Levi stood before the Mercenary Federation-controlled Bliss portal, a mix of anticipation and awe surging within him. No matter how many times he saw it, the Bliss portals never ceased to amaze him.
He had just received his mercenary license, and as an F-rank Mercenary, he was granted a free round trip from Earth to Paradise. "I need to get a grip on my skills... no time to waste," Levi thought, tightening his hold on the basic sword he had borrowed.
It was one of the perks of becoming an official mercenary. Though he would eventually have to pay for the sword, for now, they had lent it to him. Levi had also wanted to borrow armor, but the Mercenary Federation had refused, stating that a weapon was the most they could provide at his rank. He didn't mind, though, even having the sword was more than he could have hoped for.
The portal shimmered before him, a swirling vortex of light and energy that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly power, coming to life as he approached. Without hesitation, Levi stepped through, feeling a brief moment of disorientation as the world around him shifted.
***
In the blink of an eye, Levi emerged on the other side, finding himself in Paradise once again. The location was Hopeshire, a stronghold with a history deeply tied to the Mercenary Federation, as it was founded by the current Master of the WMF himself. It was said that this stronghold was established after the defeat of a Behemoth-level monster, and that the creature's body still lay beneath the stronghold.
Levi had heard stories about this place, but seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.
Hopeshire was a bleak and desolate land, a stark contrast to its name. It seemed humans had a strange habit of giving grand names to desolate places. The terrain was littered with massive rocks, jutting out of the ground like the remnants of some ancient battle.
"Looks just like the last stronghold," Levi mused, his eyes scanning the area. The wasteland stretched as far as he could see, and the atmosphere was thick with a sense of foreboding.
Resolving himself, Levi passed through the security checkpoint and found himself outside the stronghold's entrance, standing alone in the barren landscape. The stronghold's walls loomed behind him, offering no comfort.
"No turning back now. I've got to make this count," he thought, gripping his sword tighter.
He had three goals for this trip. First, he wanted to learn more about the abilities granted by his contract. He had too little information and had been afraid to use them back on Earth. But now that he was in Paradise, Levi was determined to gain a solid understanding of his traits and abilities.
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Secondly, he needed to gather as many corpses and demonic crystals as possible to trade for credits. This was his only option to fund his journey to the Favored Ones Academy. It would be even better if he got lucky and found some artifacts.
Lastly, there was his dormant core. Levi knew it was impossible to gather 200 demonic crystals in just one trip to Paradise, which he expected to last only two days, but he hoped to increase the count as much as possible.
"Let's go."
Knowing that mere thoughts wouldn't get him anywhere, Levi began to move. If he wanted to use his demonic abilities, he had to find a place far from the stronghold—somewhere no one could witness him.
***
Around ten minutes after Levi began his journey out of Paradise, he encountered his first foe. It was a twin-headed worm, about the size of a two-meter snake. The creature's body was rough and covered in orange patterns, wriggling and wobbling as it slithered toward Levi.
Levi didn't panic at the sight of the worm—it was just a dormant monster. He had managed to kill one before even forming a contract, so there was no reason to fear now. However, he remained vigilant, raising his sword to chest level with steady determination.
This was the first time Levi held a proper sword. Though the WMF hadn't provided him with an artifact, the sword he wielded wasn't bad either.
—----------[Rudimentary Sword]—----------
A crudely made sword with good weight balance. It holds up well and is best for use against dummies, but don't bet your life on it.
—----------[Rudimentary Sword]---------------
Well... somewhat.
'Let's not get disappointed, I'm still stronger than before,' Levi reminded himself.
Though he was now alone, unlike the last time where he was with the tall boy and the fat boy. But he didn't think about it as he preferred to focus on the positives.
The worm was slow, moving at such a pace that it would be a miracle if it managed to hit Levi. But it had its advantages.
No monster could survive easily in Paradise, especially low-level ones. This worm, for instance, possessed incredible digging abilities, allowing it to hide deep underground. However, today it had emerged in search of food, only to encounter Levi.
And Levi had no intention of letting it hide again.
Without hesitation, Levi brought his sword down on the worm. Though it tried to squirm out of the way, he managed to land a solid blow, watching as it coiled and writhed in the sand.
He didn't let up, swiftly cutting off its heads with the next strike. The worm's body fell, its heads severed.
It twitched for a few more seconds before going still, and Levi received a message from Providence soon after.
[You have killed a dormant monster - Twin-headed Earthworm]
Levi felt a tinge of disappointment as there were no other rewards, but what could he do? He simply sighed and picked up the worm's body.
"That was too easy," he thought, collecting the lifeless heads. But his victory was due more to the worm's nature than his own skill.
What Levi didn't know was that Twin-headed Earthworms were blind, docile creatures that primarily survived by feeding on rocks and fine sand. What he had just done could be compared to little more than butchering a sheep.
However, Levi wasn't concerned with this as his mind was preoccupied with another thought.
"How does worm taste, again?"
---***---