Axel finally reached the dirt path and began trudging towards the city entrance. Whilst on the path, no monster attacked him during his journey back.

As he neared the city, Axel joined the lengthy line of people waiting to enter, thankfully it was flowing smoothly. The exhaustion was palpable among the crowd, and Axel was not the only one bearing gifts from monsters. Wounds abound, from scratches to bites, to cuts.

After a short wait, he was finally inside the safety of the city of Pavhorn. As soon as he stepped in, he felt relief wash over him like a wave. With a sense of security enveloping him, he made his way straight to the inn where he had lodged the night before, hoping they still had a room available.

"Welcome to, Neophyte Nest Clearing." The innkeeper, the same chubby young man, bowed. "How can I help you today?"

"I'd like a room, please," said Axel.

"Very well. Do you have a token or will you be paying by coin?"

"Coin. By the way, how much is a room?"

"100 coins for a night's stay, but if you're a member of the Order of the Horn you're entitled to a discount."

"100! Are you serious? That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Axel.

"Sorry, sir, I understand your frustrations, but those are the prices. All the other inns in the area charge the same rates. "

"Seriously?" asked Axel.

"Yes, sir."

"Fine," Axel reluctantly replied, pulling out 100 [Gold Coins] from his [Inventory].

The innkeeper collected the coins and handed Axel his key.

"Rooms are on the second floor, and meals are not included. Thank you for staying at Neophyte Nest Clearing." The innkeeper bowed.

Axel dropped his belongings off in his room, namely the bag he had been lugging about all day, and headed straight to the dining area.

100 coins? How is a night's stay worth 100 coins? And no meal voucher like last time? For that much money at least give some free food. And oh no... If the room costs this much, how much is the food going to cost? I’ve only made 166 [Gold Coins] today. What if I get sick or injured? How am I supposed to get coins like that?

Settling into a seat in the dining area, the aroma of delicious food coated the air, teasing his taste buds. The server from last night greeted him. "Hi, what can I get for you today?" she said, her smile brighter than the lanterns illuminating the area.

.

"I had the [Hearty Stew] last night, what else can you recommend?" asked Axel.

"I can recommend the [Roast Pork Belly]."

"Sounds nice, how much is it?"

"45 [Gold Coins]."

Axel nearly choked on his own saliva.

"That much? How much is the [Hearty Stew]?"

"35 coins. Members of the Order of the Horn enjoy a discount on all food items and drinks."

"Of course they do.” Axel rolled his eyes. “I’d like the stew, please?"

"Certainly, would you like anything else?"

"How bout a beer for the lad." The voice came from behind the server.

Here stood a large man with hair as red as the foxes Axel battled earlier in the day. A thick full beard covered his face, and he donned a simple white cloth shirt, brown pants, and a leather vest. His bulging arms were exposed, revealing a tapestry of scars, markings, and tattoos. He carried with him a mug that seemed to overflow with ale.

"Very well," the server said before leaving to complete the order.

"Umm, who are you?" asked Axel.

"Name's Bernhardt," he said.

Bernhardt plopped down into the empty seat next to Axel, causing the chair to creak and groan as if it was about to snap under his weight.

"You're new around these parts, aren't you? You've got this aura of newness around you," he said, sloshing the liquid around his cup.

Axel was unsure of how to respond. While it was true that he was new here, but so was everyone else. Plus who was this guy suddenly offering a drink and talking about his newness? If anything he sounded just like Fen, trying to recruit him into a guild.

"You must be pretty lost, but I can see potential in you. Join our guild, Plundering Pulverizers. I promise you won't regret it. We have good people, we take care of our own, and you'll surely rise to greatness."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Great sales pitch." A voice came from behind Bernhardt, one that Axel was familiar with.

Fen dragged a chair out from the nearby table and joined them.

"Buzz off, Fen. I was here first," Bernhardt shot a glare at the boy.

"On the contrary, old chum. Axel and I were having a lovely conversation just yesterday. So if you could be so kind as to leave us two to finish our chat, that would be great," said Fen.

"Hmpf. Bloody blonde bastard,” Bernhardt grumbled, slamming his hands onto the table in frustration. He stood up with a grunt and slowly ambled away, snatching the mug of beer that the server was bringing to the table.

"That boy ain't getting a free lunch. I mean dinner," he muttered.

"Sorry bout that. Ole' Bernhardt there's a bit of a sore loser," Fen said, placing his own mug on the table. “We’re both assigned the same area, and I kind of have a knack for recruiting people. The man’s even resorted to stealing some of my lines.”

"Umm... okay. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm still not interested in joining Blue Rose," said Axel.

"Oh, I know. But, I still can't let others sow any seeds." He winked.

"That's a bit bold to say, don't you think? You aren't exactly winning me over with that statement. Shouldn't you be buttering me up to join your guild?"

