The next morning.
Lucius woke up early, but no earlier than the innkeeper.
The Grumpy Old Man tends to go to bed late, but he gets up early. He's a hardworking man. Unfortunately, his inn is too tucked away in the Iron Suburbs; it's almost impossible to attract customers.
"Good morning," Lucius greeted him.
"Your meal is ready," said the Old Man, pointing to a table in the dining room.
Several dishes covered with metal lids were waiting for him there.
"Thank you," Lucius said, and went to eat.
With ravenous bites, the food—which tasted good but was in very small portions—disappeared in a matter of minutes.
The Old Man looked at him, puzzled. "If you were that hungry, you should have paid a little more to have a better meal prepared," he said suddenly.
Lucius laughed. "Money and life are two things I don't have," he said, using a mirror to wipe food from his lips and teeth.
His lips were pale, as was his lower eyelid. He was still alive by the sheer will of a former Rank #5.
"I can see that," said the old man, before going back to his chores. "You look like a walking dead man, especially when you climb the stairs," he mocked.
Lucius curled his lips, but said nothing. "I'll be out for a while; maybe I'll be back for lunch."
"Your food will be waiting for you. Don't worry about the flies. But if you're late, you'll have to eat cold food." The old man dismissed him, and Lucius simply waved his hands in response.
That was the last thing on his mind right now.
'I'll find out the price of a Glass Moss Root first,' he said to himself as he walked through the Iron Suburbs.
Lucius, from that wealthy family, had studied this place thoroughly, suspecting that it would one day become his home; thanks to that foresight, he knew where the important buildings were located.
[Clear Sky Sales and Exchange Tower]
The name of the tallest seven-story building in the Iron Suburbs was written in gold ink. It exuded majesty, as it was the only building in the area whose construction resembled that of the famous buildings in the Central Sector.
The building was tall and pointed, constructed of high-quality concrete, and topped with a powerful magical lightning rod at the tip, feeding an entire network of copper coils that glowed with an electric blue, characteristic of mana.
This area had the freshest air in all of the Iron Suburbs; though it couldn't compare to the Central Sector, the distinctive scent of incense was pleasant.
Well-dressed people came and went. The building's parking lot was packed with luxury cars, and the bluish decorations glowing with mana that surrounded the building gave it an extraordinary presence.
Lucius looked at it as if it were a third-rate building. The smallest house he'd ever lived in during his previous life was better than this.
He approached via the stairs and soon reached the entrance.
But just before entering, his body collided with a barrier, and a system announcement left him perplexed.
[The Clear Sky Sales and Exchange Tower has a minimum entry requirement.]
[Minimum Required Ranking: Local #5,000,000]
[Scanning strength…]
[Access denied.]
[Lucius Asturias, ranked #12,450,905, is in last place in New Asturias City on the Island of New Creation; he cannot access the Clear Sky Sales and Exchange Tower.]
He stared at the messages in disbelief and suddenly felt embarrassed.
Nearby, the guards mocked him as they looked at the system messages.
"What is this idiot doing trying to get in here?"
"I can't insult him by calling him a country bumpkin…" One of them sighed. "But I can call him the trashy exile from the Asturias." He laughed loudly, and the other guards followed suit.
Lucius felt his face flush with anger. It was the first time in his entire life that he had been denied entry to a place.
He turned to leave.
"Oh? Isn't this the Great Young Master Lucius?"
Lucius stopped when he heard that.
"Robert," he muttered.
His cousin.
'What's he doing here?'
Robert approached him with a smile. "Dear cousin, it's been a while since I've seen you. How have you been? God, you look like a walking corpse." A hint of concern crossed his face.
Lucius nodded at him. "I've been fine."
"Fine? Cousin, have you even eaten? Come on, let's go inside. The Clear Sky Sales and Exchange Tower has great restaurants; we can grab a good meal while we talk." Robert pulled Lucius along before he could refuse.
But once again, Lucius hit the barrier.
[Access denied.]
