Immediately after freshening up, Ruel called Nick to drive him to the guild's branch.
Nocten—the name the mysterious kid had chosen—had decided to join the guild.
And they lied to the guild.
Nocten said it was better this way—fewer questions, fewer eyes—and Ruel acquiesced.
They had introduced Nocten as a traveler who had received a quest similar to Ruel's and ended up in the Haven.
It worked spectacularly.
This was the only reasonable explanation for how Nocten suddenly showed up in a well-guarded Haven like Emberhold.
The Guild offered Nocten the same deal they gave Ruel.
Just like that, they secured 60,000 En Coins and an unreleased neutral egg.
Since they didn't need weapons or armor, their full pay totaled 60,000 En Coins.
After signing the contract and paying them, Zamir stared at Nocten for a second.
He felt strength from the kid and wondered how a kid like this obtained such powers. Talent?
The non-traditional looks of Nocten added to his curiosity, and he was really tempted to ask what world he was from.
But of course, he didn't.
He turned to Ruel and said, "If things go well, that medicine you mentioned can be gotten this week."
"That's good to know." Ruel's smile was faint, but something inside lifted.
Two sources now. That meant less waiting, less chance of losing the trail again.
His father didn't have the luxury of time.
"Also the cores will be available on Saturday." Zamir faced Nocten. "Are you interested in cores too?"
"I'm good. I am actually in Tier-5 right now."
"Tier-5? How much time did you spend in the wild?" Zamir was impressed.
Ruel was also shocked and telepathically asked Nocten,
"How the hell are you that high? Aren't you meant to be a newborn?"
Nocten smirked. "Part of my core was used to increase my Tier when I was reborn."
'With his title and all, I guess he really is a false mortal...' Ruel thought. 'Oh, well. I have my own perks and he's still my bonded!'
Nocten then replied to Zamir with a laugh. "I am very impressive; you guys should get used to me!"
Zamir smiled.
"Indeed. Concluding this, I'd like you guys to meet someone the day the cores are ready. This person is a Traveler and he'll be your guide to what is called the Association of Travelers."
"A gathering for Travelers?" Ruel asked.
"Yes. Most Travelers are in this group. They have meetings once in a while, and luckily, one will be hosted on Saturday night."
Zamir continued, "It's a gathering where you can expand connections, so I advise you guys to join."
"Alright. No problem."
Nocten stretched and stood first.
"I guess we're done here. Zamir, it was nice meeting you."
Ruel sighed, rising to his feet as well.
"We have something to do and our time is running out. I will see you in two days."
- - -
After leaving the Guild, Ruel and Nocten made their way out of the Haven with the help of Nick.
Crossing the fairly large city, Ruel noticed what Muriel meant by the Haven being only special at its core.
The Haven city was surrounded by two distinct walls.
The inner wall that was naturally here since Enma was created, and the outer wall that was artificially created.
The territory within the inner wall was small, while the outside territory spanned more distance.
Leaving the walls of the outside territory, Ruel felt a slight increase in heat.
The ground was darker here.
Crossing the outer gate was quite a sight.
The roads here were made of cooled lava, made in between shooting black spikes and tall blackened trees with sulfur-colored leaves.
The land also rose and dipped unpredictably, making it hard to move.
But thankfully, there were very few paths made to specific regions near Emberhold, like the path to the volcanic region that they were currently on.
He had noted the increase in volcanic activity at night and found himself curious to see how this region would look then.
Ruel glanced at the map that appeared along with the quest, "Edaris's Lair," he had accepted earlier in the day.
They had chosen Edaris's Lair based on Nocten's advice for multiple reasonable reasons.
From this quest, he would obtain a mount egg meant to replace the egg Nocten hatched from.
Then there were the money rewards and the possibility of finding minerals in Edari's Lair.
Lastly, aside from the PyroKnight quest, this was the least difficult quest, and it would help Ruel get a good grasp of how fighting works.
With Nocten having some knowledge about Edari, the trio had formulated a rough plan for this battle.
After a two-hour journey, they got to the edge of the volcano range that covered almost half of the Emberhold wall's range.
They had stopped here because Nick's beast and carriage couldn't go further, and although monsters are mostly active at night, they didn't want to risk Nick holding them back.
This area was commonly used by miners and adventurers, so it had been mostly cleared of monsters.
In fact, as they walked forward, they encountered a few individuals, but after showing a badge the guild gave them, they were free to move.
Using the map Ruel had, they moved slowly to their destination.
They climbed a rough path on a dead volcano, making their way to the top.
By now, the three individuals were armed and ready.
Ruel wore armor that covered his shoulders, forearms, chest, and thighs, with his blade held in his arms.
His perception, covering 25 meters right now, was active, looking for any hidden monsters or entrances.
Muriel was now half-corporeal. She was in a state visible to the naked eye while she existed incorporeally.
Raw damage did nothing to her in this state, but mana-charged and similar magical attacks could harm her.
In this state, she used 1.5 more mana than supposed, but it was worth it for the upper hand of flight and incorporeality.
As she floated, she had a miniature sun following her.
Nocten, still dressed in his oversized cut clothes, walked carefreely behind the other two.
The light around him was ever dim, and the rims of his eyes glowed brightly.
After walking a bit more, they reached the top of the volcano and stared down at the solidified lava.
"So… we're jumping in?" Ruel asked, eyeing the pit warily.
"We are," Nocten said with a grin—then tipped backward into the pit without hesitation.
Before Ruel gave him a frown, Nocten disappeared.
Ruel stared into the pit, the heat making his armor itch.
'This is insane.'
He glanced at Muriel—half there, half not—then took a breath.
"If I die, I'm haunting you, Nocten."
And stepped off.
[You have met the conditions.]
[You will be teleported to the dungeon, Edari's Lair.]
[Upon death, you will be respawned in your anchored location.]
As the voice whispered to him, Ruel felt himself cross space and appear elsewhere.
He stood upright as torches flared to life, illuminating the cavern like a grand welcome.
In the wide cavern that had weird glowing stones fixed to the walls, Ruel noticed Nocten in the middle.
Then he heard the kid's voice—tense, yet oddly joyful.
"You guys better be ready, because Edari is not one that likes invaders."
But then, something above caught Ruel's attention.
Resting on a protruding rock, a large monster was staring down on them like it was superior.
After centuries of slumber, Edari—the Qilin, a mythical beast of the Varellis—had awakened.