Early Evening - Early Summer : Arlington, Virginia | East Coast Uates

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  "Wow..." -The upper district is more different than I thought...- Having run out of roof space to run across after entering the upper district, I had slowed down and moved to the road, taking the extra time I had to admire my surroundings. -Such giant, defenseless buildings of gss... It's like monsters aren't even a risk here...-

  pared to the lower districts where everything was sturdy and made of thick reinforced crete, the buildings in the upper district were made ile, but appealing materials like gss and crystal, while using stronger materials purely for structural support.

  In other words, while beautiful, the buildings were a flick away from being piles of rubble. -But I'm not sure whether to end them for being able to build up that kind of fidence.. or call it arrogance...-

  On one side of the , at any moment, a monster could swoop in and take the whole district down, but on another, it showed their fiden their safety. -All I do is hope it hasn't made them too fortable...-

  *WOOOOSH* As a vehicle gliding oric rails over the ter of the road blew past me, I casually hopped up and g to it, hitg a ride to the Iional Security anization still several kilometers down the road. -What good timing...-

  Ign the innumerable gazes of those on the roads below as I zipped by, I quickly tinued looking around, peeking into gss shops to see what they were selling or what services they provided as I sat on the sloped rear of the bus-like maglev.

  But while at the beginning I was just looking around to find pces of he more of them I passed, the more my brain tripped over itself. -What oh...-

  At the base of a vast majority of buildings, the windows were filled with dispys of swords, armor, and artifacts, remi of what I'd see fre mert guilds and smithies, with the upper floors being covered by digital projes of logos, names, and video advertisements of items or people.

  It was very clearly a district meant for system users, mainly lined with shops, guilds, and even huge stadiums and arenas, but the scale of it was something I almost couldn't my head around. -Hoeople e through here for it to be this dense...-

  It was a tration of wealth on a pletely different level from anything I had ever seen, even in the most high traffic of 'hub worlds' where people of all levels were stantly brought for quests. -How is this kind of thing even possible in such a low-level world? There wouldn't be so many shops if they didn't all have business, but.. where are the ers ing from..?-

  Giving it some thought as we begaering a more spacious area of the district, where each building had a park-sized courtyard around it, the maglev started ing to a stop aually let everyone off onto a raised ptform. -This must be like a bus stop...-

  *Pat* *Pat* Gently brushing down my armor as those getting off whispered to one another and gave me weird gnces, I looked up the side of the glimmering spire looming over us, brightly lit by the glow of the setting sun, and had a smile spread ay face.

  It was far from the rgest building I had ever seen, and even farther from the most beautiful, but as it glimmered iting sun, I couldn't help but be entranced by the careful carvings decorating it, depig battles and hardship, where multiple races had to join hands, and unlikely allies were forced to bee friends.

  To most, the carvings likely meant nothing, ag as simple decoration, but to me, they reminded me of old times, surfag memories I had nearly fotten about from hundreds of years ago, and bringing forth a feeling of fort and nostalgia that was simply unrivaled. -That carving even looks like me...- Looking at a carving of someone joining the hands of elves and dwarves, I was reminded of the time I had to force two neighb nations to work together and kill an Isnd Devourer, a mountain-sized worm that lived in the o. -I almost fot about those guys.. what was the queen's name again..? Altera? I wonder if she's still alive...-

  Tilting my head as I idly gave it thought, my gaze slowly drifted over more and more carvings that brought baostalgia before turning down toward the ground where I found a huge crete pza ing around the spire.

  At first g was absolutely littered with huge statues, memoirs, and memorials from not just Earth, but other worlds as well, paying homage to the tless cultures that had e to blend oh.

  However, while they were certainly grand, what really caught my eye was the people around them.

  All throughout the pza, people were gathered around the bards singing tales of other worlds, and merts, selling a mix of equipment and clothing inating from other systems, some of which I could name off the top of my head. -To think people of those worlds would be oh...-

  It holy created an atmosphere that made me feel more at home, and less out of pce while standiwee gss skyscrapers. "How lively!"

