Liam and Silver Bde alighted the teleporter, arriving on a low hill amidst a busy crowd.

  From their position they could see a sprawling city, densely poputed, with rge, paved roads and a mix of wooden and stone houses.

  Steam rose form the many eys, a sign of prosperity, characteristic of the high-quality homes.

  The streets were mostly filled with humans, albeit a few other races were mixed in.

  When Bleary Mirage and Silver Bde appeared, a group of people suddenly waved their hands, already waiting for them.

  “Friends, what took you so long?”

  “Young dy.”

  “e on guys, let’s help Cy!”

  Liam couldn’t help but grin as his friends warmly weled him.

  [Discovered Svebrial. Reward: 50EXP]

  [970/2200 EXP]

  Ign the notifications fshing before him, Liam vened with his party. They joked around as they made their way into the city.

  A rge, strictly guarded arc separated the teleporters from the core of the city. A corridor was above the arc, from which guards with heavy crossbows and even some in mage robes observed the roads.

  “Those guys look like they have some power.”, ented Silent Acacia solemnly.

  “Yes. Svebrial is one of the stro cities in the world. Not only is it the capital city of the Striving Basilisk Empire but it also has the famous magic academy.

  Together with its rge walls the city pretty much ts as unshakable.”

  Even Silent Acacia, who doesn’t care for lore, itted Liam’s words to memory, making sure to never cause trouble within Svebrial.

  Liam was gd to see his words achieving their desired effect.

  Meanwhile, the party couldn’t peel their eyes away from the city.

  “Wow it’s like in those anime.”

  “Such a beautiful medieval city.”

  “Look at all those horse carts! we ride one?”

  “Yeah, but why would they simute the smell so well?”

  Svebrial roper fantasy city. Duabalis couldn’t pare to it. Especially the prosperous shops selling everything from household appliao magids attracted everyone’s attention.

  Thus, time went by quickly for the party as they reached a district with obviously higher quality houses. Even the people oreets wore colorful fur clothing, showing of their wealth.

  If the party weren’t made of pyers, they might’ve been asked to turn around.

  But luckily, they could advail they reached a rge pound made from multiple buildings.

  The most promi among them was a geous castle with towers reag towards the sky, its old walls painted by time.

  A rge, open gate led ihe pound, allowing oo gaze at the many young, aspiring mages busying themselves.

  Above the gate the words ‘Svebrial A Academy’ were written in strikiers.

  The party admired the impressive academy when a voice reached them from the side.

  “Finally, you are here!”

  Cye wore a relieved face as she jogged towards the party, her blond hair swaying behind her head.

  “Cye! Did you have to wait for a long time?”, greeted Silver Bde happily.

  “Of course! I was doing b fetch quests the whole time. Damn, I hope this quest is worth it or I will…”

  Cye trailed of, frustrated as she couldn’t do anything to the Lightning Hawk Alliance.

  “My friend, why don’t you start at the beginning?”

  “Sure. I followed Mirage’s advid found the academy. To get a strong lightning css I should find the teacher’s missing wand.

  Mirage told me the way to the wand through the academy’s catabs. But when I got there it was dark and full of monsters, so I lost my way.

  Luckily, I stumbled upon a secret passage aered a meeting of the Lightning Hawk Alliance.

  Those guys discussed for a bit before deg to test me.

  And now I o kill some leviathan thingy. But that guy is a boss monster, and I don’t think I have a ce without help!”

  “Damn, what a journey.”, said Balm with a baffled face.

  Meanwhile Liam furrowed his brows, p which boss fit Cye’s description.

  After a few seds he came up with something:

  “Cye, did those mages send you to kill the Deep Blue Winding Snake?”

  “Yeah, that’s it.”

  Liam sched his face, recalling everything about the boss monster.

  “That won’t be easy…”

  “That’s why I called you, expert!”

  Rolling his eyes at Cye, Liam began p possible strategies.

  “Is this boss to for us?”, asked Quickstep carefully.

  “At least in water it is, yes. But if we could get it on nd… we might have a ce.”

