I walked down the small path in the direction of Tussock. In my memories, Tussock was one of the main cities on the first floor. It was close to where one of the teleportation portals was located. Each floor had five different teleportation portals; they could be used for both intra-floor and inter-floor travels.

These portals were built by the tower itself. Anyone could use them at the cost of a few points. Furthermore, it was forbidden to block or monopolise the teleportation portals. No constructions could be made within a large radius of the portals but it did not stop the different races from building cities relatively close to the portals.

Physically blocking a portal was also an option but historically speaking, all the forces who tried to do so met tragic ends. The tower took a hands-off approach as long as its interest was not jeopardized. People and especially the newcomers should be allowed to climb the tower and find their own home.

I debated on how to approach the city. Should I be stealthy and look for an opportunity to sneak into the city or should I confidently step into the city in the open?

‘The sentries should not be on the lookout for humans yet. And it is unlikely that they attack or capture me on the spot since there are a few other races that look like humans. It should be fine for me to pass as one of those races, shouldn’t it?’

As I was thinking of a plan, I suddenly noticed some movements in the corner of my eyes. It was different from the usual swinging of the wheat plants caused by the wind. Instead, it looked like something was making a path in my direction from the wheat field.

“Pssst!”

“Who?” I cocked my head as I focused my attention on the wheat field.

A head poked out of the field. “Come here. Don’t stay on the path. It is dangerous.”

“You are?” I asked suspiciously. The person who called me was a human. He looked like he was wearing a cheap equipment set that could be found at the merchant tower on the zeroth floor. The man had chestnut hair and abnormally protruding teeth.

“Hide quickly before these lizards find you! Quick, enter the wheat field.”

“Lizards? You mean the Bangaas? Why do I need to hide from them?”

“Whatever their name is… These monsters are dangerous. You are probably like me, someone who just arrived here and is heading toward Tussock. But the entrance of the city is guarded by those lizards. I arrived early but did not immediately head to the city. Instead, I hid in the wheat fields and observed the situation. I wanted to let someone else go in first and I was right to do so.” The man explained hurriedly. He scanned his surroundings and confirmed that we were alone.

“When that person approached the gates and tried to enter the city, he was stopped by the lizards. A fight broke out and in the end, that person ran away after using his Right to be Protected. I am not sure what happened but the lizards chased after him. I quickly went into hiding after witnessing the scene and avoided the path.”

I bit my lips as I listened to that person. ‘Was I wrong this entire time? Did coming here early serve no purpose? The other races should not target the humans yet… Unless these people did something wrong in the first place.’

“I see…” I replied with a heavy voice. “In that case, you should just continue to hide here. It is one of the disadvantages of coming here early. We are greatly outnumbered and cannot do anything against the other races.”

“What about you?” He asked as his expression changed. He took a step forward, getting closer to the path.

I immediately went on my guard, grabbing my trusty spear. “None of your business. You should keep your distance.”

The man froze in place as my spear was pointed at him. His face paled. “You… Why are you attacking me?”

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“You can stop pretending. Your current posture indicates that you are about to pounce on me. Your right hand also mysteriously moved downwards, probably to grab a weapon. I am not so naïve as to think that you would approach a random stranger like me for no reasons. Furthermore, since you are already here, you should have used a few unusual or immoral means to buy your First Floor Ticket. Am I wrong?” I stood on the path, holding my spear firmly. At the same time, I no longer tried to conceal my presence as a first circle creature.

Instantly, the man’s expression darkened before he chuckled evilly. “As I thought. People who got here early would not be so gullible. So what if I used immoral means to get here. Did you not do the same since you are here?”

“…”

We stared at each other, both refusing to back down. I could see that he was nervous and scared but at the same time envious and greedy. “I am not in a position to judge you. Any way, we’ll part ways here.”

I took a few steps back, putting some distance between us before resuming my journey to Tussock.

“Wait!” The man exclaimed. “What I said about the incident at the entrance of the city was not a lie. If you really go there, you will be attacked by the guards. Even though we did not get the best start to this conversation, we can team up and together go for the second floor.”

I glanced at the man who has now recovered and shook my head. “There’s no need for me to do so. Whether you lied or not does not matter. I still need to get inside the city. These guards will be more careful about dealing with the humans after this incident. Besides, I simply do not trust you enough to team up.”

“Tsssk! Since you are so confident, then go ahead. Don’t come back running here after you get your *ss beaten up.” The man sneered.

I shrugged my shoulders. “What is the worst that can happen? Using my Right to be Protected? It is just a tool, not something I can fully rely on.”

I left without further ado and the man did not make any further attempts at convincing me.

My surroundings became livelier as I approached the city. I noticed a few elves busy tending to the fields. The harvest season has already started and the elves needed to get to work. They were easily distinguishable with their iconic pointy ears and sharp facial features. They averted their eyes as I walked past them and cravenly moved away from me. They looked pitiful.

I silently went on my way, ignoring the elves. I knew they could not harm me and did not make things difficult for them.

The large entrance gate came into view. This scene brought back many memories of my past life. The tall and imposing city walls of Tussock that even giants could not destroy stood before me. The walls were made of ordinary bricks but several protective formations have been engraved into them. On top of the walls, I noticed a few silhouettes moving to and fro, as well as many protruding nozzles of the large energy cannons.

I frowned lightly as my eyes fell on the gigantic gates, built to allow even the 5m tall giants to walk inside. There were clear signs that a battle has recently taken place; the ground was leveled and scorched, some traces of blood could be found everywhere and the guard cabins have been torn apart.

The lizards mentioned by the men were also present, standing on both sides of the gates. They were officially known as the Bangaas. A Bangaa was a reptilian bipedal creature with a similar build to humans but with a body covered with scales, a large thick tail that could regrow when cut and the head of an alligator. Earthlings often called them ‘Sobek’ behind their back in reference to the Egyptian deity.

The Bangaas came from a world that was also devoid of magic and like the humans, they were forced to adapt. They were one of the physically strongest races of the tower and were particularly deadly in swampy environments.

I stood at a reasonable distance from the gates, examining the situation. I was already aware that I have been spotted. The vision of a Bangaa was sharper than a human’s. It was pointless to hide and I had no intentions of doing so in the first place.

There were only two ways to enter Tussock; the first was through one of the four entrance gates like the one in front of me and the second was through some of the tunnels used by the smugglers. Both were dangerous but I would rather stay away from the outlaws.

My original plan did not involve me sneaking into a city on the first floor. Instead, I would have quickly gone for the teleportation portal and travelled up the tower but I changed my mind after having had a conversation with Jake. My family and friends also entered the tower. In my past life, I did not meet anyone close to me but since it was my second life, I had the opportunity to make up for this. Staying on the first floor would increase my chances of encountering humans and by extension, my family.

I casually strolled toward the gates, behaving casually, like any regular citizen of Tussock would. The atmosphere surrounding the Bangaas changed. I felt their eyes following me as they readied their weapons. However, the Bangaas did not immediately attack me.

A senior Bangaa stepped out and approached me. I could tell he was older by the wrinkles on his face and the fact that he had less scales and teeth. The Bangaa smiled politely. He annoyingly tried to be as friendly as possible. “Hello, may I ask what brings you to Tussock?”

It felt like I was walking through customs. The annoying plastic smile of the officer could not hide his vigilant and scrutinising eyes.

“Hello. I went out for a stroll this morning and I am just returning home. Is there something wrong?” I asked with a surprised expression.