Noah sat on the cold stone bench, hunched over a thin book as the massive hall of the Star Guild buzzed with quiet movement.
Above him, the dome of teleportation pulsed with faint blue sparks. People filtered into the teleportation line one after another as their names were called.
His slot was the last, so after studying the surroundings for a few more minutes, he eyed the book on the table.
Frostgrave Bestiary, Nebula Edition. Compiled by Star Guild Academic Division – Verified Green Zone Monsters Only.
[Ice Dog]
Appearance: A lean, four-legged beast with translucent white fur and glowing blue eyes. Breath mists the air even when still. Same size as an adult golden retriever.
Fighting Style: Hunts solo or in pairs. Tracks heat signatures and charges with sharp, frozen fangs. Will circle targets to create false openings, then lunge for the throat.
Warning: Looks so cute. Many females fell into this trap. Reports suggest the dogs evolved to catcall their victims.
"Wow." Noah let out an exasperated sigh.
Whoever wrote this book had a weird sense of humour. They even drew a woman being mauled by the dog with her pupils turned into heart shapes.
He had chosen Atlantis as his starting city in Frostgrave. It was a coastal city that bordered the Nothingness Ocean in the west and Mirrorwake in the east.
The ocean was almost un explorable due to the horrors hiding in its depths. At ten-year intervals, a beast tide would crash in from the west.
The last one had happened three years ago, so he didn't need to worry about getting pulled into a beast tide he never wanted.
Mirrorwake was a maze inside a frozen lake. Large ice plants covered the entire area, making it ideal for ambush-type monsters.
Most parts of the Green Zone were periodically cleared by city soldiers, so beginner Nebulas didn't have to worry about accidentally encountering stronger monsters.
'All weak to lightning if I can get the first hit… Good. But these aren't dummies anymore. If I get jumped mid-cast, I'm dead.'
His finger tapped a corner of the page, leaving a faint print. His Radial had recovered back to full, but his arm still ached faintly from yesterday's overuse. He clenched it once. The tremble was gone.
"Overload Stack won't matter if I get stabbed before the third hit," he muttered.
Noah read the book for another two hours before his name was finally called by the controller. His turn now.
Noah stood, closed the book, and slid it into his coat's pouch. His boots echoed against the marble as he stepped onto the glyph-etched platform.
"Teleport Gate #7 – Atlantis, Frostgrave. Prepare for transfer," the attendant said.
He nodded at her, prompting her to move some buttons on the control. He looked up once.
The dome above now glowed with a familiar cold blue—the colour of his chosen plane.
"It's so coo—"
The world folded. And unfolded.
A blonde-haired teenager staggered from the teleportation circle, eyes wide and limbs wobbly, like he had just been spun in a washing machine on the god's cruelest setting. Without a second's delay, the kid dropped to his knees and vomited.
Everything in his stomach hit the frost-laced stone with a horrible splatter.
Noah blinked. That was… unexpected. He instinctively took a step back by knees.
Before he could even frown in judgment, a panel on the far wall hissed open. A stream of water arced from a concealed spout-clear, fast, and expertly controlled.
It washed the mess away with clinical efficiency, leaving nothing behind but a wet sheen across the circular arrival platform.
Noah turned his gaze toward the source.
A woman stood there at the far edge, leaning casually against a pillar with her arms folded. Mid-twenties, maybe. Her dark blue robes bore the faint insignia of a Star Guild local officer. One hand still glowed faintly blue at the fingertips.
A water spell, it seems. He bowed at her, standing in the floor, hoping to escape the embarrassment.
'Just walk away. Be cool. Escape the embarrassment before she starts laughing.'
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
The floor beneath his boots, still damp from the water cleanup, offered all the traction of polished ice. His foot slid out from under him. The second his body followed without resistance.
He landed flat on his ass.
Noah wanted nothing more than to bury himself.
'This is it. This is how I die. From humiliation.'
That wasn't normal water-some other contents were in it. He glanced up at the smirking woman, keeping her face in mind as he let out a long breath.
'One day…,' he thought bitterly, brushing off his coat. He took a cautious step off the wet zone and retreated to dry stone, stealing one last glance at the woman.
He didn't forget faces.
'One day, I'll walk past you without falling on my ass. And you'll be the one who looks stupid. Somehow.'
He didn't know how that would happen, but he'd figure it out. Maybe he'd discover a spell that dried floors. Or reversed time. Or erased memories.
All good options.
With as much fake pride as he could gather, Noah turned away from the teleportation platform and walked into the city proper.
Atlantis.
The cold coastal city of Frostgrave. His new beginning. And his very first public humiliation.
'Great start.'
After registering at the guild, he collected a holograph ring which contained his ID and acted as a connection device.
He could open maps through the device to find his way back to the city. Everyone just called it an ID.
The guild clerk waved at him to get his attention. Her eyes briefly paused at the faint blue line glowing along his forearm.
"It will take seven days to complete your anchoring," she said, pointing at his arm. "This vein will disappear after that. Then you can leave for the Walking World whenever you like."
He nodded. "Okay."
She eyed him for a moment, hesitating before continuing, "There's… something on your face."
Noah stared at her, dumbstruck. Fuck.
"It's okay. Everyone's first time is like this…" she added, blushing slightly as he quickly wiped his face clean.
"You've got a week of free service in the city. You can have a shared room at the guild, and three meals a day—also free. If you don't want to fight, you can leave after a week and never return…"
She studied his face for a moment and nodded, as if confirming that he had already rejected that option in his heart.
"After the week, you'll have to pay three silver for accommodation. Other expenses will vary depending on your choices. All the best, Caster. May the Star gaze upon your safety."
Noah left the guild's teleportation tower and followed the signs toward the guild-provided housing.
On the way, he stopped at a street.
A long ramp spiralled downward, carved into the side of a cliff. At the base, where the city walls ended, a single gate opened into the wilderness beyond.
A large board stood above the gate, decorated with shimmering letters.
Welcome to Mirrorwake.