After coming to this area, he bribed or rather gifted some locals some amount to find out some information. And this broker was one of the popular choice for unrouteable needs.

"Get in," Harper said.

Alexander looked at him with a questioning look, then glanced at the box.

"Don't worry, man. It's not our—or rather, my—first time carrying someone. It will be a piece of cake," another man, who seemed to be the leader from the previous team, said.

Alexander grimaced but still got into the box. The plan of the voice was to go outside and kill some wild creatures to level up. But the problem was that to hunt monsters outside the wall, you needed licenses, which Alexander did not have. Acquiring one required navigating through a lot of legal complications and paperwork. Alternatively, you could join a guild, which presented its own set of challenges.

Alexander needed a backdoor. Luckily, humans are corruptible. Upon reaching this place, he bribed—or rather, accommodated—some peculiar-looking locals for the information, as per the voice’s instruction. They directed him to this some people, among whom this was the most popular choice, so he went with him.

After Alexander and the broker reached an agreement with the money three hours ago, it was time for him to go. The plan was simple: the team would bring him along with them outside the walls, inside one of their equipment boxes. And after getting out, Alexander would be on his own. He could have joined their team for protection, but then they would charge him extra. However, Alexander did not want that. It wasn't just about the money, though it played a role. Alexander wanted to fight on his own terms to level up, and in a team, he was not sure he could secure all the kills.

So they settled for the deal that they would take him out, and after three days they would meet close to the entrance to get in, and if Alexander did not make it, they would assume he was dead and leave him. This deal saved him some money. He already paid half the amount to the broker; the other half would be paid to the team leader after he escorted him out.

Alexander got into the box, it had a wooden and rusty scent to it. And with the movement and placement, Alexander was sure he was in some kind of vehicle. It was cramped and uncomfortable, for sure, but which part of life was not? The car started to move, its engine muffling and the chatter on the vehicle intensifying. Discomfort grew with the shaking and shifting.

To take his mind off the unease, Alexander opened his status screen,

Name: Alexander

Race: Human

Level: 6

Exp: 0/409

Strength: 18

*Perception: ___

*Dexterity: ___

*Agility: ___

*Constitution: 3

*Intelligence: ___

*Vitality: ___

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He did not wait aimlessly for the three hours. This was his first time going out of the city into the treacherous wild, and Alexander did not want to skimp out when it came to preparation. So, even though it pained him, he wasted almost half of the money he looted on collecting some animals to kill for another level up. He also wanted to buy a sword, but upon hearing the price, he settled for a rusty axe instead.

As per the voice's instructions, more than a sharp weapon, he needed a sturdy one, so he should opt for a hammer. However, Alexander did not feel safe with a hammer as a weapon, so he went for an axe.

And, of course, he put all three points into strength. He was not feeling that confident after the fight with Matthew, he could fight with Matthew, a Xeo level 2 practitioner, on almost equal ground. Granted, his bloodline might have given him an edge. So, Alexander could say he could fight on par with a Xeo level 3 or 4 practitioner, but what was that in the grand scheme of things? In the wild, there was much more ferocious danger than that, so just for insurance, he needed another level.

Though it was far from enough, something was better than nothing. The axe was wedged between his legs, which was far more terrifying than whatever he was doing now.

Suddenly, whatever vehicle he was on stopped, and he could hear boots and chatter not far from him. Soon, the sound of the boots stopped in front of him. Alexander knew this was most likely an inspection. He was afraid as he gulped down.

The box was about to be opened.

“Sir, sir, there is only some women's laundry there, you do not need to check that.” Fortunately for Alexander, the voice of the captain of the team stopped the officer in time.

“Then I will call a female officer,” the man stated quite emotionlessly.

This time, what Alexander heard was a whisper, “Come on, sir, you know how it is. There are girls with us. And after going into the wild, you don’t expect us not to have any fun now, do you? There are some weed and other things here. If you open it, our reputation might go down the drain, and the girls might also leave.”

