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The morning fog drifted through the academy like it was taking its time on purpose.
Levi walked behind Velgrin, hands behind his back, doing his best impression of someone who had their life together. Students gathered in doorways and behind pillars, voices dropping to whispers. Eyes followed him. No one approached.
The silence around him had shifted from polite respect to something heavier.
He didn't speak.
Honestly, he had nothing to say.
His coat hung clean and dark, catching the morning light without wrinkling. His face stayed neutral. His steps stayed even.
To everyone else, he probably looked like someone who'd seen some shit and came out the other side unbothered.
To Levi, he felt like someone who desperately needed a nap and maybe some ibuprofen.
I literally yeeted myself out of a tower yesterday and now everyone's acting like I'm the main character. This is not the vibe I signed up for.
Velgrin led him through the eastern courtyard, where neat hedges bordered a wide stone path. The academy's main gate stood ahead: simple iron bars, two stone columns, and a pair of guards who went stiff the second they saw them coming.
No magic. No barriers. Just a gate that opened when you asked nicely.
Velgrin stopped a few paces away and gestured toward the street beyond.
"This is the main exit. The central district is about twenty minutes if you walk at a normal pace. I marked the route on the map."
Levi nodded once.
Short. Clean. The universal gesture for "got it, thanks."
The guards stared at him like he might explode or start levitating. One looked like he wanted to say something. The other looked like he was praying Levi wouldn't notice him.
"I'll gather the information you requested," Velgrin continued. "You shouldn't need to leave the inner district. We'll meet back here before dark."
Levi gave him another glance. The kind that said "sounds good" without actually saying anything.
Velgrin bowed slightly, turned, and disappeared down a side path, his cloak doing that dramatic swoosh thing wizards seemed to love.
Levi stepped through the gate.
And for the first time in over a hundred thousand years, he stepped into a world full of actual people.
The city of Myreth spread out in front of him like someone had designed it specifically to look good in a travel brochure.
Buildings rose in neat layers, roofs angled to catch the sun. Smoke curled up from chimneys. Fabric awnings flapped in the breeze. Voices overlapped from every direction: merchants hawking, kids laughing, guards yelling, bells ringing.
It was a lot.
Like, sensory overload levels of a lot.
Levi took a slow breath, keeping his face blank.
Alright. Here we go. Sun's out. People everywhere. And yeah, there's definitely a pigeon staring at me like I owe it money.
DING.
A blue notification popped up in his vision with way too much enthusiasm.
NEW QUEST AVAILABLE:
Scouting Potential Anchoring Locations
Objective: Check out some spots where you can set up the Library's storefront in World 001: Valen.
Seven options within 500 meters.
Reward: TBD.
Failure: Please don't.
Note: You're currently giving off "final boss energy." Try not to ruin it.
He blinked.
Great. The System's being passive-aggressive again.
A woman crossing the street saw him, dropped her basket, and scrambled backward like he'd just spawned out of a horror game. Apples rolled everywhere. She made some kind of protective hand gesture and speed-walked away.
Levi's face didn't move.
Inside, he sighed.
I'm gonna end up on a wanted poster for "looking intimidating while standing still."
Another window appeared.
Pick a location to scout.
The list loaded:
The Clockmaker's Tower [High up. Lots of stairs. Good mana.]Academy's Observatory [Secure but bureaucratic nightmare.]Old Cathedral Ruins [Quiet but might attract pilgrims.]Central Marketplace Plaza [Busy. Neutral. Low drama.]Courtyard of Mirrors [Pretty but unstable magic.]Flame-Scar Theater [Abandoned. Cursed, allegedly.]Subterranean Docks [Dark. Damp. Secretive.]
Levi scanned the options and mentally tapped number four.
Marketplace it is. Sounds like the least amount of effort.
Target Confirmed: Central Marketplace Plaza.
Route active. Try not to cause a scene.
"No promises," he muttered under his breath.
Levi walked through the city streets like he knew where he was going.
