Authorius boarded the train, noticing its interior was truly something he hadn't expected, extravagant, so extravagant that he even wondered if he had accidentally bought a first-class ticket.
Suddenly, he noticed a blurry figure resembling a woman when he looked closely, while the scent of roses attacked his nostrils.
"Could it be her?" Authorius questioned himself as he recalled that indescribable smell lingering in the air. "No, no, it's impossible for her to be in a place like this."
Among all the people or characters he had created, there was one character he particularly didn't want to encounter.
It wouldn't only be dangerous for that character but also pose a threat to his own fragile heart.
'It's better if we don't meet,' Authorius thought as his face fell.
"However, I find that unlikely. After all, this character was part of the main plot of my novel, 'The Hero's Advent,' and would undoubtedly be enrolled in the Arcane Academy.
"Based on my experience reading reincarnation novels of authors in their own stories, if I ignore the existence of this character, I'll pique her interest. On the other hand, showing too much interest will raise suspicions. After all, her identity in this world is quite sensitive."
"Ah, thinking about this is giving me a pounding headache. I need to stop dwelling on it and focus on my mission now, concentrate on the present and leave the future aside." Authorius gave his cheeks a light pat, turning them as red as strawberries. "I have to figure out how to find the Eldertome in the Forgotten Ruins."
Speaking of the Forgotten Ruins, they were situated outside the territories of humanity, serving as a central point connecting the territories of other races in the Arcane Earth.
To enter any other territory in the Arcane Earth, such as the Demon's territory, one had to pass through the Forgotten Ruins.
The Forgotten Ruins also acted as a shield for the territories against the races of the Arcane Earth.
Authorius looked out of the train window, seeing nothing but lights of various colors, indicating the high speed at which the train was moving.
However, inside, this impression wasn't apparent; one wouldn't notice this detail unless they looked out the window.
Normally, the Forgotten Ruins were territories where guilds from various Arcane Earth regions sought ancient relics dating back to the era of the First Cataclysm and more.
Ding! Ding! Forgotten Ruins!
While Authorius was lost in his thoughts, the sound of a notification echoed within the train, snapping him out of his stupor.
"Ah, I have to get off here!" Authorius grabbed his bag as he stood up from his seat.
He could see many others standing up as well, most dressed as adventurers from cartoons or video games, indicating he wasn't the only one heading to the Forgotten Ruins.
He marched between various train cabins, clearly trying to avoid disturbing anyone.
Upon exiting the train, he noticed that the previously clear and blue sky had turned pitch black. Authorius could even hear thunder reverberating in the air.
A scent of something ancient filled his nostrils, as if he were entering an old library. Not only that, but a strong iron smell lingered in the air.
Authorius stopped in the middle of nowhere and saw a kind of transparent blue sphere surrounding the Forgotten Ruins, as if isolating them from the outside world.
Technically, the Forgotten Ruins were in the center of the Arcane Earth, something stated previously. However, they were covered by an Archmage-Level Enchantment of spatial element.
This enchantment separated the Forgotten Ruins from the Arcane Earth, making them technically isolated from the latter.
However, this was only possible with one or several Archmage-Level Mages performing the enchantment.
Of course, as the author of the novel, he knew who the individual or individuals were who had cast this enchantment.
Previously, humans, elves, demons, dwarves, etc, had no access to the Forgotten Ruins.
It was only after some intellectuals realized the value of the Forgotten Ruins that the "Treaty of Versailles" was established.
This treaty implied the cooperation of various races for the exploration of the Forgotten Ruins, preventing their privatization or nationalization, and attenuating the Archmage-Level Enchantment cast on the Forgotten Ruins so that the involved races could have access to them.
Each race had its own entrance to the Forgotten Ruins; the trains of all races contained a spell recognized by the mana left by the intellectuals who managed to alter the initial Archmage-Level Enchantment that isolated the Forgotten Ruins from the Arcane Earth.
