Arthur approached the city gates, before his eyes appeared a bustling area with activity. Travelers, merchants, and mercenaries moved about, their voices blending into the usual morning chaos of Durnholde. Wooden carts carrying goods trundled past, while guards checked paperwork and levied tolls on those entering and leaving.

After asking a few people, Arthur found a row of carriages lined up just outside the gates, their owners calling out destinations and prices. After asking around a bit he walked toward an older man sitting on a wooden stool beside a sturdy, covered carriage with reinforced wheels. The man had graying hair, a scruffy beard, and wore a thick leather vest over a linen tunic. His sharp eyes studied Arthur as he approached.

“Brightwater City?” Arthur asked.

The man nodded. “Aye, that’s where this one’s headed. Leaves soon. Ten silver coins for a seat.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. That seemed high for a simple carriage ride. “Ten? That’s expensive.”

The driver scoffed, spitting to the side. “Expensive, huh? You new around here, lad?” He gestured toward the distant road leading out of the city. “You think these roads are safe? Monsters and bandits’ve been a real pain lately. That’s why I gotta hire mercenaries to keep us in one piece. Unless you fancy getting robbed and gutted, ten silver’s a fair deal.”

Arthur folded his arms. “Mercenaries?”

“Aye. Got three of ‘em comin’ along for protection. Not the best lot, but they’ll do. E-class. Means they ain’t complete amateurs, but don’t expect ‘em to fight off a whole army.”

Arthur mentally noted the ranking system. He knew E-class mercenaries were on par with low-grade martial artists or first-circle mages, meaning higher-ranked ones were significantly stronger. There are also divisions in powers of mercenaries ranging from F-Class to SSS-Class. He filed that information away for later.

After a brief moment of thought, he handed over the coins. “Fine. I’ll take a seat.”

The driver pocketed the silver with a satisfied grunt and jerked his thumb toward the carriage. “Hop in. We leave soon as the rest show up.”

Arthur stepped around the carriage, noting its reinforced wooden structure. It was built to withstand rough roads and potential attacks, though it wasn’t exactly a fortress on wheels. He climbed into the covered section, ducking slightly as he entered. Inside, wooden benches lined either side, providing seating for passengers.

Three people were already seated.

The first was a boy around fifteen or sixteen, with short brown hair and a thin frame. His clothes were simple but looked like it was made out of high quality material, suggesting he came from a wealthy background. His wide eyes flickered with a mix of excitement and nervousness, and he clutched a small leather bag on his lap.

Next to him sat a middle-aged man with a broad build and a neatly trimmed mustache. He wore a traveler’s cloak over sturdy clothes and had the air of someone accustomed to long journeys. His sharp gaze met Arthur’s briefly before he returned to quietly adjusting the straps of his satchel.

The last passenger was a woman in her late twenties, with shoulder-length black hair and sharp features. She wore a practical yet elegant outfit, long boots, a fitted tunic, and a short cape draped over one shoulder. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes held an analytical sharpness, as if she was constantly evaluating her surroundings.

Arthur took a seat opposite the boy and leaned back against the wooden frame, letting his gaze drift to the entrance as the final members of the group arrived.

Three mercenaries entered.

The first was a broad-shouldered man with thick arms and a shaved head. He wore reinforced leather armor and carried a long sword at his hip. His stance was solid, disciplined, Arthur pegged him as a martial artist. 

The other two were mages. One was a lanky young man with light blue robes and a wooden staff strapped to his back. He had an air of nervous energy, his fingers constantly fidgeting. The other mage was a woman with short, curly hair, wearing darker robes with a small emblem stitched onto the sleeve. She had a short staff strapped to her belt and a dagger tucked into her boots, a sign she wasn’t just relying on magic for survival, maybe a combat mage.

The martial artist stepped forward and rapped his knuckles against the wooden frame. “We’re your escorts. Name’s Gareth. These two are Lyle and Mari.” He gestured to the mages, who nodded in turn. “We’ll be keeping an eye out for trouble.”