"Butter schmutter. I've got my own way of doing things. Plus I'm sure after your second day here, you must have some burning questions. Maybe something to do with surviving out here inside the barrier. I mean just look at your arm." Fen pointed at Axel's shoulder and forearm which had been dyed red with blood. "Looks like you've had a rough day."

"I was wondering more about classes. Stuff like what's a good class or how to upgrade my class."

"For classes, the general info is that you need to meet certain criteria to unlock the next class upgrade. Normally, most people meet those criteria by ranking up their skills. Anything specific about how to upgrade to what class will cost you, and by the looks of you, you don't have the coin."

"And how would you know that?" asked Axel.

"Dude... It's your second day here. You've probably only just got your class, and if you’re one of the better ones, maybe even completed your first quest. Plus, have you seen the prices the inns charge here? It's practically daylight robbery. Or maybe nightlight robbery would be better."

"Ok, you've got me there. And guess I’m one of the better ones then.”

“You’ve completed your first quest? Congrats, man.”

“Thanks, but I still have to know how much it would cost to search for someone. I'm looking for Lunetta."

"Who?" asked Fen.

Axel simply stared back, his expression blank.

"Just kidding, just kidding. You asked that yesterday. Well, prices fluctuate depending on the extent of the search, and location of the search, and some other external stuff. But, right now, just searching inside Pavhorn will cost you about 1000 coins, and if you include the outskirts that'll be another 500 coins."

"That's insane!' Axel shouted.

"Pavhorn is huge, what do you expect? Even looking for a needle in a haystack would be easier."

"Fine. When I manage to scrounge up enough money, could you help me out then?" asked Axel.

"Sure thing, buddy,” he replied, lifting his mug in a toast before gulping down his drink. "Anyway, I've got to go, but here's a little present for you." Fen pulled out a small flask filled with a bright red liquid and handed it to Axel.

"What's this?"

"Consider it butter for your wounds."

"Wait, what? What happened to butter schmutter, and I have my own ways of doing things?"

"Just cause I don't like butter doesn't mean I won't use it. Just drink the potion already. Trust me."

"And I should trust you because?"

"Because I'm such a nice guy." Fen smiled and made a heart with his fingers.

Axel snorted. "Honestly, that's good enough for me."

Axel downed the strange red liquid, silently hoping that he was not drinking blood. To his relief, It just tasted like water, nothing unusual. But, he could feel the effects on his body almost immediately. The aches and pains on his left side started to subside, he could not believe what he was feeling. Axel hurriedly rolled up his blood-stained sleeves and watched in amazement as his wound began to close up before his eyes. The pain dissolved entirely, leaving his skin smooth and unblemished as if the injury had never occurred.

Axel stared at Fen with eyes that screamed of horror and fear.

"What was that? What did you just do to me? What sort of black magic or witchcraft did you just do to me?" screamed Axel.

"That's a potion and it's alchemy. Black magic and witchcraft involve other things, but I think witchcraft also involves brewing stuff so I guess that can be a bit confusing," Fen said while stroking his chin.

“So you’re not placing a curse on me?” asked Axel.

“Nope,” replied Fen.

"Then why would you give me something so precious? This is a miracle cure. My wounds healed up, just like that."

"Precious? It costs like 100 coins. It's not that precious. I just thought I'd be nice and give you a free sample. Consider it an investment in your future investments."

"100 coins? Something this amazing costs that little?" Axel could not believe his ears.

"It’s the lowest tier potion, good for small wounds. Ain't exactly that amazing in the grand scheme of things. But, just remember to visit our Blue Rose shops if you want to purchase anything." Fen gave a thumbs up.

"Wow, alright. I can't believe something like this exists,” said Axel, still staring at the empty flask in his hand.

"It's okay, you get used to it. It's like, 'Whoa, what is this amazing, never-before-seen thing?' And then two weeks later, you're like, 'Oh, that? How did you not know about it?'”

"Anyway, thanks so much," said Axel.

"Don't worry about it. Just remember that Blue Rose always has its doors open, and if you don't feel like joining a guild, we offer different services at very competitive prices," said Fen.

"Alright, thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Fen waved goodbye and headed off to another table, presumably to scout out more newcomers.

Meanwhile, Axel happily dug into his [Hearty Stew], which had arrived during their conversation, shoveling the delicious warmth into his mouth. With his wound completely healed, the absence of pain added to the relaxation, leaving him to savor both the food and the relief.

While sitting on his bed, Axel was excited to find out what other surprises existed in this new world, hopeful that one of them might make his search easier. The first two days had been exhausting, both mentally and physically, with new surprises around every corner. Axel just hoped that everything would turn out okay and that his big sister was okay. With that, his eyes closed drifting off to peaceful slumber.