He leaned forward slightly, adjusting the folder on his lap and reading the profile again.
Vale Rae.
Leader of Titan Edge, one of the four largest guilds in the city. He was a level 50 Champion-rank awakener.
Isaac scanned the attached image.
Vale had long white hair that fell past his shoulders, tied loosely at the back, and striking blue eyes that seemed almost unnaturally clear.
At first glance, he looked relaxed, almost lazy.
But if you looked closer at his photo you would see the sharp, cold edge hiding behind those calm eyes. Something that didn’t quite match the laid-back posture.
"It’s really him."
Champion-rank awakeners were the de facto strongest in the public eye.
Above them stood only the four Overlords—figures so far removed from daily life that they were practically myths.
Each Overlord protected one of humanity’s four cities, but they rarely appeared in public.
Most were either meditating and staying in city to protect it, or hunting monsters deep in uncharted wilderness to collect materials for their advancement.
It meant people like Vale were the strongest awakened humans one could reasonably hope to meet.
And Vale was much stronger than a ’human’ Level 50 Champion.
Isaac remembered a report he’d read shortly after learning about demihumans.
Vale Rae was also a demihuman.
No one knew his exact species, or what rank his bloodline was.
There were many rumors that he wasn’t much weaker than the Overlords themselves. That if he wanted to, he could challenge their status and possibly succeed.
Isaac stared at the profile for a few more seconds before closing the folder.
He didn’t get it.
’Why would someone like Vale come to my shop?’
’If he wanted something, he could’ve come to the shop in the stronghold.’
’And Titan Edge already helped me advertise my first shop. It’s not like he needs to form a connection with me.’
Isaac found this situation peculiar.
Unlike his sister—who was an idol and star celebrity—Vale rarely appeared in front of crowds. Most people only knew him from official portraits or battle reports.
His sudden appearance made no sense.
The car kept moving, and the surroundings gradually changed.
The architecture was more modern here, and the foot traffic had doubled in the last few blocks.
Massive signboards flashed products and gear. Potion stores, treasure merchants, martial arts guides for warriors, class advancement firms. Everything was catered to awakeners.
Isaac watched the streets through the tinted glass.
Dozens of awakeners walked past, each one carrying a weapon. Some had swords strapped to their backs, others carried staves or gauntlets.
"Isn’t it illegal to carry weapons inside city limits?" he asked, glancing at Marien.
"In Sector 4, no," she replied, keeping her eyes on the road. "The law’s different here. Every awakener is allowed to carry their weapon as long as it’s sealed with a security lock. The local administration allows it."
"That seems risky."
Marien smirked. "Depends on how you look at it. Sector 4 has the highest concentration of high-rank awakeners in the entire city. Most people know better than to start trouble here."
They kept driving, though the pace slowed.
There were no other vehicles on the road. The footpaths were packed, but the lanes themselves were empty except for their car and two military vehicles up ahead.
"No one else is using cars?" Isaac asked.
"They’re not allowed to," Marien said. "Only authorized vehicles can move around Sector 4 during business hours. Too many awakeners using cars would clog the roads. Only special permits get you in."
Isaac gave a low hum of understanding and looked out again.
The shops were enormous, some of them spanning multiple floors.
Transparent glass walls showed off floating display cases filled with glowing items, crystal weapons, enchanted armor, and other strange materials that looked like they came from monsters Isaac had never seen.
It was hard to believe all of this was still part of the same fortified city.
He saw more than just awakeners too. Delivery bots, guild-run scout drones, private security guards, and occasional merchant staff escorting armored carts filled with inventory. The entire sector felt like its own ecosystem.
The technological advancement of this world was on the level of Isaac’s previous world, but thanks to some people awakening Talents like Technomancer, and researchers scavenging technologies of the Lost Civilization, it was not rare of some high-end areas to have ’sci-fi’ look.
Isaac finally asked, "Is it normal to have so many awakeners here? I thought most awakeners were always exploring the wilderness, and barely rested in city."
Only the strongest of the awakeners were allowed to go into wilderness alone. As for the other ones, they needed to be in a Guild.
Marien didn’t turn around but tapped the edge of her steering wheel. "Most explorers came back to the city about two weeks ago."
He frowned. "Did they come back because of the new Fortified City?"
"That’s half the reason," she said. "The other half is trouble in the Mourning Frost Mountains. It’s where most high-level explorers work these days.
"A new wave of monsters appeared there, and it forced all the small, mid-sized guilds and solo awakeners to come back. Right now, only two Overlords and the top guilds from their Cities are still active in Mourning Frost Mountains."
Isaac nodded.
The car finally turned down a narrower side lane lined with more manageable shops. It wasn’t as flashy here, but there was a sense of calmess and class that wasn’t present in the previous areas.
Awakeners walking by had high end gears, a few guards were stationed at intersections, and drones patrolled the rooftops.
They came to a stop in front of a two-story store with a sleek black front and silver plating across the windows. The name of the shop—Family—was written in soft green words above the door.
Isaac looked at it for a moment.
This was his second shop, and given the area, it would bring a lot of opportunities, and a lot of trouble.
Marien cut the engine and stepped out. Isaac followed.
A few passing awakeners glanced their way, but most continued walking. Marien walked ahead, checking the sidewalk display and nodding at one of the staff members standing guard by the door.
"Selene’s waiting for you inside," she said. "She’s handling the last bit of setup before the guests arrive."