[Lucius Asturias does not meet the minimum requirements.]
This time the blow was harder. Lucius felt his heart tremble; his blood burned with pain.
"Oh." Robert showed a trace of concern. "Are you okay, cousin?" He turned away. But a faint smile formed on his lips. "I didn't remember…"
Lucius didn't respond. He saw right through his intentions, so he decided to ignore him.
But suddenly, a mocking laugh rang out from behind the Tower's doors, and a muscular young man stepped out.
"I didn't expect to see our dear young master trying to sneak into my family's Sales Tower. Please excuse our rudeness."
Lucius turned around. 'Joe Clark.' He was his classmate when they attended the same high school.
Joe walked toward them. "Long time no see, Robert. I came as soon as you told me you were back in town."
"Haha, it certainly has been a while since the last time." Robert greeted him with the same courtesy.
"What brings you here? Are you planning to enroll at New Creation Academy?" Joe asked.
"Of course. I've been training hard; I'm ready." Robert puffed out his chest proudly.
Lucius saw that these guys were going to start talking, so he thought about slipping away. But Joe wouldn't let him.
"Hey, dear Young Master, why are you leaving?" He stood in front of Lucius. "I heard you were expelled; you have no idea how worried I was about you. I'm sure Robert was too."
Lucius sighed and shook his head. "I don't have time for your nonsense," he said and tried to walk around him, but Robert's hand caught him.
"Dear cousin, it's inevitable that you'll be expelled if you lack talent. But living on the streets of the Iron Suburbs must be tough. Here, I'll lend you 10 mana credits." Robert materialized the mana credits into bluish-copper coins and handed them over.
But Lucius didn't take them, so they fell to the ground, clinking.
"I don't need them." Lucius shook off Robert's hand.
VROOM! Just then, a thunderous sound shook them.
They frowned at the same time and looked up. A massive ship was passing overhead; on its sides, a gigantic screen was broadcasting something important.
Lucius couldn't take another step.
'Seraphina!' His body trembled with rage. Kael stood beside her.
They wore mourning shirts and pants; even a mourning flower adorned their heads.
"He was my best friend… I'm devastated by his death. We were like brothers and always considered each other family. Of course, I won't be entering dungeons or going down to the Ground for a while. I need to pull myself together mentally," Kael said with a somber expression; he looked as though he hadn't slept in days.
They stood in front of a gigantic mansion, more like a castle, which bore the name: [Order of the Ancestral Sound]
The most powerful guild in the present day.
The interviewers were gathered around, asking them questions about the death of Lucius The Mage.
Seraphina was devastated.
"I've made a decision," she said, drawing everyone's attention; the microphones rushed toward her.
"Before he died, Lucius left me the Mana Mark of that bastard Dragon. He told me it was his wedding gift…" A tear rolled down her cheek. "We couldn't finish the wedding. Wherever you are, you must know that I love you. I promise to wait for you, even though I know you won't come back. I won't marry anyone but you!" she roared at the cameras.
Within seconds, her statements flooded The Wall. Everyone started talking about it, and Seraphina's profile metrics skyrocketed to an all-time high. People sent her their condolences; they had been moved by her words.
Meanwhile…
Lucius was fuming like an old steam train.
His face twitched—not with fear, but with hatred.
His hand clenched in fury, and his short nails dug into his skin. Even so, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen.
'Calm down,' he told himself. He knew he couldn't lose his composure. A single mistake in this body would send him to his death. He swallowed the blood rising in his throat.
'Just a few more years, and I'll stand before you again. The whole world will know the truth, you damned traitors.'
He managed to slip away from Robert and Joe.
"Huh? Where'd that little brat go?" When Joe realized what had happened, he looked everywhere.
"Heh, he's running away. He humiliated my cousin Darius in front of our father; naturally, he's afraid of being hunted down," Robert replied. "Let's go inside. He has no choice but to take part in the Obsidian Wastes Exams in 15 days; we'll see him there."
"You're right." Joe shrugged, and they both entered the Tower.