After surrendering fifteen of his thirty-seven essence cores to secure fifteen days' stay, Officer Gerald escorted Kyle from the room and handed him over to an unarmed guard, who proceeded to lead him to the teenagers' quarter.
It was unsurprising that anyone under twenty-one was considered a teenager; many were still regarded as irrational in the way teens often were.
Kyle's eyes roamed his surroundings, taking in every detail from the significant to the trivial.
'I do not particularly fancy this place…' he thought, glancing at the guard ahead of him.
Suddenly, the guard cleared his throat, then gestured animatedly as he began explaining matters more clearly than the grumpy officer had.
"I will give you a brief verbal tour of the settlement, also called the Safe Zone. I believe Officer Gerald has already explained the payment system, so no need to cover that again. There are strict rules here, which makes it clear that this is a different world." His voice was gentle, and he chuckled quietly to himself.
Kyle regarded him with a sceptical glare, considering the possibility that the man had lost his mind.
Then again, who would not, in this hellish place?
Honestly, only a few people seemed normal, and Officer Gerald and this guard were not among them in Kyle's estimation.
The guard continued as they turned into a quieter area.
Ahead stood a building, solitary and completely devoid of activity, not even a single insect stirring.
It rose three levels high, narrow rather than wide, and offered no aesthetic appeal.
By that measure, the rooms inside were unlikely to be comfortable.
"That is the teenagers' quarter. As you can see, it is not designed for comfort, only for function. Your opinion carries little weight in such matters. Curfew begins at exactly ten p.m., though of course that only applies to those who pay the daily fee," the guard said, bursting into laughter and clutching his chest as he struggled to catch his breath.
A scowl crossed Kyle's face as he muttered under his breath, dripping with sarcasm:
"Yeah… funny. Ha ha ha."
The guard recovered and fixed Kyle with a serious expression before continuing:
"Training is compulsory. If you wish to earn without hunting beasts, living in the Safe Zone, you may apply for small tasks within the settlement. Punishment exists for any rule-breaking, and the rules and penalties will be conveyed to you by your fellows. In summary, the main rule is simple: obey all the rules. Lectures are not daily, and most are merely recaps so nothing is missed. That concludes the tour. Now follow me."
With that, Kyle was led inside without further incident.
Inside, the building felt deceptively cramped despite its three levels, as Kyle had expected.
Each floor contained ten small, narrow rooms, barely wide enough for a single cot, a small chest, and a wardrobe. All were painted white.
The ceilings were low, and the walls were unadorned, rough to the touch, giving the impression that comfort had been entirely sacrificed in favour of function.
Dust had gathered in every corner, though some cleaning was ongoing by the residents.
Over twenty-five individuals were in the building, diligently performing the thorough cleaning.
None of them spared more than a passing glance at Kyle or the guard as they entered, as though every newcomer was simply a part of the routine.
Well, it was, in fact.
Kyle at least appreciated the atmosphere and felt a small measure of satisfaction at the knowledge that he would have his own room.
Kyle valued his freedom and solitude greatly.
The guard explained the obvious as they ascended the stairs to the second level.
"It is the weekly cleaning day, and everyone is expected to participate, regardless of circumstance."
Kyle nodded dismissively, glancing down and consciously filing the information away in his mind.
'They all seem hardworking and mind their own business. That works for me, if so,' he thought, returning his attention ahead.
They came to a halt in front of a wooden door. The guard opened it with a bright, derisive grin and, after a moment, handed the key to Kyle nonchalantly.
"Settle in. Feel free to move about; there is nothing for you to do right now. Since I am a good man, I will offer one piece of advice: try to make friends, or at least converse with people. I can see that you are not entirely comfortable around others, but that will not serve you well in this world."
Kyle turned his head from the view of the room to watch the guard walk away, regarding him wearily.
The man had read him quickly and grasped the kind of person he was.
Kyle felt no emotion towards what he said.
Even though he entirely disagreed with the idea, he could not deny the truth of it deep down.
That did not mean he intended to follow it.
Unconsciously, his thoughts drifted to where Na-Ri might be at the moment.
Despite their mutual dislike, their little adventure had created a fleeting bond, not enough to be called friendship or anything remotely sentimental.
Then Kyle remembered the weapon that had been seized.
When he turned back from his room to call the guard, the man was already gone.
"Fuck! How am I supposed to get my axe back then?"
His face reddened with irritation.
Without wasting more time, he entered the room and set his bag down, examining his surroundings.
The room was little more than a utilitarian cell.
A narrow cot rested against the far wall, its thin mattress sagging slightly in the centre.
Beside it stood a chipped wooden chest and a compact wardrobe, both showing signs of age.
The walls were painted white and appeared neat, almost untouched despite the building's overall utilitarian state.
A small door tucked into the corner led to a private bathroom, just large enough for a porcelain sink, a stubby shower, and a toilet.
Finally, a single narrow window let in a thin sliver of light, revealing dust motes drifting lazily in the air.
Kyle smiled unconsciously, quietly pleased that he finally had a room of his own, rather than sleeping in a car, half-heartedly, always wary of what beast might appear at any moment.
A brief flood of contentment passed through him as he began to settle in.
He dropped his bag on the chest and glanced at himself.
Becoming self-aware of his condition, he noted the stench of his body. He had not bathed in as long as he could remember.
His clothes and the now-useless armour were stained with dried blood and torn from the claws of various beasts, including the boss he had killed.
It was obvious he needed a thorough bath before considering anything else.
Kyle began removing his tattered clothing, still entertaining the thought of wearing it again after cleaning himself.
Examining his half-naked body, he observed that he remained skinny, with no visible change to his physique despite having entered Stage One.
Perhaps the reason he had not progressed to the Elemental Vein Realm was that his body had yet to meet the necessary requirements.
He remained silent to himself as he moved to remove his trousers.
Out of the blue, a gentle knock sounded at the door.
Kyle froze, uncertain who it could be, as he slowly approached, adjusting his trousers at the waist.
'Hmph. Who might that be now?' he thought with disgust, turning the knob and opening the door.