The lady innkeeper closed her book with a dirty smile on her lips as she looked Michael over from head to toe.

[Payment first, dear customer.](?)

"Here. My name is Michael. Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions? I'm new to these parts of the realm..."

Accepting the trade window prompt, the lady smiled and nodded.

[Raskya. Always happy to help a paying customer. I can see you're a newbie, so I guess you're new to the whole Wanderer thing?](Raskya)

"Yes. A couple of months or so."

[*Sigh* I know the prices you'll see around are high, but everyone is trying to make a living, lad. Actually, we already provide preferential prices for Wanderers. Believers in the Light or not, we know that Wanderers do as much, if not more, than what the Church of Light does to keep us safe.](Raskya)

"I see. Lorath mentioned that the situation is worsening, so I'm guessing there's trouble everywhere?"

[Lorath? That old log is still alive? Impressive. Not even Death fancies him... But yeah, from what I've heard from customers passing through here, many villages, towns, and even cities were razed to the ground by demons. And it's going to get worse before it gets any better.](Raskya)

"I see. Speaking of other customers, is Gonk the Barbarian around? He mentioned that I should ask about him here."

[Hmm? Are you a friend of that oaf? That's good! He didn't pay his last bill and had to leave urgently for a mission. I'll charge you his 50 gold coins, and you can square it out with him after.](Raskya)

Seeing the prompt appear so suddenly in front of his eyes made Michael's thoughts lag momentarily. The innkeeper lady wasn't joking, so he reluctantly agreed to pay the amount.

First off, he still had lots of gold coins left, and if 50 pieces were enough to further his friendship with an almost Level 50 Barbarian, it was a cost he was very willing to pay.

Also, according to what Hoduin mentioned about gear and levels, it wasn't worth buying it at early levels since you can cycle through it pretty fast by grinding in Dungeons.

'I don't plan to risk my life daily in Dungeons, but the Sanctuary will probably keep pushing me into strange scenarios where I don't have much choice. So, instead of paying tens of thousands of gold coins to buy a single magic item, it's better to kill Elites and Bosses to have it drop for free.'

It was a dangerous mentality but a needed one. Those that don't swim up the stream get drowned by the current.

"You talked about believing in the Light. Are you a member of the Cathedral?"

[Heh. I was never religious until I saw a miracle. Inarius himself blessed a man with the Light. Got up and walked again for the first time in years, right then and there. The Light is real, dear customer. Take comfort in it.](Raskya)

Remembering the myths that religion was based back on Earth, healing the heavily wounded was one of the easiest ways to score points with your flock.

That could form a compelling story, combined with his feats of glory by escaping Hell and returning to the Sanctuary to save his children.

"What about Gonk's mission? Did he say anything?"

[I heard that one of the Strongholds here in the Fractured Peaks was taken over by demons. Lots of high-level Wanderers rushed there to take it back. It's going to be a slaughter... I hope that oaf makes it back in one piece. He's rowdy and drinks too much, but it's hard to dislike him. If all went well, he should return these days.](Raskya)

"*Sigh* He'll be fine. There's little that could threaten him when he's alone, much less when accompanied by other Wanderers just as strong."

[Mhm. I've heard they gathered around a hundred Level 50 Wanderers or higher, but only three or four have their Paragon Board open. Still, such a force is enough to deal with any incursion thrown their way.](Raskya)

"Speaking of incursions, what do you know about this prophecy I've been hearing about lately? I keep hearing people talk about it left and right, but can't exactly but in as a stranger and ask for more details."

She turned and looked him in the eyes, sporting a wide grin. It seems she was quite amused by what he said.

[You can't take a few steps without hearing about it, so it's understandable that you're curious what the fuss is about. The great war against evil. The day Inarius takes all of us up to the Heavens with him. Haha! I hope my cat will come with us too.](Raskya)

"Hmm? You don't seem to believe it."

[The war against evil? I do since it's already happening. It has always been going on, so there's nothing new there. As for all believers being taken to Heaven... please! Angels barely care enough about the Sanctuary to keep us alive. To think they will take us all to Heaven is plain stupidity. Don't let the fanatics of the Church hear that, though. They can be quite... hardheaded.](Raskya)

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Seeing her move from behind the counter and gesture to Michael to follow her up the stairs, they went to the fifth floor.

The young Necromancer kept peppering the woman with different questions, but most were mild, common-sense related inquiries. After all, he was still sorely lacking in that department.

[How serious is the Church of Light about the 'infidels'? Hah! As long as you don't yell in front of them about it and don't call them on their bullshit, they mostly ignore the non-believers. After all, the Church of Light is primarily influential here in Kyovashad. For other cities... they have different faiths. The backlash they would suffer for trying to push their beliefs on ordinary people would be enough to wipe them out.](Raskya)

"It makes sense. That means other faiths are converging here in Kyovashad as well?"

[Indeed. You can see pilgrims moving in and out of the city daily. Their goal is always the Church of Light. Some customers speculate possible alliances between different factions to deal with the demons.](Raskya)

"Oh? Interesting. Tell me more about these pilgrims."

[Day and night, they stream into town. They are polite folk, and they always pay their tabs. Not like the locals around here... Anyways, that's all I know and all that matters to me, honestly. Whatever business the higher-ups of the Church have with them, I am not curious about. Knowing too much is just as bad as knowing too little.](Raskya)

Nodding upon hearing the warning in her voice, Michael dropped the subject. Since he would meet with these higher-ups anyway soon, there was no need to press Raskya for more intel.

There was Helen, whom he'll meet up with soon as well. As a guard, she should be privy to some interesting details.

