Levi left the government-controlled spire and, having eaten the meal that was provided for free and decided to head toward the WMF—the World Mercenary Federation.

The WMF was a place where followers of gods, who either lacked enough members to create a sanctuary or preferred to operate independently, could register themselves and gain certain benefits otherwise inaccessible to common people.

One might wonder why Levi, a demonic follower, would consider registering with the Mercenary Federation. The answer was simpler than one might think: money! Levi didn't have a single penny to his name. Forget traveling to the Favored Academy, which was halfway across the world—he couldn't even afford his next meal.

So Levi's first goal before making his way to the favored academy was to make enough money to not worry about his day-to-day expenses.

Another issue was that his citizenship watch, the lowest grade of the kind which he had brought with all his hard-earned money, had broken during a battle.

It wasn't a major concern as he could repair it or buy a new one if he had the money, which was still problematic.

While there were always options of going back to work at the government factories for another two years or just robbing someone - both were incredibly risky and Levi neither had the time nor the powers to do that.

Joining the Mercenary Federation, however, had its perks.

First, they didn't require members to reveal their secrets—the only requirement was that one had to be a follower of a god. And since they didn't demand disclosure of which god was being followed, Levi could easily register as a mercenary.

The Mercenary Federation only cared about skill; as long as someone could complete one of the posted missions, they didn't concern themselves with personal details.

Another significant advantage was access to Bliss Portals, controlled by the WMF. Registered individuals were granted a specific number of free trips between Earth and Paradise based on their rank. This was exactly what Levi was aiming for.

First, he was eager to test out his trait ability, Demonic Transformation.

Second, he wanted to awaken his core, or whatever it was, which required around 200 demonic essence crystals—a goal he was betting on to gain enough power to pass the test and enter the Favored Academy. Along the way, he could also gather materials and sell corpses to fund his journey.

This is why Levi now stood before the Mercenary Federation branch in his state. It had taken him an entire day to reach here, as he couldn't afford even basic transportation. Now that he had arrived, Levi felt a rush of excitement.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Let's do this," he muttered.

Without wasting any time, he walked into the bustling skyscraper. The building was at least 60 stories high and impressively wide.

Levi marveled at the interiors, which were decorated with the utmost care. Based on his experiences of reading novels, he had expected the Mercenary Federation to resemble an illegal tavern, but to his surprise, it was more luxurious than even government buildings.

"Of course, it would be," Levi thought, considering how half of the development funds of government would likely end up in the officials' pockets instead of public projects.

Nonetheless, he walked forward.

Right before him was a large lobby with about ten lines, each attended by a beautiful receptionist assisting those with inquiries. Luckily, Levi spotted a free receptionist and approached her.

The receptionist noticed Levi and smiled warmly. Although Levi had a smaller frame for someone his age, she knew better than to underestimate anyone—especially someone wearing government-issued clothing with the insignia of the Asian Union.

"Welcome to the Mercenary Federation, sir. How may I assist you?" the receptionist asked in a respectful tone.

Levi returned the smile. "I'm here to register as a mercenary."

There were only two reasons why new faces entered the Mercenary Federation: either to post a request or to register as a mercenary, so the receptionist was not all that surprised by Levi's response.

"Thank you for choosing the Mercenary Federation. Please fill out this—" the receptionist began but paused when Levi showed his broken watch.

In this era, the days of paper and pen were long gone; everything was now done using technology. Although technology couldn't be fully utilized in Paradise, Earth was another story.

Understanding the situation, the receptionist did something with the device mounted on the desk before her. A second later, a projection appeared in front of Levi.

"Please go ahead and fill this out," she said.

Levi nodded. Although he was concerned since others could also see the projection, he didn't mind as he wasn't revealing anything secret.

He focused on the form. It was simple, asking for details like his first name, last name, age, and any affiliations. The section for his patron god was optional, as were fields for his watch connection ID, rank, skills, and traits. Levi promptly filled in his watch ID—a 12-digit alphanumeric code—ignored the rest, and clicked the submit button.

The receptionist checked the device to ensure all required fields were filled, then turned to Levi.

"Thank you. Please proceed to the basement, where your power level and other authentications will be registered. They will also explain the next steps."

Levi nodded and made his way toward the elevator. Though there were stairs leading down, he wasn't about to take them, not after noticing he had to go down four floors!

Soon, he found himself in a waiting room where several others were also registering as mercenaries. There were three men and one woman already present and waiting.

Levi chose a corner seat as he was not interested in conversing with others, and it seemed like even they were also not interested in making conversation as they simply watched him sit before returning to their own silence.

Not long after, a woman wearing the insignia of the Mercenary Federation—a design featuring two crossed swords over a coin with incredible detail—entered the room.

She called out a name, and in response, a man waiting with Levi stood up and followed her out. Levi observed, understanding he would have to wait his turn.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. One by one, the others were called, and soon it was Levi's turn.

"Levias Drake! Please follow me," the woman called.

---***---