Ren didn't leave the room right away after finishing his registration.
He stayed seated on the sofa for a few more seconds, one arm resting on the side, eyes on the fading hologram.
Now that he was officially registered with the Explorer Guild, the next step was obvious.
A Secret Realm.
That had already been part of his plan anyway.
He had spent the last several days cultivating, training, and getting his body into proper shape for exactly this reason. If he wanted to keep moving forward, then sooner or later, he had to step into a realm.
Still, obvious didn't mean simple.
This was his first time dealing with the guild properly. Better to ask now than run around the building like an idiot later.
So Ren looked toward the holographic assistant and asked, "Can I stay here for a while and look through the Secret Realms first?"
The AI replied at once.
"You may remain in this room for a limited time and use your Light Brain to search currently available Secret Realms."
Ren nodded lightly.
Good.
Then he asked, "Can I register for a Secret Realm from here too?"
"No," the AI answered in that same flat, emotionless voice. "Secret Realm registration cannot be completed from this room."
A second later, more information followed.
"After choosing a Secret Realm through your Light Brain, you must proceed to the designated Secret Realm access section. Staff there will direct you according to the realm you have selected."
Ren listened quietly.
The AI continued.
"In most cases, travelers are then sent to the appropriate teleportation circle."
"Almost all Secret Realms are located in the wild or in distant regions far from cities. Direct travel through ordinary means is often inefficient."
"A transfer fee is required for teleportation. The cost is generally lower when more people are traveling to the same destination."
"Of course, travelers may also reach a Secret Realm using their own means if they possess a sufficiently fast vehicle or are accompanied by an individual with high enough cultivation."
Ren leaned back a little.
Yeah.
That sounded fair.
A place like the Explorer Guild obviously wouldn't let people casually click on a realm and then disappear toward it without any actual process. There had to be transport, staff, checks, all that.
And teleportation made sense too.
If most realms were far from cities, then without something like this, only rich people, powerful people, or people with connections would be able to get anywhere efficiently.
Ren thought about that for a second, then asked one last thing.
"Does the guild have any Secret Realms specifically for newly awakened students? Like… beginner gifts?"
The AI answered without hesitation.
"No. The guild does not provide Secret Realms specifically for New Students only."
"Most basic and lower-danger Secret Realms are allocated to schools for newly awakened students during the first three months after Awakening."
Ren raised a brow slightly.
That actually made a lot of sense.
Schools in this era were compulsory and free. If the easy beginner realms were handed to schools first, then it meant newly awakened students could get their first chances through organized systems instead of being thrown straight at outside organizations.
Which also meant something else.
The realms available here… even the easier ones… probably weren't the same kind of "safe starter" places schools used.
Ren nodded once.
"Alright. That's enough."
"Understood."
The AI fell silent again.
Ren pulled out his Light Brain and opened the realm listings available to him.
A list appeared in front of his eyes.
And the first thing he noticed was that there were more options than he expected.
Not a ridiculous number, not for someone at his level, but still enough to make him sit up a little straighter.
Realm names, short descriptions, restrictions, notes, danger levels, and optional data packages appeared one after another.
Some of the names sounded normal.
Some sounded weird enough that Ren almost wanted to click them just because of that.
A few of the first ones he saw were:
Whispering Root Valley
Broken Stone Marsh
Ashleaf Hollow
Moonlit Burrow Caverns
Rustwater Gorge
Silent Thorn Basin
Each one had its own entry.
Some focused on terrain.
Some listed known creatures.
Some mentioned special plants or beast materials.
Some gave short warnings.
And because most of them had already been explored to some extent, there was also an option to buy maps of explored areas.
Under that option was a warning:
"Maps are continuously updated, but Secret Realms are not static. Structural, biological, and environmental changes may occur."
Ren stared at that for a second.
"…Of course they do."
That meant even if he bought a map, it was still only a guide. Helpful, yes. Reliable enough to use? Probably. But trust it blindly and he might die stupidly.
That was probably what the warning was trying to say without saying it.
He kept scrolling.
There were also clear restrictions listed.
Some realms had stage restrictions.
Some had Lifeform Tier restrictions.
Some had both.
The Lifeform Tier part didn't matter much to him right now. He was still Tier 1 anyway, so anything beyond that was out.
The stage restriction, though, mattered a lot.
Ren quickly noticed that there weren't any realms listed as purely Stage 2 only.
That lined up with what the AI said.
Most of the truly low-risk beginner stuff had already been handed over to schools for their newly awakened students.
What remained in the guild listings started slightly above that.
Several of the lower-level choices available to him had restrictions like:
"Entry allowed for Stage 2 and Stage 3 cultivators only."
That was still fine.
Actually, maybe better.
A realm limited to Stage 2 and Stage 3 meant it would be more dangerous than the safest beginner school options, sure. But it also meant it might have better materials.
And Ren wasn't here for sightseeing.
Still, he didn't just pick one at random.
He opened realm after realm and read carefully.
