One of the cities connected to the capital is Zadra.
Zadra is one of the first human cities established in the first realm. Unlike the places I’ve previously visited, this city is controlled by an organization—and within it, a prominent family.The organization? The Drake Slayers.
An edgy name, sure, but it was founded years ago by a group of idealistic youths with dreams of changing the world. Who would’ve thought they’d end up becoming the very kind of people they once despised in their youth?
I didn’t dwell on these thoughts as I approached the city gates. Instead of the usual buzzing streets, I was greeted by an unusually quiet city and two guards who looked bored and anything but disciplined. They stood at their posts, barely paying attention.
As I got closer, one of the guards glanced at me briefly, then returned to his indifferent stance. Not a word, not even a request for an entry fee. With my mask on, I walked right into the city without being stopped or questioned.
Strange. Why didn’t they charge me the entry fee? Cities like this thrive on merchant trade or monster hunters selling their spoils to fuel the local economy. A lax attitude like this could hurt them in the long run—or maybe they just assume no one would dare cause trouble in a city so close to the capital.
The streets were eerily empty, and the shops were all closed. Intrigued, I entered an inn. Inside, I found the innkeeper and a crowd of people glued to a television screen.
“With one strike, Aron wins the match!”
Cheers erupted throughout the inn. People had bright, excited expressions, though a few faces turned sour with disappointment.
I furrowed my brow, momentarily confused. Then it clicked. The Helix Cup. I’d completely forgotten it was happening now.
“Man, if only I could participate,” muttered a man, slumped over in his chair and drunk. His eyes were fixed on the screen, filled with envy.
“Hah! Even if you did, you’d lose in the first round with your weak potential,” jeered another drunken man nearby, slamming his mug down on the table.
“Let me tell you, anyone with less than 100 genes doesn’t stand a chance at breaking into the top 1,000!” declared an old man seated at the counter, leaning closer to the glowing screen.
The room fell silent as many of the rowdy patrons absorbed this information. Most of the older men present had around 50 to 60 genes—a respectable number for the lower realms. But they all knew the harsh truth the gap between them and the elites only widened with ascension. It was a chasm too vast to cross. That’s why many of them had chosen to remain in the lower realms.
I took a seat at an empty table and ordered a drink. My throat felt dry from the journey, and I needed something to settle my thoughts.
Like the others, I stared at the screen, curiosity piqued. How strong were these fighters compared to me?
Their weapons and armor caught my eye—each piece infused with elemental energy, covering them from head to toe. While their equipment seemed slightly weaker than mine, I couldn’t help but marvel at their resourcefulness and wonder about the staggering amount of money they must have spent on such gear.
For a fleeting moment, a thought crossed my mind if I robbed them and sold their equipment, I’d easily earn at least 100 gold. But then I remembered the organizations backing them. No wonder these fighters hadn’t been stripped clean already—each of them had connections, with some backing stronger than the last.
I even recognized the names of a few organizations being mentioned by the rowdy crowd in the inn. Despite my time spent in the wilderness or being used as bait, rumors and names like these still managed to reach my ears. It reminded me of that arrogant young master from back home, constantly bragging about his strength and influence. Boasting seemed to be his strongest skill, now that I thought about it.
Pushing the memory aside, I refocused on the screen as I ate and drank, watching the combat unfold.
***
“Let’s give a big round of applause for our two contenders who’ve fought their way to the top!” As the speaker said he gestured towards the two fighters from the podium.
Cheers erupted in the arena as the camera panned to the two combatants walking into the ring. These weren’t just any fighters—they were favorites to win the championship. Many in the crowd had hoped to see them clash in the finals, not here in the semifinals. Disappointment lingered in the air, but the excitement outweighed it as applause thundered through the venue.
The two warriors entered the ring, a circular platform with a diameter of 25 meters, made from an alloy designed to withstand the fiercest of blows. There were no fences or barriers—falling out of the ring meant instant elimination, adding another layer of tension to the match.
One contender was a familiar face to the crowd Hades. Across from him stood Neron, the grandson of Helix himself—a fact that the media had latched onto, hyping him up as the clear favorite to win the cup.
The stats told a different story. Neron boasted a gene cap of 113, while Hades was slightly behind at 104. On paper, Neron seemed like the obvious victor. However, the crowd knew better. Hades had far superior equipment and an unmatched mastery of his weapons, putting Neron at a disadvantage in skill and technique.
This match wasn’t just about raw power versus skill—it was a clash of two giants, each embodying different philosophies of combat.
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Hades with his look of everything below him charmed many young girls while Neron had a look of zero interest in all of this.
His look that showed no emotion made many of his opponents angry for him not showing any emotion when they faced him, but Hades did not care as he only hoped to catch his grandfather's attention.
Neron did not have any look that made him stand out from the crowd other than an extremely cold and indifferent personality.
He had brown hair and brown eyes as the majority of the Central Alliance people.
Both went to the middle of the ring and the referee asked both if they knew the rules.
Both answered patiently and with the judge signaling the match to start both contenders attacked each other.
Neron has a blade with two holes at the end with rings hanging out and a small shield while Hades has a two-handed sword with no shield as he cannot use it with the two-handled sword.