But what Alexander heard next, though he knew it, it widened his eyes, As the officer's authoritative voice cut through, "How much?"

As like previous time, “3 thousand du to look the other way.”

"Add another thousand, and I'll look the other way."

“Okay.”

After that, Alexander could hear the sound of the boots moving away, followed by a heavy and deep sigh by the captain whose name was Ricky.

…….

Alexander’s brother was seated next to the window as the teacher took her class; he was completely focused on something else. He noticed it, somehow his naïve brother, whom he hadn't seen much these days. He could also tell he was stressed about something.

As for the change in his brother, like working out and getting thinner, it did not escape him. These were good things, but he did not know why; he felt like his once lovable brother was getting distant from him or even from the family. It was as if it was not even him.

“Hey, where are you lost in?” a sweet voice brought him out of his reverie. And it seems the class was over.

Then he looked at the owner of the sweet voice. An equally cute girl, matching the voice, with a small skirt, clean shirt, and long hair, met his eyes. She looked at him with a cute smile on her cherry lips, her eyes closed in a moment of bliss.

He couldn't help but smile back.

Alexander did not know how much time had passed, but he could tell the roads were getting bumpy. He did not know where he was or in what kind of vehicle, but his guess was it was one of those military vehicles with 16 wheels. Judging by the voices, he was sure the team he was with was sharing this vehicle with other groups.

After some more time, the pain and the crampiness were becoming unbearable, and Alexander just wanted to burst out of this damn box. How much farther do these guys need to go? Along the way, the vehicle stopped a few times, but his hopes were dashed when they were not moved at all.

Did those motherfuckers leave him here? Did they forget him? His thoughts fueled his agitation.

But fortunately, when the vehicle stopped for the third time, he heard footsteps near him, and soon he or the box was carried.

Soon he could feel that the box was placed on some uneven surface, most likely the ground, making his position even more awkward and uncomfortable. He cursed them inwardly for not handling something with care.

But when they immediately did not open the box, he just wanted to burst through it and pop some heads. Soon he heard the vehicle moving away, and after the sound of the vehicle went far, he could hear the box opening.

He was dying to get out, but the moment the box was opened, the blinding light of the sun greeted him with a rude attitude. In his excitement, he forgot that he was in darkness for quite some time, and it seems they opened it right under an open sky. Fucking busters, he thought inwardly.

After blinking a few times, the smiling face of Ricky welcomed him. Though the smile suited the man well, in Alexander’s eyes, it was a smile of a conniving fox.

Alexander wanted to say, "Could you be rougher?" But he held it in. A man does not complain. Besides, what he was doing was not exactly something noble.

But he had to admit after leaving in the city for all his life, the smell and freshness of the wilds around him hit him like a refreshing truck. Though he knew he was far from the actual wilds by a long shot.

They waited for there for some time. Some got ready: like a girl with round cheeks and a sexy body, and a man carrying a knife stretched. Off to the side, he saw an emo-looking girl checking her gears, who, upon looking at Alexander, gave a nasty glare.

After 15 minutes or so, Ricky approached him, and Alexander handed him the reimaging half, “Okay, man, this is where we part ways. I know our relationship is purely based on transaction, but you can still come with us. Unlike protection money, we can't actually protect you, but at least you'll be safer with a group.”

Alexander thanked the man but declined. He could tell it was coming from the goodness of the man's heart. Ricky sighed, and with his team, started moving inward.

But just before they reached Alexander's vision limit, Ricky looked back and shouted, “We are going west. If you truly meant something you can't handle, run toward the west. We will help you if we can.”

Then he added again, “Just don’t bring something like a, c rank. Then that will be just killing us.”

After 20 minutes or so, Alexander was moving. He still smiled, thinking of Ricky. He had to admit, he did not expect to see any kind of act of kindness from these guys, but it seems not all were scumbags, even though they might do something here and there.