Tierwyn was alive.
Not just with people and chatter, but with warmth, smells, and the subtle weight of a town that had survived more than it let on. The cobbled road beneath their feet was cracked and uneven in places, and the city walls—tall, ivy-covered things of sandstone and timber—stood like weary guardians rather than proud defenses.
Inside the gates, a dozen sounds vied for their attention: the clang of a blacksmith hammering away, the whine of a saw cutting lumber, the distant laughter of children near a market square. But it was the smell that hit first—an intoxicating blend of roasted meats, spices, and baked bread wafting from an open tavern kitchen.
Kenshin's stomach growled audibly. "That's it. I'm sold."
The trio walked deeper into the town, weaving past fruit stalls, beastkin merchants, and armored mercenaries debating loudly over dungeon bounties. Tierwyn was no starting zone. It had grit. It had purpose. It had real people.
Drathan glanced around, eyes alert. "So… definitely not NPCs."
"Everyone here's real," Seme said without looking at him. "You can feel it."
They turned a corner and passed a cramped side alley that led toward the slums. The air shifted, heavy and damp with the scent of unwashed clothes, moldy bread, and coppery blood. The contrast was stark—where the market had smelled like celebration, this place reeked of desperation.
Children darted between crates and empty barrels. A man with a mechanical leg sat beside a crumbling wall, adjusting rusted gears. One of his eyes glowed faintly, the other completely bandaged.
Drathan wrinkled his nose. "And not all of it smells like baked heaven."
They didn't linger long.
They arrived at the town square, centered around a large circular fountain carved with images of past champions. Floating glyphs circled the fountain's rim, pulsing gently with a faint golden light.
A bulletin board stood nearby, cluttered with flyers—requests for escort missions, missing persons, and a call for volunteers in an upcoming Trial of Valor.
"Guess that's our ticket," Seme said, pointing at the trial posting.
"Does it come with a paycheck?" Drathan asked.
Kenshin was already halfway toward the building across the square—an old stone guildhall with its doors wide open and a banner overhead reading TIERWYN ADVENTURERS' GUILD.
Inside, it was organized chaos. Warriors in mismatched armor traded tales of field fights. Runners dashed between dispatchers and scribes. A bard sat on a table playing something vaguely jazzy on a harp while drunk mages harmonized.
The main hall was lit by hanging lanterns enchanted with floating motes of light. Their glow shimmered across wall-mounted maps and banners denoting past guild victories. A merchant hawked temporary buffs and scrolls in a side booth, while a cook stirred an enormous cauldron of stew in the rear mess.
They approached the registration desk where a sharply dressed man with antelope horns and glowing blue eyes looked up from a pile of parchment.
"New arrivals?" he asked.
"Just got in," Drathan replied. "We're here for the trial."
The man looked at them—lingering a second longer on Drathan's bracelet—then nodded slowly.
"You'll need to register. Full names, classes, and demonstrated combat proficiency."
"Drathan, Void Walker."
Seme stepped forward next. "Seme, Dark Knight."
"Kenshin. Tranquil."
The man's quill paused mid-scratch. "Tranquil?"
Kenshin sparked lightning between his fingers. "It's new."
He resumed writing. "You'll be evaluated tomorrow morning. For now, the trial details are posted. Rooms are available upstairs if you have coin."
"We have Minotaur King loot," Drathan said smugly.
The clerk raised a brow. "That'll do."
They paid for lodging and made their way to the second floor, a narrow hallway lined with doors. The inn smelled of oak and citrus oil, with worn wooden floors that creaked just enough to remind them it was old, but clean. The door hinges squealed softly as they opened their rooms, each space small but comfortably furnished with a bed, writing desk, and a polished mirror framed in ironwood.
Drathan dropped onto the bed in his room, arms splayed wide. The ceiling was low, the rafters exposed, and a single glass orb glowed overhead, reacting to sound and light.
"I feel like I've been hit by five tutorials and an expansion pack."
Kenshin laughed from the other room. "Welcome to real life, patch boy."
Seme's voice cut in from the hall. "Rest up. We'll need to learn how this world works on its terms, not just what we brought with us."
Drathan stared at the ceiling. The bracelet still pulsed lightly on his wrist. Restriction active. But now he could feel the code underneath it, the structure of his limitation like a second heartbeat. And he could feel the loophole—ten minutes a day. Ten precious minutes of being who he used to be.
"Void Walker," he whispered to himself.
Before, it had been a joke. A placeholder class: half assassin, half bishop, with too few skills and too much mystery. But now, it felt different. His wish had rewritten the foundation.
He could feel it when he focused—the ability to pull apart the seams of space around him, to step into a place between seconds, a realm where time moved at his command. He had tested it briefly in the woods, freezing a bird mid-flight inside the darkness of a self-made bubble. He could walk in that void, drag others into it. Heal, hide, or harm within its fold.
He exhaled slowly.
"Let's see what Void Walker really means."
After a few moments, a knock was heard on the door.
"Sir," a soft yet womanly voice came from the other side. "Dinner will be served in a few," she added, her voice fading down the hall as she knocked on the other guest doors.
As the trio heard the word food, they simultaneously got up and poked their heads out of their rooms.
"I wonder who that was. She sounds like my type," Drathan muttered.
"Don't know, don't care—I heard dinner," Seme stated, walking slowly down the hall while holding her stomach.
"Well, it's a new world with new hoes," Kenshin giggled.
Mind wandering to other things, the trio walked down to the dining hall, where they met other adventurers. All kinds of races and classes had gathered for the evening meal, which was provided by the inn.
"After the test, we need to find a guide—preferably a hot one of the female gender," Drathan said while stuffing his face and glaring at Seme.
"Whatever. Meal was good. I'mma go workout and get some sleep," Seme stated as she stood and walked off.
"Same here. I'mma go knock out," Kenshin said, letting out a burp and rubbing his stomach.
"Well, I guess I should hit the bed as well. Gotta see the true power of the Void," Drathan whispered to himself while walking up the stairs to his room.
Without a thought, he flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.