Mid-Capital
After exiting the tunnel, they walk toward the carriage, and a strange silence fills the air between them. No one speaks, no silly jokes—nothing. They continue walking toward the carriage.
Once they reach the side of the carriage, Lim speaks in a serious tone:
Lim: Alright, you two, I think we deserve a logical explanation from you.
Lim looks at Kalira with sharp, intimidating eyes. Kalira lowers her eyes to the ground and says nothing.
Limty approaches Lim.
Limty: Come on, don't be so harsh on her. Maybe she has a reason.
Lim: I don't think there's any reason not to tell us after we came all this way to help her.
Lim turns his gaze to Torrance.
Lim: What do you think? Why don't you tell me?
Torrance flies calmly and sits in the corner of the carriage.
Torrance: Alright, I apologize. It was my idea not to tell you that Okais was a hybrid. If you had known from the beginning that he was a hybrid, would you have helped us?
Lim: Wait, you didn't tell us because you assumed we wouldn't help? Are you kidding me right now?
Limty: Calm down, Lim. So, Torrance, did you really think we wouldn't help if we knew your friend was a hybrid? That's not true. We both would do anything as long as we get paid—even saving a hybrid. Also, we don't have any hatred toward hybrids. It's not their fault they were born that way. So it's fine. I understand why you were cautious about telling us. But what made me a little sad is that we slept together, ate together, traveled together, and after all that, it was still hard for you to trust us.
Kalira looks at Limty with eyes full of tears, but she doesn't cry. With a trembling voice, though not crying:
Kalira: I'm sorry, Limty. I wanted to tell you, but Torrance told me you might not help us if you knew he was a hybrid.
Lim yells again at Kalira.
Lim: You little brat! Why would you listen to this chicken? Do you want me to tie you up with him and roast both of you?
Limty quickly moves her hand and delivers a swift punch to Lim's stomach.
Lim: I've got a stomachache!
Limty: Shut up, you idiot.
She steps toward Kalira, lowers her head to Kalira's level, and places her hand on Kalira's head.
Limty: Listen to me. What you did wasn't wrong, but it was a little disappointing for us. On the other hand, I admired you for not trusting anyone easily and keeping the truth. Come on, smile. It wasn't a big deal. After all, we all have our own secrets.
Kalira steps forward and hugs Limty while crying:
Kalira: I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Limty.
Lim looks at Torrance.
Lim: You chicken, is this what you do to others?
Torrance: It's not my fault. No one can trust or get attached to anyone these days.
Lim: Maybe you're right, but it's still disappointing.
Torrance: I don't care whether I'm disappointing or not. You can go die somewhere far from me.
Lim: What did you say, chicken? Want to die today?
Torrance: Since when do horses eat chickens?
And they start arguing, as usual.
After Kalira finishes crying:
Kalira: What do we do now, Torrance?
Torrance calmly flies and lands on her shoulder.
Torrance: I don't know. I have no idea where he is now. Also, we can't search everywhere—the continent is far too big. And we didn't get enough information from the merchant.
Limty steps into the conversation.
Limty: Did you say we don't have enough information?
Torrance: Yes.
Limty: Do we have money?
Torrance: Yes, we have a lot, don't we?
Limty: Then we can get information in exchange for money. Let's go to the World of Information now.
Torrance: Wait, wait. Where is this world?
Limty: Come on, how do you not know? It's in the Adventurers' Building.
Kalira: What is the Adventurers' Building?
Torrance: Are you asking what the Adventurers' Building is? Let me tell you. It's a place where all travelers, monster hunters, and the continent's strongest gather. It's also called "Cast Beast," and it's the most influential place in the lands after the king. Adventurers and travelers get paid for hunting monsters, either through direct payment or information.
Kalira: Sounds like an amazing place. But do we have to hunt monsters to get information?
Limty: Not necessarily. You can also pay and get information, monster corpses, or anything else—as long as your rank is high enough there.
Kalira: Why do they buy monster corpses? Also, what is the rank?
Lim speaks with annoyance:
Lim: Seriously, where did this girl live? How does she not know anything?
Limty: Alright, let me explain first. Monster corpses are used to craft many things—strong swords from giant beast fangs, armor from monster hides, and even some amulets using monster blood. That's why Cast Beast pays for monster corpses.
Kalira: But there are powerful and huge monsters. How will the adventurers kill them? And how will they bring them back?
Limty: Relax, let me finish. Monsters are ranked into several tiers, and so are adventurers. The monster ranks go from lowest to highest with four main ranks and one special rank:
1. Bronze: The lowest rank. Usually includes small or weak monsters that live in hiding.
2. Silver: Wild monsters like savage bears, screechers, and forest ghouls.
3. Gold: Giant monsters like enormous spiders and very strong large beasts, though their strength can be suppressed.
4. Diamond: Monsters that don't appear publicly or live in isolated areas like caves. They have special awareness and are extremely strong. Adventurers can only face them in large numbers.
5. Chaos (Special Rank): Extremely rare. As the name implies, very chaotic. Monsters from other dimensions or worlds—like demons, dragons, and mythical beasts. They can only be defeated by individuals with emperor-level strength.
Kalira: Who are the emperors then?
Limty: Adventurers are also divided into several ranks based on achievements and combat skill, from lowest to highest. They're given badges of these metals to indicate their rank:
1. Bronze: Usually for beginner adventurers with very limited access to Cast Beast services. They can't accept monster hunting tasks, only minor jobs like baggage carriers or corpse collectors.
2. Silver: Can take hunting missions for bronze-level monsters only. Limited access within Cast Beast, like trading monster corpses or getting basic information.
3. Gold: Can take hunting missions for gold-level monsters and below. They can take higher-tier missions, but only if they are in a group of at least five others with the same rank. They get most of the services and can freely buy/sell monsters.
4. Diamond: Can take missions for diamond-level monsters and below. To take on a diamond-level mission, at least three members of the same rank are required. They have full access to the guild's services, including secret and dangerous information.
5. Emperors: Extremely powerful individuals. Cast Beast can't control or command them. They're simply given the title because of their strength. They're very rare—only 7 exist in the Monster Continent. Three of them are here, and four in the north.
Kalira: Why does the north have more?
Limty: I don't know, but they sided with the minister.
Kalira: So, what is your rank in Cast Beast? Can you get the information?
Limty pulls a silver badge from her pocket, engraved with a dagger and a small beast image. Below it reads "Cast Beast," and the back holds an adventurer number.
Limty: My rank is Silver.
Kalira: So you don't have permission to get classified information. What do we do now?
Lim steps forward with a mocking laugh and pulls out his badge from his pocket.
Lim: Looks like you all forgot about me, weaklings! Look here—my rank is Gold. I can get good info even if it's not top secret. Plus, I have a friend there (laughs like a maniac).
Kalira: Why is his rank higher than yours, Limty? Is he stronger than you?
Limty glares at Lim and chokes him with her hand.
Limty: Who said he's stronger than me? He just cheated during monster-hunting missions.
Lim: Excuse me! That's not true—I hunted more than you!
Limty: Just shut up!
Kalira: So, where is this Cast Beast? Is it far from here?
Limty: No, it's not far. It's near the northern gate of the capital. Come on, we'll head there. Maybe we can get a bit of info about your friend. And Kalira—don't hide anything from us again.
Kalira: Alright, I'm sorry.
Lim: Alright, everyone hop in! Let's go see where your friend ended up.
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To be continued...