"What to choose?" Zane thought. "A hunting task requires using one of the three teleportation waivers, but offers more freedom. If used correctly, I can not only make money but also acquire or improve a title. Meanwhile, missions offer guaranteed benefits. Wait, is the benefit guaranteed? What happens if I fail the mission?"
Without hesitation, he asked Elvira about the consequences.
"Low-grade missions can only be taken thrice, and for every failure, the hunter must pay the teleportation fee."
"That's not so bad. What about high-grade missions?"
"You don't need to worry about that for now," Elvira explained.
"Fair point," Zane nodded. "I'll take on the hunting task for the wind tiger." As the only magical creature Zane was familiar with, the wind tiger was the best hunting choice. He knew the creature's spell ability, how long it took to cast, and the fact that his shield had no problem blocking the creature's attack. Additionally, magical creatures seemed to be the most monetarily rewarding of all the hunting tasks.
"Wind tiger is an F+ magical task. According to the rules, you need a team of at least three individuals to hunt it."
Zane frowned," Can't I do it alone?"
"You can, but according to the rules, you must prove your battle prowess through a test. Only after meeting our strict requirements will you be allowed to hunt solo."
"That sounds like a pain, but it's understandable."
"Very well," Elvira nodded before focusing on the screen before her. Her mind couldn't help but wonder: "Is this the confidence of a High Potential Target? It's only been two weeks, and he's already trying to hunt a magical creature alone? I wonder if he's brave or stupid. I guess time will tell."
The fate of this human Earthling was none of her concerns. Although he looks handsome and easy to talk to, that's nothing compared to the man in her tribe. Elvira only wanted to do her job. However, while she was registering him for the mission, the elf suddenly paused, followed by her beautiful face flushing. For a moment, she didn't dare look Zane in the eyes.
"What is it?" Zane asked, noticing something.
Elvira coughed lightly, "It's like this. I just received a notification that all the mage trainees are forbidden to hunt solo or in groups until Monday, August 13th."
"Uh? Why?"
"I'm assuming it's because most of you guys are still weak and ignorant."
"That's true," Zane nodded, not taking offense to her bluntness. "A shame. I've wasted so much time."
"It's all a matter of perspective, right? You've got your card early, and you've learned a lot of information. I wouldn't say it's a waste. Plus, you've met me, haven't you? Life is all about the experiences — both the ordinary and the unique ones. And I'd say, today was a pretty unique experience for you, wasn't it?"
"True," Zane nodded before glancing at her. "I never thought I'd hear these wise words from you."
"What does that mean?" Elvira asked, her voice slightly raised.
"Nothing," Zane replied. He wouldn't say he found it hard reading this woman; one moment, she's a dreamer with great ambitions, the next, she's a carefree person who cares little about rules, and finally, she started displaying the wisdom of someone who has lived for too long.
Without anything to do, Zane did not continue conversing with Elvira. No matter how easy she was to talk to, the beautiful elf was still on the clock and needed to focus on her job as a receptionist. So, he returned to the tavern and found a table near the stairs.
"I wonder what's on the second floor?" Zane thought. He observed to see if anyone would go up, but after a few minutes with no success, he was drawn by the surrounding conversation. Most of the non-Earthling hunters were loudly regaling their legendary deeds, but even a child could tell this was nothing but empty boasting. The good news is that almost everybody was enjoying these ludicrous stories.
Even so, it didn't take Zane long to learn some valuable information. For example, most of these people originated from a dimension called [Alkira], which might be Lord Drakken's homeworld. All the hunters or mercenaries chosen were elites, and they signed up for one reason: access to higher-tier resources. Mages wanted higher meditation runes, Heart Rune Diagrams, and other things. Knights wanted better breathing methods, potions, and training from powerful knights.
"Their existence seems to be to form a symbiosis relationship with the trainees," Zane analyzed. "The trainees will provide them with access to the tower's resources, and in return, these hunters must protect and feed their experiences, ensuring that we Earthlings grow as fast as possible."
Zane had a broader understanding of how the tower operated. Everything is designed to train Earth as quickly as possible. And in the spirit of doing so, the tower has formed countless interconnected systems, using not only the tower's knowledge and resources, but also other dimensions' assistance.
"This system must have taken years to perfect. And now, I'm even more sure that the Dimension Tower is not some powerful force randomly chosen because someone activated Law 9ZP3. They must likely have created an entire business revolving around helping worlds that are on the verge of being invaded," Zane thought.
"Ingrid," a deep voice suddenly yelled.
"Keep it down," replied the barmaid behind the serving counter.
"Oh, sorry."
"What do you want?" Ingrid inquired.
"I wanna ask you. When is the Broadcasting System going up?"
