the place.

"You mean that team that was intimidating Anuk is from the same race. But why don't they help each other?" I inquired.

"We all come here with a purpose, and I have a feeling that you're not here for money or power. It's probably because of a person. Let me answer your question with another one: What are you willing to do to get that person back?"

His question made me realize something. No one was there to make friends, and just like me, everyone was willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, even if it means abandoning civility.

"I believe your silence means you understood my point. Everyone here aligns themselves with strong individuals for a purpose, and unfortunately, Anuk's power is considered weak, and weak powers here are scorned. Most of the time, you end up being just a carrier. But I guess you wouldn't understand that since your power seems to be relevant"

As I looked at my animals, I could understand why I was treated well so far. Power is everything.

"But don't boast about having average power, or else you'll end up like the guy who used to sleep next to you," he added.

Recently vacated beds can exist for three reasons: the person reached the desired level to ascend, became a citizen, or died. From the way Kriv spoke, the last option was probably what happened.

"You know, he used to conjure meteors with his hands, but his greed and arrogance had a high price. Anyway, make yourself at home."

"You speak as if you don't have the same motivation as all of us," I retorted.

"Hmm, I have the same motive as many others here, but unlike them, I have patience and caution. In a place where there could be a creature that tears you apart at every turn, it's at least wise to be like that. Think about it. Now, let me get some sleep because the Red Street exhausted me yesterday."

I knew what he was talking about. There are many girls who have given up on their goals, either because they stopped trying or because they don't have the power to continue enough, and they chose to use the only thing they have. It's funny to think that even here it happens.

"Indeed, it's the oldest profession in the world."

It didn't take long for me to pack my things and the place where Guts, Themis, and I would sleep.

I fell asleep and only woke up in the afternoon of the next day, with body aches from everything I went through the previous day. My main goal was to go to an armor shop that I heard mentioned when I arrived at the dormitory last night. It wasn't far and seemed to have everything I needed, plus an affordable price.

"Feel welcome at Gaston's Shop, where we have everything you need for a good hunt. Just let us know what you need. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable."

We were greeted by a woman with an Orc-like appearance, but her charisma radiated over all of us and encouraged us to enter through the indicated door. Like many others, I went in. The shop had a medieval atmosphere, with various weapons, armor, and potions displayed in showcases.

"I wonder if I can find something functional here," I thought as I walked around the shop.

I noticed that everything was expensive, and some things made me question if anyone could actually afford them. Before I could conclude my thoughts, I was interrupted by the shout of another attendant, who had similar features to the first one but exuded knowledge instead of charisma.

"By IAHWEH, are those beasts you have there? I haven't seen something like that in... Years!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, they are. Pleasure to meet you, my name is Jonathan. I would like to know if you have any kind of armor for my animals and something for myself. However, as I'm new here, I only have 100 bronze coins. Would that be possible?" I asked.

"What? Of course not, by IAHWEH. How would I have something so cheap? Only if it were garbage!" she replied, still shouting.

It wasn't the answer I was expecting, but I was prepared for it. After all, we were three. Deep down, I had a small hope that maybe there would be some leftover armor from a fellow animal companion, but even if there was, I doubted it would fit Guts and Themis.

"Alright, I'm leaving," I responded.

"Wait, where are you going? Let's talk. I have a proposal for you," she shouted, apologizing for her previous response.

"Sorry for being straightforward. Nice to meet you, my name is Sofia. I would like to discuss a solution that benefits both of us. Come to my office. It's too crowded here," she suggested.

I felt that something interesting could arise from this proposal, so I followed Sofia to the location of our conversation. It was a small room, with a forge in the corner and a worktable. It could hardly be called a meeting room, but she apologized and said it was what they had available at the moment.

"So, you will provide a complete set of armor for my beasts, and the only thing you want in return is promotion?" I asked.

Who would have thought that even on the other side of the universe, there would still be marketing. I felt like some kind of famous influencer.

"As you can see, in this shop, it's just me and my sister. Although we don't need to go back to the dungeon, we still need to eat, and the competition here is fierce, haha. Anyway, we need someone to spread our name. Those who knew us when we were famous have ascended, are dead, or are our competitors. What do you think about it?" she explained.

I would still have to pay for the armor within the stipulated timeframe and at half the price. The advantage is that it would be made of a flexible material, capable of adapting to Guts and Themis' abilities. The main point is that they should always wear the armor, even in the city, at least until I paid it off, which she estimated to be within 3 months.

"Well, I see potential in your beasts, and I know how valuable their abilities are. On the other hand, you don't seem to want to die. It's a fair deal where we both win," she said.

"Okay, but I would like two healing potions," I replied.

"Are you crazy? Do you know how much a healing potion costs, and you want two. Deal, I like you. Let's finalize the agreement before you try to exploit me even more," she agreed.

She was definitely a peculiar person. I was surprised to find out, as she drafted the contract, that she and her sister Sarina were once the most powerful in their time. Whether it was just a story or not, I will never know.

"Well, I guess that's it. I hope you last a long time and bring me great wealth, haha," she said.

"I hope so too. Thank you," I replied.

"The pleasure is mine. Come back anytime," she concluded.

My priority was the safety of Guts and Themis, as I felt responsible for their well-being, so I accepted the agreement. I was reassured to know that the raw materials used in our armor were of high quality and would certainly last a long time, even with the Gaston shop logo everywhere, the aesthetics were not bad.

"And look, these armors turned out to be quite beautiful. What do you think?"

"woof... woof"

"Great that you like them. We'll wear them until they fall apart."

The fact that I was getting closer to the moment of facing the first dungeon made me feel nauseous and uneasy. I knew I was anxious, but it comforted me to know that I was prepared and had done the best I could.

"Let's rest because tomorrow is the big day."

When I arrived at the dormitory, it was already night, and Kriv was nowhere to be found, probably enjoying the nightlife of the "red street." As I reflected on everything that could happen the next day, I ended up falling asleep.