  Finally walking dowairs from the bus stop with aic pep in my step, I started making my way through the crete courtyard, taking my time to enjoy the atmosphere, admire the statues, and listen to the songs of bards before arriving at the wall of doors leading into the spire. -What a wonderful blend of cultures...-

  *tap-Woosh* Swiftly opening the door and walking inside, a gust of cool air blew over me, and I found myself in a room with a ceiling nearly fifty meters high, filled with the chatter of tless different nguages. -What a refreshing sound...-

  Turning my attention to the small reception desk o a massive tral pilr toward the ter of the room, I quickly walked past the rows of tables filled with people before arriving in front of a well-dressed, cat-demihuman boy who looked like he couldn't have been older thay.

  "Wele to the ISO, miss. How I help you today?" He was quite cheery, speaking with a happy curl in his tail.

  Opening his system panel, my eyes widened with curiosity. -A non-native w a desk job... How iing...- "I'm here to get an ID aer myself as a System User."

  The heads of those seated nearby quickly turo look at me as the young boy cheerfully tinued. "Hoho~, I would say gratutions, but it seems like your awakening wasn't something that happened retly." L his gaze from my armor to the series of holographiels in front of him, he quickly tinued with a more serious tone. "Just to crify, are you a System User or a System Merary?"

  He asked as if it were something I should have known the ao. "System Merary?" -Wait.. isn't that what the System called 'The Warden'?- Tilting my head, I spoke quizzically. "What is a System Merary?"

  His expression instantly lit up with excitement. "A System Merary is someone captured by the system to plete tasks and quests in other worlds! System Users are simir, but they are not forced to travel between worlds."

  "I.. see..." -So, System Meraries are sves of the system like me... Fated to work until we're killed...- My expression darkened as the image of the 'firmed kill panel' I got after killing The Warden came to mind. "I am a System Merary."

  "Is that so? Are you returning or on a quest?"

  "Returning."

  He instantly tensed as the sway in his tail froze. "Typically the military will handle and intercept returning meraries.. but I guess they were preoccupied today..." Quickly tapping through his hologram, he made a small bck pad reveal itself from within the ter. "Please set your hand on that so we get your fingerprints."

  *Pat* Immediately setting my hand on it, I felt the tingle of electricity beh my fingers.

  "Huh? That's.. odd..." As his expression ed with fusion, his tail lowered. "You don't seem to be in our database... May I have permission to look at your System details?" He scooted forward a small orb-shaped artifact ected to a mound of eleics as he spoke. "I may be able to find you with your system ID, since you would have had tister yourself on the server at some point."

  I gently nodded as I touched the artifact.

  But as his foarrowed oiny panel dispyed on the opposite side of the artifact, his whole body froze like ice. "Uh.. miss... One moment, please..." Quickly tapping on a buttoo a keyboard embedded in the desk, he made haste around the pilr and called over a shy-looking woman.

  However, she had the same rea. "U..Uh.. I'm sorry miss, but.. I'm not sure if rocess yht now..."

  I immediately tilted my head. "Why is that?"

  "W-Well, for o says you were registered in the System here less than an ho. B-But we aren't saying you're lying about being a returner." She seemed to panic slightly thinking I may take her words the wrong way. "I actually think it could have to do with the system errors we dealt with earlier in the day.. because someone of your level shouldn't be getting quests in this world..." She nervously ied the panel o time before straightening up. "If you could, please wait a moment, I'd like to fetch my supervisor."

  I quickly nodded before pulling my hand off the artifact. "Do whatever you need."

  Silence quickly overtook the room as her footsteps echoed over the tile floors, but it didn't take long for her to return with another man. -A level 254 ior, huh...- It was a css focused entirely on seeing what the eyes couldn't, be it finding hidden traps, gauging the strength of oppos, or even reading their iions. -Usually they're known for their absurdly sharp senses, but...-

  That man didn't reae until he looked me in the eyes. "PFFFT-" Spitting out his coffee, his eyes shot open, and lowered to my local system panel.

  "It's quite rude to spit your drink out at the sight of someone, you know." I spoke somewhat coldly, as he seemed to break into a panid dart up to the desk.

  "I-I'm very sorry, madam!" He immediately threw himself into a bow. "We just don't get the opportunity to handle users of your stature.. ever... I-In any case, what is the issue you are having?" Looking back at the woman whht him out, she gave a quick expnation. "I see." Turning bae, a small light flickered in the System Details artifact. "Well, it seems like we unfortunately 't properly process yht now. As a returner, we are meant to repce your old ID and update its details, but because you aren't iabase, we will have to gh a differeration process that will take some time to figure out."