"I don't know. They haven't said anything."
"Don't you have any inside information?"
"If I had, don't you think I would have said something?"
"Oh, right, I forgot you couldn't keep a secret even if your life depended on it."
A cacophony of laughter erupted in the room. "Bastard," Ingrid roared. "Do you want me to force you to pay your tab?"
"I haven't got a coin to my name, so good luck with that."
Zane remained quietly amidst the boisterous laughter, soaking in the environment and absorbing as much information as possible. Sadly, his stay in the hunter guild did not last long. The barmaid, Ingrid, kept glancing at him, and he had a suspicion it was because he never bought anything. No blame could be placed on Zane. Although he technically had 4 grand on him, one of them was still in the shape of meditation resources, and the other 3 grand would need to last until his next income.
The plaza was enormous and full of different kinds of races and people, including Earthlings from all regions — a fact Zane noticed. At first, he thought the plaza contained only North American trainees, but he was proven wrong after hearing a few passing conversations. However, after thinking about it logically, it made no sense for only the North America trainees to be here unless the tower built a plaza for each region, which, logistically speaking, was a waste of resources.
"There are so many places I would love to visit or use their services, but poverty is currently my jailer," Zane thought. After realizing he couldn't do much in the plaza without money, his enthusiasm had ended, so he decided to return to Earth. Finding a corner without too many people, Zane recited the incantation, and a white light enveloped him.
"Home sweet home," Zane thought. As wonderful and magical as everything related to the tower was, there is no better feeling of ease and comfort than Earth, than this small apartment, which is symbolic of Zane's current life situation and his hope for the future. Feeling dehydrated, Zane retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge; his right hand was glued to his phone as he checked it.
First, the landlord notified him that he had received this month's lease payment. Second, Zane checked his account balance — not the one he used daily, but the offshore Swiss account used for his Dark Web activity. As expected, there was a $ 3,000 transfer from the DT Company.
"What to do now?" Zane thought. His original plan was to use half of this money to buy his car from Juan, but that was on the premise that he could use the hunting guild to make money as soon as possible. And now, after thinking it over in a more rational state, Zane realized this plan was not feasible in the first place. Juan and Julio were perfectly aware of his financial situation, so randomly coming up with 2 grand would be highly suspicious.
"I need a way to funnel and clean money gained from the tower into my everyday life," Zane thought. The safest method to solve this issue is to get a job and use it as an excuse, but Zane would never waste his time doing such a thing. So, after thinking about it for a moment, he created a plan.
"I can't take you out to lunch, I'm busy," Alisha immediately said as soon as she answered the phone.
"Rude."
"I'm just telling you in advance not to try to mooch off me."
"I'm not calling for that," Zane rolled his eyes.
"Then, what do you want? If you're calling for the phone bill, there are still three days before it's due."
"Can you let me talk?"
"Oh."
"I need your help to build a legitimate online software business."
"Are you starting your own company?" Alisha asked. "Where did you get the funding?"
Zane sighed softly, "The Lion Pride found me."
"Did they hurt you? Are you alright? Do I need to call the ambulance?"
"I'm fine, but they want me to continue working for them."
"But you've already paid your due."
"You know you can't escape these people," Zane sighed. The moment he had that tattoo branded on his skin, he had a feeling this would be the case. That's why he hid himself and pretended he lived in Massachusetts, but these bastards still found him.
"Anyway, I need to clean the money I make from them."
"…I understand. Give me a week, and I'll have everything running. I may need your help to make the site look as real as possible."
"No problem," Zane nodded, feeling reassured with Alisha's capability. With this company, Zane can easily launder the money he earns from the Dark Web and the Dimension Tower, making his life easier.
"Will I see you tomorrow at Ma's place?" Alisha asked.
"Yes." The two chatted for a few more seconds before hanging up.
"The income coming from the tower is currently a grey area, so even if the Department of Treasury detects my action, it's not a big deal since there are no laws in that area," Zane calculated. If not for how scary it was dealing with the IRS, Zane even planned not to pay taxes on the income he made from the tower. However, even if he has to pay taxes, this online company will bring him immense benefits.
"I can even reveal my identity if it means hiding the fact that my income also originates from the Dark Web." With a good enough lawyer, Zane will most likely not go to jail, since there are currently no laws governing the incomes of extraordinary beings, but the Dark Web is another matter. With the correct paperwork, Zane and Alisha can make the two look indistinguishable. The only downside to this plan is the fact that he has to lie to his sister, but once he's powerful enough. Zane doesn't mind telling her the truth.
Blind! Blind!
Zane frowned; his thoughts were disrupted. Calming himself down, he glanced at his phone's screen to see who the caller was.