The driver, who had climbed onto the front seat, grunted. “Yeah, yeah. Just do your damn job and keep the bandits off us.” He grabbed the reins, giving them a flick. “Alright, we’re movin’ out!”

Arthur used ‘Analysis’ on the new additions as they entered the carriage.

//——————–//

Name: Gareth ??

Designation: E-Class Mercenary

Rank: Low-grade Martial Artist

Age: 38

Height: 6’4″

Chi: 385.5 Units

Strength: 77.1 Tons

Speed: 49.2 m/s

//——————–//

[A/N: Taking into consideration a normal human has 1 Units of Chi, and able to pick up 200 Kg (440 Pounds). The martial artist will have: 77.1*5 = 385.5 Units. And the strength and speed a martial artist could reach while utilizing their Chi is 2X base strength (Generally). That means Gareth could pick up more than 150 tons if he utilized Chi. The base strength of a Martial Artist is 4X higher than a mage.]

//——————–//

Name: Lyle ??

Designation: E-Class Mercenary

Rank: 1st Circle Mage

Age: 21

Height: 5’7″

Mana: 327.8 Units

Strength: 16.4 Tons

Speed: 17.2 m/s

//——————–//

//——————–//

Name: Mari ??

Designation: E-Class Mercenary

Rank: 1st Circle Mage

Age: 23

Height: 5’5″

Mana: 352.2 Units

Strength: 17.6 Tons

Speed: 18.3 m/s

//——————–//

[A/N: 1 Unit of Mana is equivalent to 1 Unit of Chi. And the base strength and speed of a mage is generally lower compared to martial artists without any augmentation from strength and speed spells. Though it does not determine the power of a mage as they mostly rely on their spells rather than their bodily strength.]

The horses neighed, and with a jolt, the carriage lurched forward, rolling onto the dirt road leading toward Brightwater City.

Arthur glanced at the young boy across from him. The kid kept stealing glances at him before quickly looking away, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating.

Arthur exhaled. “What?”

The boy flinched, then smiled sheepishly. “Ah, sorry! I was just… um, are you a mercenary too?”

Arthur shook his head. “No.”

The boy’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh. You look like one.”

“Do I?” Arthur raised an eyebrow. He supposed his attire for today, practical travel gear with bits of armored segments, did resemble that of a mercenary, but he hadn’t expected the comment.

The middle-aged man chuckled. “No offense, lad, but the boy’s got a point. You don’t look like a merchant or a scholar. So, what are you then?”

Arthur debated his answer for a moment before settling on something vague. “A traveler.”

The man nodded knowingly. “Fair enough. Name’s Orlan, by the way. Trader by profession.”

The boy perked up. “I’m Finn! I’m going to Brightwater to enroll at Velcrest Academy!”

Arthur glanced at him with mild interest. “You’re a mage?”

Finn rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… kinda. I have an affinity for wind magic, but I’ve only practiced basic spells and not a fully fledged mage yet. My family saved up to send me to the academy.” He straightened slightly. “Once I get trained, I’ll become a proper mage!” 

Only people who advance to first circle mage are considered real mages. Arthur thought about where the kid got the spells to practice, but he decided not to ask as he was already going to the mage academy. He will get his answers there.

The woman, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “Ambitious. But training won’t mean much if you don’t have the talent to back it up.”

Finn flinched, his enthusiasm dimming slightly. “Y-Yeah… I know. But I still have to try.”

Arthur watched the exchange quietly. He wasn’t the only one heading to Velcrest, though Finn had the advantage of already having an affinity.

The woman crossed her arms. “I’m Reyna, by the way. Just a traveler, like you.”

Arthur wasn’t sure if he believed that, but he simply nodded. And stealthily used ‘Analyse’ on her.

//——————–//

Name: Reyna ??

Designation: Assassin

Rank: 2nd Circle Mage

Age: 27

Height: 5’7″

Mana: 1885.2 Units

Strength: 94.26 Tons

Speed: 39.3 m/s

//——————–//

As he thought the woman was not normal, she was the most powerful among the bunch Arthur was travelling with, but he didn’t say anything and kept his mouth shut.