One of them specialized in marsh plants and water-attribute materials, but the terrain sounded annoying and visibility was poor in most areas.
Another seemed decent for beast materials, but not great for plant-related gains.
Another one had poisonous flora and toxic insects everywhere.
Ren frowned at that one and skipped it immediately.
"Not for the first trip."
He kept reading.
The more he went through them, the more serious he became.
This wasn't just choosing a destination for Torisum.
This would be his first real Secret Realm.
If he chose badly, he could waste time, waste money, come back empty-handed… or worse dead.
Eventually, one realm kept catching his attention more than the others.
Not because it was the easiest.
Not because it looked amazing.
But because it seemed the most suitable for what he needed right now.
It had an entry restriction for Stage 2 and Stage 3 only.
Its known materials included basic plant materials, animal genetic materials, and some low-level substances useful for all types early pathway users.
The danger level wasn't low, but it wasn't absurd either.
And most importantly, enough of it had already been explored that he could buy a map and avoid going in totally blind.
Ren read the same realm summary three times.
Then once more.
"…Yeah. This one."
He selected it.
Then he bought the map.
A new file loaded into his Light Brain, showing the explored outer zones, marked paths, warning points, and several notes where beast activity or terrain changes had been observed recently.
The warning was repeated again:
"Map accuracy not guaranteed. Realm changes may occur without notice."
Ren didn't mind.
He wasn't expecting the guild to hand him a perfectly solved route through a living realm.
This was already enough.
He studied the map for several minutes.
The realm wasn't small.
But he didn't need to go deep.
Not on the first trip.
His goal was simple:
Enter.
Get a feel for what a real realm was like.
Collect whatever he could reasonably collect.
Come out alive.
No greed.
No dumb fantasies about instantly finding some heaven-defying inheritance like he is some kind of Main Character.
That kind of thinking got people killed.
Once he'd made up his mind, Ren stood up.
He put away his Light Brain, glanced once at the now-silent hologram, and headed for the door.
The registration room had done its job.
Now came the next part.
He stepped back into the corridor.
This time, his steps felt more focused than before.
Before, he had been wandering through the system.
Now he actually had a target.
He followed the overhead directions until he reached a wider passage that connected several service sections. Compared to the registration area, this part of the guild had more movement and more noise.
Staff moved back and forth carrying tablets, storage cases, or just walking fast enough that it was obvious they were working and not sightseeing.
Visitors moved in groups.
A few people looked like they were already prepared for a realm run—packs, cases, weapons, travel boots, the whole thing.
Ren kept walking until he found the sign he needed:
Secret Realm Access & Transit Section
He turned into that corridor.
This area felt different too.
Less open than the main hall.
Less calm than registration.
More… operational.
There were more checkpoints.
More waiting zones.
More people who looked like they were either about to leave for somewhere dangerous or had just gotten back.
One man had dried mud on one leg and what looked like a torn sleeve.
Two women nearby were arguing quietly over route notes on a projected map.
A younger guy was sitting alone with both hands clasped, leg bouncing lightly.
Ren didn't know if the guy was nervous, excited, or both.
Probably both.
He walked up to the front desk of the section.
This wasn't one of the regular public counters.
The people working here looked more like control staff than receptionists.
The man behind the desk glanced up.
"Realm access, transit, or return report?"
"Realm access."
"Chosen realm already?"
"Yes."
"Explorer ID."
Ren placed his hand on the scanner panel.
The system accepted him immediately.
The man looked down at his screen.
"Basic Explorer," he said. Then, "First guild realm entry?"
"Yes."
"Selected realm?"
Ren gave the name.
The staff member entered it and checked the linked information.
"Stage restriction is fine," he said after a few seconds. "Transfer cycle available in about one hour and forty minutes."
That was faster than Ren expected.
He had thought he might need to come back later.
The man continued, "Transfer fee applies. Lower today because enough people are going the same way."
That matched what the AI had already told him.
Ren paid without hesitation.
Then the man slid a small temporary token toward him.
"Keep that. It links your realm access, transfer cycle, and temporary route authorization."
Ren picked it up.
"What now?"
"Wait in the designated pre-transfer zone. When your cycle is called, move to the circle section."
The man glanced at him briefly, then added, "If you leave this section completely, don't blame us if you miss it."
Fair enough.
"What about final checks?"
"Done near the teleportation circle."
"Ok".
Ren thought for a moment, then asked, "Anything I should know?"
The staff member looked at him a second longer this time.
Probably obvious he was new.
Then the man said, "Yeah."
"Don't trust the map too much."
"Don't go too deep on your first trip."
"And if the realm feels wrong, leave."
That was it.
No heroic speech.
No nonsense.
Just practical advice.
Ren nodded once.
"Got it."
He stepped away from the desk and looked toward the waiting zone marked on the side display.
He started walking toward the pre-transfer area.
Ren tightened his fingers around the token and kept walking.
(Author Note: If you enjoyed the chapter, please vote, rate, and leave a comment if you can. Your support really helps the novel grow and motivates me to keep writing. Thank you for reading!)