He didn't, but confidence was half the battle.
The moment he hit the main road, things got weird. Conversations stopped. A vendor fumbled his goods. Someone gasped. A kid who'd been mid-tantrum just... stopped and stared.
People moved out of his way without him asking.
Levi kept walking.
No smiling. No waving. No eye contact.
Just forward momentum and the hope that no one would try to talk to him.
His hands stayed behind his back. His chin stayed up. His coat moved around him like it had been tailored by someone who understood drama.
To everyone else, he probably looked like a mysterious traveler with a tragic backstory.
To Levi, it felt like being the only person at a party who didn't get the memo about the dress code.
His internal monologue was not helpful.
Okay, so one of my laces is definitely loose. I have no idea where I'm going. And that pigeon from earlier is following me. I'm sure of it.
The road sloped gently downward, lined with stone lanterns and hanging vines. People kept glancing at him. Some bowed slightly. Others just moved.
He passed a group of academy types in matching robes. They stopped mid-laugh, turned, and bowed in unison like they'd rehearsed it.
He nodded back.
Smooth.
Mysterious.
Internally screaming.
The plaza came into view ahead, and the noise picked back up. Voices layered over each other. Laughter. Haggling. Music from somewhere. But around Levi, it felt muffled, like the world was giving him space.
The Central Marketplace Plaza stretched wide in front of him. Rows of colorful tents. Smoke rising from food stalls. Jewelry catching the light. Hand-painted signs swaying in the breeze.
Hundreds of people packed the space, but as Levi stepped in, a gap formed around him like he had a personal force field.
A fruit seller looked up, saw him, and forgot what he was doing.
A street musician stopped playing mid-chord and slowly lowered his instrument.
A small kid with missing teeth walked right up to him, fearless.
"Are you a king?"
Levi looked down at him.
"No."
The kid squinted. "You're shiny though."
Levi blinked.
He absolutely was not shiny.
But he gave a tiny nod, and the kid's face lit up before he bolted back into the crowd like he'd just met a celebrity.
A new window popped up.
Scanning Location: Central Marketplace Plaza
Viability: 82%
Stability: Decent
Foot Traffic: High
Mana Levels: Good enough
This spot could work with a few tweaks. Proceed?
Levi's eyes swept over the plaza. His face stayed calm.
In the center sat a fountain shaped like a star, water flowing from silver spouts. Around it, vendors sold everything. One stall advertised "phoenix egg soup." Another had jars of fog labeled "bottled sunrise."
He was ninety percent sure half of this was a scam.
This place is giving fantasy farmer's market meets Comic-Con energy and I'm not sure how to feel about it.
He walked closer to the fountain. People gave him space. No one got within five feet. He might as well have been radioactive.
He stopped at the edge and looked down at the water.
His reflection stared back: sharp features, steady eyes, perfectly composed.
A man who looked like he had everything figured out.
A man who was winging it so hard it hurt.
Levi moved through the market at a slow, deliberate pace.
Not showy. Not loud. Just present.
And people noticed.
Heads turned. Conversations paused. A merchant stacking crystals glanced up, did a double-take, then went back to work like nothing happened. A cluster of apprentice mages lowered their voices when he passed.
He looked like someone important.
Not royalty. Not a god. Just a guy who clearly knew what he was doing and didn't need to explain it.
Tall. Clean. Coat on point. The kind of guy who probably had his life together and a decent credit score.
The truth was, Librarian's Charisma was doing exactly what it was supposed to: making people pay attention without making them panic.
Levi didn't notice most of it.
He was too busy trying not to have a breakdown.
The plaza was sensory chaos.
To his left, a stall sold "self-aware meatballs" that wiggled in their container. To his right, someone was yelling at a folding chair that refused to unfold. Up ahead, a guy in a hood was bottling literal starlight and claiming it cured sadness and cavities.
Levi tugged at his collar.
