A massive city stretched across the land, spanning nearly three hundred kilometers in radius.
There were no modern skyscrapers, yet the city still looked grand. Tall towers pierced the sky while giant libraries, guild halls, mansions, and watchtowers stood proudly across the landscape.
The roads were made from packed dirt and sand. Carriages rolled through the streets while countless people walked around the bustling city.
Among them was Yuki.
His eyes moved around curiously as he stared at the enormous city in amazement.
"Wow… this city is huge!!"
As he walked through the streets, a transparent screen suddenly appeared in front of him.
"So… what's my next mission?"
The system window displayed two new tasks.
Yuki read them carefully.
"Hm… I think these two missions should be easy."
He continued walking while talking to himself.
"Help one person… and gather information about Illman."
A confident smile appeared on his face.
"This city is massive. I can probably help someone here and get information about Illman at the same time. That's it!"
After saying that, Yuki headed toward a nearby guild building.
Inside the guild, adventurers could be seen sitting around tables while chatting loudly with one another.
Yuki walked up to the counter.
"I want to register."
The boy behind the counter smiled politely.
"Of course, sir. Please fill out this form. Just basic information like your name, age, magic type, and home address."
"Got it."
Yuki began writing.
He filled in his name and age before pausing slightly.
"Home address…"
After thinking for a moment, he quietly muttered,
"Yeah… I'll just write the name of that village."
He finished the form and handed it back.
The counter boy looked through it before stopping.
"I think you forgot to add your magic information."
Yuki shook his head.
"No, no. I don't have any magic. That's why I left it blank."
The boy froze for a second before laughing awkwardly.
"Hehehe… sir, you're joking, right?"
"Nope. I'm serious. That's the truth."
The boy slowly placed the form down on the table. His smile remained, but his tone became heavier.
"Sir… maybe you don't know this, but only magicians are allowed to register in the guild."
He looked directly at Yuki.
"And since you don't possess any magic… I'm sorry, but you can't register."
"I see…"
Yuki quietly left the guild.
Some time later—
Yuki walked alone through the city streets while tossing several silver-colored coins into the air.
Each coin had a triangle engraved on both sides.
"Hm… with these, I can probably stay somewhere for one night and buy food two or three times…"
He caught the coins and sighed.
"When I left the village, everyone gave me a few coins each…"
As he continued walking, he stared at the currency thoughtfully.
"So this world doesn't use gold or silver coins like normal fantasy worlds. Instead, they use a currency called Quito Coins."
He looked at the small pile in his hand.
"And I only have fifty Quito…"
A tired expression appeared on his face.
"This definitely won't last long…"
After a moment of silence, he sighed again.
"I think I should start those missions immediately. If I help someone, maybe they'll at least let me stay at their house for a while…"
But then Yuki suddenly stopped walking.
"…But where am I even supposed to find someone who needs help?!"
He looked up at the sky in frustration.
A moment later, his eyes returned to the floating system window.
Curiously, he tapped around the screen until a new option appeared.
"Wait… settings?"
Confusion appeared on his face.
"Why didn't I notice this before?"
He tapped the option.
A new page opened instantly.
"There are only two options?"
He read them aloud.
"Show Completed Missions… and Language Translator."
Suddenly, realization hit him.
"Ohhh… so that's why I can understand the language of this world. The translator option is turned on."
After thinking for a moment, he nodded.
"Well, I'll turn off the completed missions display and leave the translator on."
He pressed the option.
Then his eyes moved lower.
There was another line written underneath.
Yuki slowly read it.
"Complete 50% of all missions to unlock… Hidden System."
His eyes widened.
"What?! There's a hidden system too?!"
Excitement instantly appeared on his face.
"What could it be?!"
But the next second, regret replaced that excitement.
"Aahhh!! Why didn't I check this earlier?!"
He grabbed his head dramatically while continuing to walk.
"If I had noticed this before, I could've already completed seven or eight missions by now!! Damn it!"
As he touched the invisible system screen in the air, the nearby people stared at him strangely.
Yuki noticed their gazes and awkwardly looked away.
"Well… they obviously can't see my system window."
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I opened it in front of the villagers too, and nobody reacted…"
A helpless smile appeared on his face.
"So yeah… this is actually pretty embarrassing…"
Just then, Yuki overheard a conversation nearby.
Two women stood beside the street talking seriously.
Curious, Yuki quietly moved closer and listened.
"Yeah… Baron Jack was given the mission."
The second woman looked worried.
"Hm… but can Lord Jack really do it? His forces are pretty small, and his enemy is Demon King Subaru… along with his massive army."
The first woman lowered her voice nervously.
"I heard a smaller division of Demon King Subaru's army is already heading toward this city."
Her expression darkened.
"If Lord Jack doesn't attack first… then this city's destruction is guaranteed."
The second woman nodded anxiously.
"But even if he attacks and fails… the result will still be the same."
Then the first woman added,
"I also heard Lord Jack is hiring people to help him defeat that army."
"Oh…"
Meanwhile, Yuki stood silently nearby while thinking deeply.
"Baron Jack, huh…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Let me check it out. Maybe helping him will give me some profit."
With that thought, Yuki walked away.
At the very same moment—
On top of one of the city's tallest towers stood the liquid man.
His teal-colored body swayed slightly like moving water while his glowing red eyes scanned the massive city below.
Crowds of people walked through the streets.
Shops, cargo carts, buildings, and towers filled his vision.
But the creature ignored everything else.
He was searching for only one person.
Yuki.