A few minutes passed with Levi looking around the spire, and then a burly man appeared from behind the barricades.

Levi looked at the man. He wore a uniform similar to that of the soldier on guard duty, but the burly man looked stronger and more powerful than the soldier.

'I wonder if he is a Follower...'

Oblivious to Levi's thoughts, the burly man led Levi toward the dome. Levi obediently followed the man, curiously looking around before realizing that this might be the last time he walked on Earth.

'Well, at least this place is cozy enough!'

The man led Levi inside the dome, guiding him through a grandiose corridor until they finally arrived at the innermost part of the spire, where a huge circular ring-like structure was built. Levi marveled at the sheer size of the structure, but before he could think of anything else, a woman wearing a military dress—particularly stunning and different from both the soldier at the dome and the one who led him inside—approached him.

"Name?" the woman asked without wasting another glance at Levi.

Levi blinked a few times, staring at the particularly stunning woman in front of him. She was beautiful, more so than anyone he had seen in his short life. With smooth skin, black eyes, and a slender figure, she looked stunning. Strangely, the grey soldier clothes seemed to complement her skin.

The woman frowned, noticing that the scrawny young man was staring at her intensely.

"Hey kid, what's your name?"

Suddenly coming to his senses, embarrassed, Levi shifted uncomfortably, trying to concentrate. "Levi."

"Full name," the woman asked, turning to him.

"Levias Drake," Levi said as the young woman raised an eyebrow and looked at Levi from top to bottom.

"Levias Drake, huh?" she said, still looking at him. Seeing his clothes, she didn't expect Levi to have a family name, but she didn't comment on that and instead continued with standard procedure. "Do you have a guardian tagging along, boy?"

Levi simply shook his head at her question. "Guardian? There is none."

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For a second, there was silence. Then, the female soldier scrolled around the device she was holding, probably checking if what Levi said was true or not, since everyone with the citizenship watch would be registered under the government.

Nonetheless, after a few seconds, she turned back to him, her gaze a bit softer.

"Alright, Levias. You know the procedures, right?"

Levi just smiled idioticly at her question. "As much as a slum-dweller could have known."

With a heavy sigh, the woman continued, "Listen carefully—the bliss portal you have bought is of the lowest grade and it only covers one side of your travel. Once you enter the portal, you are on your own. The government doesn't take responsibility for your life."

The female soldier waited, giving Levi time to absorb the information.

"You will be teleported to a safe zone once you enter the bliss portal, but since you don't have anything to pay as tax—you can stay inside the stronghold for a day at most. But don't worry, someone from either the government or the Sanctuaries will be there to guide you. At that time, try to join a party and create some allies. If you are lucky, a god will choose you."

She didn't elaborate on what would happen otherwise, as she was quite indifferent.

"If you make a contract with a god, the government will cover your return trip. Otherwise, you'll have to pay the amount needed for travel."

She was still finishing her explanation when both Levi's watch and her device rang suddenly.

"THE BLISS PORTAL WILL OPEN IN 1 MINUTE"

"That's it, I guess. All the best, try to make it back here."

She gestured towards the ring-like structure, which suddenly started to light up with a golden glow.

Levi looked at the ring-like structure with amazement as the golden energy filled the space between the ring, and in no time, the bliss portal was ready.

"Go on. May the gods look upon you," she said, stepping aside.

Levi gave her a dry laugh as he moved toward the portal, and then he stopped right before it, looking back at the female soldier.

"Any last-minute tips?"

He was unsure if a god would choose him or if he would be able to return to Earth, so there was no harm in watching the beauty for a few more seconds.

The female soldier chuckled softly at his question but then pondered for a moment before she said, "The gods are just trying to test your worth. So no matter the situation, just remember that the gods are always reasonable and don't lose faith."

Levi nodded, her words entering one ear and flying out the other as he was busy looking at something else.

"That's all. Off you go. May the gods be kind to you."

Levi turned around, no longer having any excuses to delay his departure, and entered the golden portal.

As soon as he did, his body disappeared from Earth, and a second later, he appeared far away in the unknown lands. At the same time, he heard an unfamiliar voice.

[Welcome to 'Paradise']

---***---

Lore Snippet 02 - Paradise

A name given to the Unknown Lands by humans, also called the Land of Gods by many. There is a saying that once upon a time, gods and demons walked on this land and that the artifacts are items born out of their powers, but no one knows if that is true. What is certain, however, is that Paradise is not all sunshine and rainbows!