I just walked past a dude selling bottled emotions and a lady arguing with furniture. This is fine. Totally normal.
The air smelled like grilled meat, incense, lavender, and something metallic.
Somewhere behind him, something small exploded. No one reacted.
He kept moving, hands in his pockets, trying to look like he belonged.
Alright. Priority one: find food. Priority two: find a place to sit that doesn't have a curse on it.
He passed a fruit stand offering "lightly haunted apples" and a grill station cooking skewers over a glowing rune. It smelled incredible.
He slowed.
Then remembered he had no idea what the money situation was here.
Without breaking his stride, he opened his system inventory with a thought. A single coin appeared in his palm: white, heavy, stamped with a griffin on one side and some official-looking seal on the other.
Next to it in his mental inventory: nine more just like it.
Velgrin had slipped them into his system before they'd split up. Quiet. No fanfare. Just ten coins and a nod.
Levi rolled the coin between his fingers.
"System. What's this worth?"
Currency Guide:
100 copper = 1 silver
100 silver = 1 gold
1000 gold = 1 royal gold
Average salary: 1 silver/month
Middle class: 5-20 silver/month
Enchanted gear: 5-10 gold
Luxury stuff: 30-150 gold
Small house: 100-200 gold
Royal gold is for nobles, generals, and guild bosses.
Levi stared at the coin.
Ten of them.
Each one worth a thousand gold.
The kind of money people wrote songs about.
Long pause.
Then:
Oh. So I'm loaded. Like, stupid rich. Bezos-level in fantasy terms. Sick.
He pocketed the coin like it was no big deal.
Shoulders back. Chin up. Confidence: activated.
A vendor nearby caught his eye and gave a respectful nod. The kind you give someone who could buy your stall and the three next to it without blinking.
He nodded back.
Cool. Professional. Definitely not internally freaking out.
He scanned the plaza again.
And spotted it.
Tucked behind a stone archway: a shop with two hammer-wielding statues flanking the door. A gold sign hung above, bright even in shadow.
HAMMER OF THE BLACKSMITH GOD
Wares. Wards. Weapons. Wills.
The windows shimmered with protective enchantments. The guards wore black armor with glowing runes and looked like they could bench press a horse.
Perfect.
Levi walked toward the entrance.
The guards didn't stop him.
They stepped aside.
Not out of fear, exactly. More like they'd decided testing him wasn't worth the paperwork.
He appreciated that.
The door opened with a soft click. Cool air rolled out, carrying the smell of wood, metal, and something faintly smoky.
Soft music played from floating crystals near the ceiling. No lyrics. Just strings and slow rhythm.
Inside, the shop was clean and organized. Enchanted items sat on pedestals under glass domes. Rings floated in place. Blades hung in stasis. A few spellbooks sat on a shelf, pages flipping by themselves like they were bored.
Everything looked expensive.
Everything probably was.
A woman walked over from the back counter. Thirties, maybe. Sharp eyes. Violet robes. A few scrolls tucked into her belt. She sized him up in half a second: the coat, the posture, the vibe.
Her expression shifted. Professional but cautious.
"Welcome to the Hammer," she said smoothly. "How can we help you today?"
Levi gave a small nod. "Just looking."
His tone was calm. Neutral. The kind of voice that said "I might buy something, I might not, but either way I'm not in a rush."
She nodded and stepped back, hands folded.
Smart.
Levi moved deeper into the shop.
He passed a shelf labeled Travel Gear: Wards & Useful Junk. Another section had glowing vials. One was shaking slightly and had a label: Dragon's Breath (Actually Contained This Time).
He stopped at a display of rings under crystal cases.
One looked like liquid shadow. Another pulsed with green light. A third had a tag that read Ring of Recall with a note underneath: Do not use while drunk.
He kept his hands behind his back.
Calm. Curious. Pretending he knew exactly what any of this did.
Okay so I'm in a fantasy pawn shop and half this stuff looks like it could either save my life or accidentally summon a demon. No pressure.