[Oh! Look who's awake. Aybdah, how's your head? Pounding much?](Raskya)

[Ugh... Lady Raskya, don't yell! Ugh... my head.](Aybdah)

[Hmpf! Next time, drink with measure. Who told you to try and outdrink the locals?](Raskya)

[Damn! Is it common for the 'devout' folk to drink so enthusiastically? *chuckles* I guess I can't blame them, though.](Aybdah)

[Haha! The food is good, and the drinks are better! I'll keep it coming as long as you pay enough.](Raskya)

[Heh. A new face, I see? Also, since you're leading him yourself, a good-paying one, I assume.](Aybdah)

"The name is Michael. A pleasure."

[Aybdah. Don't fall for this pretty lady's tricks, lad. If you let her push you around, you'll end up worse than me. I got goaded into a drinking contest after she nudged the competition forward. In the end, all eight participants left with pounding headaches, while she's the real winner with lots of gold coins in her purse.](Aybdah)

[Brat! Do you believe I'll kick your arse if you keep talking nonsense?](Raskya)

[Yes, milady. I do. Hahaha!](Aybdah)

Seeing the innkeeper smack his back and tell him to go down and get his breakfast, Michael smiled at the interaction.

He was curious about the man since he couldn't feel anything from him.

Any Wanderers he was around, he could tell their occupation from their gait, more or less. There was also a faint feeling of oppression that usually came from them being at a higher level, but there was none of that with this guy.

Seeing him wave Michael off while descending the stairs, he turned with a curious glance at the middle-aged lady.

[A good lad that went through a horrible situation. The literal sole survivor of a massacred village. He managed to get his Recognition Quest due to the tragic situation, but he's still heavily affected, as you can imagine.](Raskya)

"So, he's a newbie like me?"

[Newbier, I would say. He's still at Level 4, while I guess you're past five from how you carry yourself. He's also a Ranger, so he can't exactly go and hunt demons by himself, while the older Wanderers don't have time to babysit him with what's going on in the world. It's good that you met. Who knows, you might become companions soon.](Raskya)

Michael nodded but took the proposition quite seriously. He didn't know the guy, and he was a newbie as well, but it was better to get a party going fast since there were many advantages to doing that.

The 5% increased experience gain and an extra pair of hands should be helpful in his future Quests and Dungeons.

"I was thinking of putting together a party. Any other newbies you can recommend? A priest or someone that can heal us would be good."

[A healer? Uhm... I can't say I know any. Monks and nuns have some light healing skills, but most are geared toward combat rather than support. After all, with access to Healing Potions for a cheap price, there's no reason to focus on healing when instead you can get some extra damage output.](Raskya)

Scratching his head and agreeing with the notion, he was led to his room. Nothing fancy compared with even a three-star hotel back on Earth, but this was as close to luxury as he could get in Kyovashad... most likely.

He received a key and followed the innkeeper back to the ground floor.

[Do you want anything to eat? I can have the cooks prepare you something.](Raskya)

"Not now. I'll likely come by in a couple of hours with someone else, and we'll grab something to eat then."

[Someone else? A lady, I presume, judging by your eagerness to book a decent room.](Raskya)

"Uhm... nothing that crazy. I'm meeting with Lady Helen. She agreed to give me a city tour and grab a bite together."

[Helen? Captain of the guards, Helen?](Raskya)

Seeing the flummoxed face of the innkeeper, Michael was starting to sweat a little. Why was everyone acting like he was defying the Heavens by agreeing to a date with that hot chick!?

"Uhm... this..."

[Good luck, brat! Some things are better left unsaid.](Raskya)

Seeing the woman leave after heavily patting his back in an encouraging manner, Michael felt his knees go weak.

Swallowing hard and praying that the hot chick doesn't have weird fetishes, he ran out of the Sleepy Peaks and headed toward the 'guard station.'

'Maneater or not, it was better not to be late and attempt to make a good impression. Leaving matters of the bed aside, I should gain lots of information from her if I play my cards right.'

It only took him half an hour to get back to the gates, where the previous guards he met greeted him with a benevolent smile that made him uneasy.

Their eyes seemed to thank him for taking one for the team.

Shaking his head at their absurd display of the men, he looked toward the shack, where a pair of pretty eyes watched him interact with the other guards.

Seeing the poor lads shudder when their eyes met hers and quickly go about their sudden business, Michael almost laughed aloud.

[You're here early. I'm not finishing my shift for another half an hour.](Helen)

"Was too impatient and didn't want to wander the streets alone, without a pretty guide."

[Heh. Where's Lorath?](Helen)

"Left with urgent business. He pretty much dumped me here and left me to my own devices. Speaking of devices, you said you have half an hour left from your shift. How do you tell the time?"

[Huh? By using a watch...](Helen)

"Huh?"

The two looked at each other in incomprehension. Helen was amazed by his lack of common sense, while Michael was confused at the existence of a watch.

Seeing her bring a very intricately carved wooden box, his jaw almost dropped to the floor, but did his best to maintain his composure. Twelve numbers were on the box, and two hands - bigger and smaller - were pointing at different numbers.

'I guess I underestimated the technological advancement of this world. They have Cleaning Marbles, for fuck's sake... why wouldn't they have something as simple as clocks to know the time!?'

Laughing with Helen and using the excuse of only having seen hourglasses before, he barely managed to avoid looking like a dumbass in front of his date.

Luckily for him, hourglasses were higher-class clocks, according to the pretty lady, since the glass itself was expensive to make.

After shouting some orders and passing her chair to a middle-aged man that came to replace her, Helen joined Michael on the road back to the inner city.

The date has officially started.