The journey continued, the carriage rolling steadily along the dirt road. The mercenaries sat near the entrance, keeping watch, while the driver hummed an off-tune melody.

Arthur stared out of the carriage, observing the landscape. The world outside was vast, the distant hills rolling endlessly toward the horizon.

After spending a day in this world Arthur learned there is not much difference in the night and day cycle from Earth which may sound weird with the size of the planet, but he thought it might be because of the faster rotation of the planet. A full day’s journey awaited them. And with the looming threat of bandits, it was unlikely to be a peaceful one.

…

The sky had darkened, the last hues of twilight fading as the group set up camp for the night. A small fire crackled at the center, casting flickering shadows across the rough patch of land they had chosen. The driver sat near it, cooking something in a dented pot, while the passengers settled into their spots. Finn looked around excitedly but kept his distance from the mercenaries, who were discussing shifts for the night watch.

Arthur, however, wasn’t focused on any of that.

He sat slightly apart from the group, pretending to relax while using his ‘System Map.’ Instantly, a detailed projection of the area appeared in his mind. Most of the life signatures nearby belonged to small animals or wandering beasts, nothing unusual. However, what caught his attention was a cluster of ten life signatures moving toward them silently.

‘Suspicious.’ Arthur exhaled through his nose. They hadn’t even been stopped for half an hour, and already trouble was brewing.

Standing up, he stretched slightly and stepped out of the carriage.

Gareth, the broad-shouldered martial artist, immediately noticed him. He frowned. “What are you doing? It’s not safe to wander around at night.”

Arthur ignored him. His gaze remained fixed on the darkness beyond the campfire’s light. “Get ready,” he said plainly.

Mari, the female mage, narrowed her eyes. “What?”

Arthur glanced at her briefly before looking back at Gareth. “There are about ten of them. I don’t know if they’re bandits or monsters, but they’re coming this way.”

That got their attention.

Gareth’s expression tightened, and he reached for his sword. “You sure about that?”

Arthur nodded. “I’m sure.”

For a moment, the mercenaries exchanged looks. Lyle, the lanky mage, looked like he wanted to argue, but Gareth didn’t hesitate. He drew his blade in one smooth motion and turned toward the other two. “Get ready for battle.”

Mari clicked her tongue but complied, unstrapping her short staff. “If this turns out to be nothing, I’m making you pay for the stress,” she muttered, mostly to herself.

Lyle swallowed and adjusted his grip on his staff. He was clearly the least experienced of the three, but he wasn’t backing down.

The driver, who had been stirring his pot, looked up, startled. “Oi, what’s this about? We got trouble?”

Arthur glanced at him. “Probably.”

The driver cursed under his breath and hurriedly stood, looking around into the darkness. “Shit. If it’s bandits, we might be able to bribe ‘em off. If it’s monsters… well, that’s worse.”

Finn, who had been watching nervously while sitting near the campfire, clutched his bag. “A-Are we gonna be okay?”

Orlan, the middle-aged trader peeked from the carriage quarter lights, remained calm but reached for a small knife at his belt.

Reyna, the sharp-eyed woman, was the only one who looked entirely unbothered. She remained seated, arms crossed, but Arthur noticed her subtly shifting her posture, ready to move if needed.

Gareth motioned to his fellow mercenaries. “Form up. Lyle, Mari, stick close and be ready to cast. We hold positions until we know what we’re dealing with.”

Arthur stepped forward slightly, scanning the treeline. The figures were closer now, just outside the range of their firelight. He could hear faint movements, rustling leaves, the crunch of dry grass under careful footsteps.

Then, a low growl echoed through the night.

Mari tensed. “That… didn’t sound human.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “No. It didn’t.”

A moment later, the first pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared between the trees. Then another. And another.

A pack of wolves. And they weren’t ordinary wolves.

***

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