Authorius stopped looking at the fruit of his fertile imagination and headed towards the Human Entry Gate, where people who wished to enter the Forgotten Ruins had to pass before going in.
The Human Entry Gate had the shape of an inverted U, made of several precious materials.
Authorius also noticed multiples cameras filming him, but these weren't ordinary cameras from the Ancient Earth; they were modified cameras with Magic-Tech.
As he approached the Human Entry Gate, he encountered two guards protecting it.
They had a robust stature, one of them with a large scar on his face, running from his chin to his forehead, dividing his face in half; looking sinister.
The other individual had no scars compared to the former but had a buzz cut, emphasizing his monstrous physical appearance, similar to that of a military person in his previous world.
Both wore bronze armor with an insignia of a sword surrounded by lights; symbolizing the Heroic Order.
With this, Authorius knew they were Knights and not Mages.
One of the guards, the one with a horrendous scar on his face, glanced at Authorius' slim and delicate body, then at his handsome face, and thought to himself: 'Tsk, tsk, tsk, another young master who doesn't know the dangers of life coming to venture into such a dangerous place as the Forgotten Ruins.
'Sigh… I'm not his father to control him, but let's just warn him of the dangers. Who knows, maybe he'll get scared and run back to his mother crying. Can't let a young, maybe promising... I don't know... individual who might join the fight against foreign threats perish here.'
"Hey, little boy, did you perhaps make a mistake by coming here in this place?" said the scarred man, looking concerned.
I hope that's the case; thought the scarred man.
"Roger, are you so stupid to think that someone in their right mind would come to the most dangerous zone of the Arcane Earth without knowing? Unless it's a child. However, clearly, he doesn't look like a child. So, he must have come here knowing the dangers, unless he's stupid," said the man with a military-style haircut.
"Heuh... you are right, Richards, but was it necessary to call me dumb?" Roger replied, between his teeth, casting a furious glance at the man called Richards.
"Hmph! Maybe this way you can gain a bit of intelligence in your small brain!" Richards, however, didn't back down and responded to Roger with corners of his eyes that didn't hide his disdain.
Pft!
Watching the interaction between the two guards, Authorius couldn't help but let out a soft and harmless laugh.
He realized that the two guards had a good relationship.
Their interaction lightened the tense atmosphere that had lingered since his arrival at the Forgotten Ruins.
Authorius scratched his scalp while saying, "Thank you... Heuh... for your good intentions and concerns. Unfortunately, I didn't come here by mistake but because I have important matters to attend to."
Authorius felt a bit uneasy; he couldn't engage in a coherent conversation with someone he barely knew – essentially, strangers like the two guards in front of him.
Ah, the perks of being introverted; Authorius teased himself in his mind.
Richards and Roger exchanged strange looks.
Since when would anyone besides adventurers or experienced mages and knights have important matters to attend to in the Forgotten Ruins?
However, they dismissed their concerns; it had nothing to do with them. After all, one of them had already warned Authorius of the dangers present here, and if he chose not to listen, it was his problem.
"If that's the case..." Richards stepped away from the Human Entry Gate.
Roger looked at Richards, who subtly shook his head, indicating that it wasn't the right moment.
Roger sighed deeply and also moved away from the Human Entry Gate.
Authorius had observed these subtle interactions between the guards, Roger and Richards.
He also sensed that Roger might look fierce on the outside but had a warm heart.
Even feeling warmth in his heart, Authorius didn't bother expressing it publicly and proceeded directly to the Human Entry Gate.
Passing through it, he felt a scan traversing his body, analyzing from his feet to his head, going beyond, delving into his bones and examining his blood and DNA simultaneously.
Authorius knew it was the defense mechanism of the Human Entry Gate against other races or unwanted villains.
However, the latter had methods to sneak into the Forgotten Ruins, known only to them and, of course, the author of the novel—himself.
"It's time to meet the Eldertome and completely change my new life in this world!" murmured Authorius, determined, as the doors to the Forgotten Ruins opened before him.