  Cye sighed in relief. She was rather nervous seeing Liam fall silent but now it appeared that the expert had a pn.

  Suddenly a tremor went through the surroundings. A low explosion could be heard.

  The friends looked around in shock.

  “What happened?”

  “Is the city utack?”

  “Why are the NPot reag?”

  Only Liam and Cye remained without any ge in expression.

  “Seems like some mage is w on a new spell again. You’ll get used to it.”, expihe blond woman smugly, not divulging that she hid behind a rock the first time she felt su explosion.

  The others looked at each other strangely.

  “This… why don’t we just leave? I don’t want to lose a life because the academy fell on my head.”, suggested Balm with a sheepish smile.

  Fortuhe reed. Liam didn’t dey much longer ahe party through the lively city.

  “Hey, where are we going?”

  “Sightseeing is nice, but didn’t we e for a quest?”

  Liam rolled his eyes telling his friends to be patient as they approached the lower parts of the city.

  The people living here amongst dyers aher workers were the lower-css citizens. Although they could still be sidered well off pared to other parts of aboul.

  The girls waved their hands before their noses, pining about the smell. The boys agreed but didn’t show anything on their faces, subtly hiding their noses below their armors.

  “Mirage, where are you leading us?”, inquired Cye impatiently.

  “We’re almost there.”

  Liam didn’t lie. The group turwo more ers befoing down a set of stairs, entering an inspicuous door.

  Suddenly Silver Bde’s eyes shot open as an inceivable idea came to her mind:

  “Hey Mirage, could it be that the ey is simuted? every door be entered?”

  “As far as I know… sure.”

  “Unbelievable… what puting power is o do this?”

  They others also felt their eyes clear up as they looked around, drawing sharp breaths.

  Liam’s mind drifted. The game in his new life felt even more realistic than in his old life.

  As someoerested in teology, he would love to learn more about it. This was after all a field where something new could always be discovered. He e when novel problems challenged his brain.

  Maybe iure…

  Liam shook his head, fog ba the game. Together with his party he walked into an underground tavern.

  Only a few people could be found at this time of the day. Two orored noisily, their heads resting on a table in the er, not disturbed by the bard caressing his lute mindlessly.

  The party sed their surroundings, most of them drawn in by the shady atmosphere.

  “Friends, I have e to a decision. This establishment shall be my den from now on!”

  Bloody Edge excimed with sparkling eyes, the rolepying thief feeling right at home.

  He walked towards a table with a few cups on it. Grabbing one, he took a deep sniff, his face showing a satisfied expression.

  Fortune was weirded out but heless directed her camera at the thief’s baever missing a good shot.

  Even Liam felt strange. Shaking his head he waved his friends over towards the ter.

  A rough looking bartender put away the cloth and cup in his hand as Liam approached him, selling the pyer a Cerberus beer. A strong and spicy variant which could be found in taverns throughout aboul.

  The party watched curiously as Liam approached a table half in the shadows of a stuffed animal.

  A small creature with dark green skin and a leathern cap hiding his bald head sat at the table. This was the first time the party got a closer look at one of the famous goblins.

  His unfocused eyes moved zily as Liam pced the Cerberus beer before the goblin.

  “Fregdo. I o buy something from you.”

  The goblin’s head swayed. He grabbed the cup of beer before him, taking a rge sip. Liquid spshed as he smmed the cup ba the table.

  “Not selling!”

  Liam’s eyes twitched. He khat the goblin was not easy to vince. But he expected a friendlier rea thanks to the beer.

  The vetera annoyed. Not willing to spend that much effort, he turned around being to his secret on.

  Silver Bde rolled her eyes as Liam bought another cup of beer, handing it over to the young woman and sendio talk tdo.

  Repeating Liam’s earlier as Silver Bde approacjed the mert. Fregdo’s small yellow eyes swirled in their sockets before fog on Silver Bde.

  “Alright. e with me.”

  Cye’s ughter echoed through the room as she looked between Silver Bde and Bleary Mirage.