Both started contending with strength and Neron gained the upper hand.
Hades feeling being pressed down with a quick movement made the blade slide to the side and he aimed at Neron's neck, but before he could land a hit a shield blocked his blade.
Missing his chance, he retreated as Neron's blade was already moving towards him.
With moving his two-handed sword, he blocked the blade, but with his shield, Neron hit Hades in the chest.
Haddes grit his teeth to hold back from spitting out his saliva.
Hades had an extremely ugly look on his face as he was almost humiliated in front of his grandfather and looked at Neron who had an indifferent expression.
Soon both contesters fought against each other.
Blow for blow as they each faced each other, but it was clear Haes was losing, he recorded underhanded attacks, but Neron defended them successfully as he saw how Hades fought beforehand and he knew he loved to do it.
As for Neron, there was little information as Neron always one-hit his opponents.
Seeing their fight made many people amazed except Dax as their movements seemed slow and dull.
He felt he could easily defeat them with only 2 moves or even one if he made himself serious.
Getting bored from the fight he knew already it was a matter of time before Hades lost so he finished his meal and drink and went to the room that he booked.
No one paid any attention to me all eyes were glued to the screen.
***
Back in my room, I began browsing through the books I had accumulated, trying to determine which ones I could sell without causing myself trouble later. The main concern was whether the books would vanish if someone else fully mastered them, just as they had for me.
If the books disappeared, people would undoubtedly start asking questions. How would I explain their sudden absence without becoming a target?
I briefly entertained the idea of copying the contents into blank books, but the illustrations posed a significant problem. Each movement and each technique was accompanied by intricate diagrams, and my drawing skills were atrocious. After some thought, I abandoned the idea.
It seemed there was no easy way to make money.
Was alchemy my only viable option?
Alchemy required specific tools and equipment, but it was still less demanding than blacksmithing. Sighing, I pulled out the map to plan my next move. My eyes drifted westward, to the areas marked as forbidden zones. One location stood out—a cluster of ominous black skull symbols.
Each skull represented an Elite-class monster, but several clustered together. That could only mean something far worse, perhaps even a Champion-class monster.
No one would willingly venture there. The price paid to gather such information must have been steep, and it was doubtful anyone would risk their lives further for the promise of untold dangers.
But for me, it was an opportunity.
Champion monsters were bound by the rules of the realm, unable to unleash their full strength. That restriction leveled the playing field—at least enough for me to consider taking the risk.
My mind made up, I folded the map and prepared to leave.
Heading downstairs, I caught the end of the match on the inn’s screen. As expected, Hades had lost, and his expression told the entire story. His bloodshot eyes trembled with barely contained fury, his pride shattered.
Had he taken a blow to the head? No, it wasn’t physical. The loss had broken him.
I shook my head. If I had participated and defeated him, what then? Hades would likely fixate on me, seeking revenge the moment the cup ended. Unlike Neron, who had a powerful backing, I had no such protection. Facing Hades’ wrath wasn’t worth the glory.
Leaving the inn, I noticed the streets bustling with activity once again. People filtered in and out of shops and homes, their break from the tournament allowing them to return briefly to their daily lives. The buzz would no doubt intensify once the finals began.
***
Thud!
A buffalo slid across the ground, split cleanly in two from my strike. With this, I finally collected enough gold to buy the Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy.
With a single click, all my hard-earned gold vanished.
It took killing 34 Elite monsters just to scrape together enough. The grind had been brutal.
I purchased the book and sat down in the middle of the field to read. As I flipped through its pages, the foundational principles of alchemy began to take shape in my mind—how to extract properties from materials, combine them, and concoct potions.
The book included a few basic recipes, but two of them stood out to me.
The first was a potion that temporarily boosted strength by 30%, which could be a game-changer in combat. The second recipe accelerated digestion by 50%—a practical but less exciting use.
The third recipe, which sped up regeneration by 5%, was practically useless. A 5% increase wouldn’t make much of a difference, especially since the ingredients required were from monsters in the Second Realm. That made it inaccessible to me unless I could trade with someone who’d already ascended.
My focus shifted to the strength potion. To brew it, I’d need a few key items several glass tubes, glass bottles, a cauldron, and specific ingredients.
The materials for the strength potion included raging bull hair, a toad tongue, and several herbs. In total, the cost would come to about 15 silver.
I calculated the risks and rewards. The experience I’d gain from concocting potions, along with their potential value, could make the investment worthwhile. If I succeeded, I could snowball my profits in the First Realm and set myself up for success when I ascended. Eventually, I’d reach a point where I wouldn’t even need to lift a finger—money would come to me effortlessly.
But then a thought struck me.
Would the system allow me to carry this wealth into the next Realm?
If the system took everything upon ascension, I’d have to start from scratch. On the other hand, if it didn’t, I’d be the happiest person alive.
Either way, it didn’t matter. I started with nothing here, and I could do it again in the Second Realm if I had to. Besides, I’d be stronger by then.
For now, the priority was clear gather enough money to buy the necessary equipment and secure a place to concoct potions.