Muriel, seated opposite him, turned her whole body to face him, her hands resting gently on her lap.
She glanced out the carriage window, expressionless, before explaining:
"There were two reasons this place was called a Haven back then—both tied to the Enma System.
"The first is that this territory was naturally free of beasts when Enma was created, due to the System's influence pushing them away.
"The second is that a Safe Haven serves as a place where one can appear after dropping an Anchor.
"For Otherworlders like yourself, an Anchor—which opens a gate to this world—can only be safely dropped in a Haven. More generally, if you die in certain places in this world, you can be reborn here in the Haven. Though… that comes with a cost.
"Beyond Haven regions, Anchors become unstable. That can cause someone to respawn—or appear—at random locations in the Wild."
'Reborn? Death isn't final in some places?' Ruel was stunned.
Muriel paused before adding, "I think the Havens have expanded. The influence of the Beast Repellent is probably weaker at the Haven's edges, and Anchors should be risky to drop near the borders."
"I have a lot to learn… After all this, please brief me on the history and other important stuff you know," Ruel said.
After giving a nod, Muriel turned back to a ball, leaving Ruel to silently think as buildings passed by.
'The longer the Ritual lasts, the higher my Talent gets upgraded too… And it's meant to be very painful to the extent that I can break mentally…'
It was scary, honestly, but with the opportunity being provided, Ruel decided to push through.
Before, he desired strength so he could support the town's various businesses more.
But now, he knew he and his family were being treated as a tool that can be discarded anytime by the unknown enemies.
There was a safer path outside what he was familiar with that his ancestors had prepared for him.
It was the Class system that related to the Quest, "Path to PyroKnight," but that was going to take quite a while.
'Even if it's just B rank, I'll be satisfied for the meantime, then I can try to become the Pyroknight later…' he thought.
Soon, the carriage came to a stop and Ruel was required to pay.
Ruel flickered two of those silver coins from the chest and quickly turned around, leaving the driver to stare at his hands with widened eyes.
He looked at the tall and wide building made of marble. Above the entrance was a large crest depicting a heat-resistance monster with red liquid–lava–pouring on it.
Ruel walked into the reception area, immediately locating the long reception desks, split into four for decorum.
There were a few people dressed as explorers and adventurers in a queue, but Ruel wasn't really impressed by that.
After a while of staying in the short queue, he reached the desk desk where a brown-haired woman with a ponytail and brown eyes, wearing a black suit with a red undershirt, welcomed him.
"Good day, sir. I have not seen you here before. Are you new?" she asked with a warming smile.
Ruel gave a smile and said, "I'm new here. Good day. I want to buy items."
"What are on your list?"
Based on Muriel's words, Ruel listed, "The Core of a creature at A-rank, if there's one of higher available, that works too. Blood of any creature B rank or above. And an Ice attribute catalyst."
The receptionist tilted her head subtly as she said, "There's a core of an A-rank creature and its blood available too–it was recently killed. There are options for the catalyst too."
"Just get the highest quality for the catalyst," Ruel said with a smile. "How much in total?"
"That's 73,000 En."
"Alright."
Seeing he didn't drag it, the receptionist led him to a common room on the second floor for him to wait.
The room was small, with two armchairs and a low table placed between them. The light coursed through the single window, bathing the room splendidly.
A short bookshelf was at the corner holding books Ruel would care to read.
Ruel refrained from accepting any drinks as he was in unfamiliar grounds.
Still a ball of light, Muriel said, "The Guild's higher ups know you're special already."
"How?"
"Because you appeared out of nowhere. It's impossible that no one actually failed to notice you leaving the house, especially not in a district like that."
Seeing her point, Ruel asked, "What now? You seem to be satisfied with this."
"It's through them that we'll rise in this world," Muriel said with a simple face.
At that moment, a tall bulky man dressed in a white coat with a red accent walked in.
The man's deep voice cut through the quiet, his eyes sizing Ruel up before he offered a faint smile.
"Hello there… Mr. Otherworlder."
Ruel remained silent for a few seconds as he looked between the bulky man and the familiar receptionist, who stood behind the chair opposite him.
"Hello," he said, not denying the claims. "Are my requests ready? I don't have the luxury of time."
The bulky man had blonde hair streaked with red and a single red eye, his goatee giving him a more rugged appearance.
A heavy silence filled the room before the bulky man stepped forward, his red-streaked hair glinting under the dim lights.
"For security purposes, I have only one question right now," he said.
"I'm all ears."
"How did you get into this Haven?"
"A quest I obtained in the Wild rewarded me with this," Ruel replied after Muriel telepathically guided him.
"I am Zamir," the man said after a moment of thought.
"Could I bother you to visit us again when you return? I assume you have been in the Wild for a while and you desire to return to your home."
Ruel offered a faint smile, extending his arm. "Just call me Blank," he said, his voice smooth but unreadable.
Seeing the other party reciprocate his interest, Zamir extended his arm and shook Ruel's hand.
'His hand is pretty rough. I guess he's pretty strong considering his seemingly high status too.' Ruel thought based on experience.
His instincts and senses weren't honed enough to judge accurately.
Zamir instructed the receptionist to drop the items and Ruel also instructed Muriel to prepare the gate after giving her access to his system.
His dull golden screen opened as he looked down to the wooden box on the table.
He opened it and confirmed its contents.
"I'll transfer," Ruel said, then sent it to the receptionist using a System feature by shaking her.
He raised the wooden box and put it within his inventory.
The bronze screen then expanded to a tall door with endless space within, causing a slight increase in air within the room.
"I hope to see you soon," Zamir said.
Ruel nodded.
With a final glance behind him, Ruel stepped through the shimmering portal, the space warping around him.
In an instant, the stifling formality of the Haven was gone.
Watching him leave, Zamir sighed, turning to leave the room. "I expected someone stronger…"