  "Hm... How long will it take?"

  "Hopefully only a week. But for now, I'd like to at least give you a temporary ID. It's meant for users only here os, but it should be fine, if you have any problems, you refer them to me." Sliding me what looked like his business card, reading Alrek Ocorro, he gently flipped a swit the back of the artifact, switg my system details with my local system panel's information, and raced to type stuff onto the puter.

  -They seem quite thh...- So far, I was actually quite pleasantly surprised at how well things were managed. -To think they even have artifacts to see when people were registered into the server... That's good for catg liars...-

  "Alright." Finally handing me a silver pque with some of my basic system information on it, the man motioo its underside. "This is called a 'ticket', it will be your ID for the time being. If you turn it over and press your thumb into that bit of bck gss, you verify your identity with people, and if you hold the button, you use some basiunication els ected to us here at the ISO. If you ever need help, in an emergency or not, please unicate with us through that."

  *Beep-Beep* Holding the button, a small green hologram immediately popped up, and after taking a moment to skim through everything, I tapped on the 'Direct Message' tab. "Is this how you will reach out to me about my registration?"

  He quickly nodded. "And in case you are unfamiliar, you also use it to unicate to any other user registered in the ISO as long as you know their ID number, however, please uand that it doesn't use the System, so in many pces outside of cities there may not be any e."

  "Alright." It was essentially like an old telephone, but only with the ability to text, and reach out for emergency services. -Simple enough...- "Is there anything else I o know about?"

  "Not currently. I will unicate with you through your ticket, however, if there is anything you need, such as a guide, or perhaps wish to visit one of our training facilities-"

  "I o go to the Magic Tower, but I don't want a guide. If you could just point me in the right dire that would be appreciated."

  "O-of course!" Quickly leadiside, he made o offer to have a guide drive me there befiving up and giving me dires but...

  It was very far away, being oher end of the city, some hundred and twenty kilometers away. -That's troublesome...-

  I really couldn't be burning any more time. Although I wao take my time and enjoy being ba Earth, -Until I get my aura under trol, I o be careful...-

  Even without the regional quest being active, things would only get more troublesome the longer I left my aura as it was. Without trolling it, I was basically a walking bea screaming that I was a monster. -So I need another way...-

  But as I sank into thought, trying to find an alternative, Alrek spoke up. "I-If I may, could I ask why you o go to the Magic Tower?"

  "I o learn about aura and figure out a way to trol it, but I'm on a time ch."

  "Hm... trolling your aura isn't something most people grasp quickly, but..." He paused for a moment before looking over at the maglev arriving at the station up ahead. "Do you know about the Blue Creek guild?"

  I immediately shook my head.

  "They are a guild of mages that work on developing magic-reted skills and produg new grimoires, I would imagihey would be more of what you're looking for."

  -Making grimoires?- Grabbing my attention, I quickly looked over at him. "Are they closer than the Magic Tower?"

  He nodded as he pointed down the road. "They are just down the road here to the left, but if you could give me a moment, I'll speak to one of their managers and make sure they don't simply reject you."

  -How ve...- "Alright, I assume that won't take long?" Seeing him shake his head I looked back out into the pza. "Then in the meantime, I'll be out here listening to the bard."

  His expression, while anxious, quickly became determined. "Please leave it to me."

  Watg him quickly return to the spire, I finally turned back toward the pza, but there was ohing I couldn't shake off my mind.

  -To thih create new skill books...- Although known as grimoires when the skill was reted to magic, they were literal books that allowed you 'learn' a skill by simply toug them, implementing the information directly into the system, aing you then improve and buff the skill over time by using it, etting upgrades.

  It was something that took an immense amount of knowledge, skill, and mana to create, and as such, they were not only exceedingly rare, but powerful. -If I get my hands on one a a skill, maybe then, I start colleg upgrades for it...-

  It wasn't how the system worked when I inally used it, but it was a system I had heard other worlds using. -Maybe my System was just outdated...-

  But somehow, while there was a sudden flicker of hope in my chest, as I walked out into the pza, tuning in to the melodious melody of the bard, a cloud of doubt filled my mind, and my expression started darkening.

  -But I guess.. no matter what happens, I won't regain what I lost...-

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