Rubes was a big city located in the middle of Eria. It had a Gold Wizard Tower, a Red Wizard Tower, and the headquarters of the Mercenary Guild as well. Rubes was crowded with many warriors of the Murim and Wizards due to the Forest of Blindness on the border – also known as Crohn.
But there were more than just Murim and Wizards who lived in this world. They were far less noticeable in comparison, but No-Class’ were also summoned to Eria. The children of the people who originally lived in Eria, and those who were summoned to Eria in the past. It wasn’t just the Murim and Wizards, everyone living in Eria dreamt of living in Rubes.
Rubes was the city of dreams. Many people dreamt of setting up a base in Rubes, and those who actually managed to do so led a rich life comparable to the middle class in other cities, even if they were classed as the lower class of this city.
The C-grade mercenaries were busy living on a day to day basis. Even A-Grade or higher mercenaries still weren’t qualified to be commissioned in Rubes. Rubes was the largest and most famous city, but Lee Sungmin had only ever heard of its name and had never been there.
“Lee Sungmin? Hmm… S-Grade mercenary.”
He had not accepted any requests since leaving Behenger, but that didn’t mean that the Mercenary Guild was useless.
Rubes was strict about public security as it was a big city. There was a long queue to enter the city, and if someone didn’t have the appropriate documentation, then he wouldn’t be able to access the city.
“What about you?”
He waited patiently in line for a long time, and Lee Sungmin, who showed his mercenary card, was able to pass through the gate without too much trouble. Rubia wasn’t held up in the inspection because she was hiding herself in Lee Sungmin’s arms.
“I am The Crazy Heavenly Demon, Byuk Wonpae.”
Then it was The Crazy Heavenly Demon’s turn. He took his identification card from his sleeves and showed it to the guard. The guard checked his identification card and nodded his head.
“I’ll tell you this just in case. Don’t even think about causing an incident here. I don’t care if your cause is justified or not. Just remember, this is a city protected by those of the Murim, Non-Human Alliance, and Wizard guilds.”
“Do you see me as an idiot?”
The Crazy Heavenly Demon grumbled. As a metropolis, Rubes was woven tightly with the power of many different organisations. No matter how powerful or skilled The Crazy Heavenly Demon was, he wouldn’t be able to make any trouble in Rubes.
“Please come in.”
The Crazy Heavenly Demon grumbled to himself as he passed through the entrance without any problems.
“Murim, Non-Human Alliance. Huh! If I so much as lifted my hand…”
“Please don’t give us trouble.”
Lee Seongmin exhaled as he heard the Crazy Heavenly Demon grumbling. The Crazy Heavenly Demon shut his mouth in the twinkling of an eye.
The promised day of reunion with Wijihoyeon was the next day. Though they hurried along to reach Rubes, they only arrived with a narrow margin to spare. During his journey from Travia to Rubes along the northern tip of the continent, Lee Sungmin had been sparring with the Crazy Heavenly Demon almost every day. Although they controlled their power to the extent that it wouldn’t give them trouble travelling, the Crazy Heavenly Demon finally came to the point where he acknowledged the level of Lee Sungmin’s martial arts.
“Rest assured, I don’t plan to get into trouble.”
“Pretend we don’t know each other if you do.”
“Don’t go overboard! Did you forget that I taught you the Blood Ring technique?”
“I listened to all the requests you made to me back then and sparred against you plenty of times. I think I’ve already repaid the favour you did me by teaching me how to use the Blood Gale Nova.”
“Eugh!”
The Crazy Heavenly Demon answered Lee Sungmin with a moaning sound. As he said, Lee Sungmin had received a lot of help from The Crazy Heavenly Demon during the journey. He was able to get familiar with the current level of his martial arts, and make a lot of progress in mastering the Blood Gale Nova.
What was certain was that he was yet to enter Transcendence. At the same time, Lee Sungmin was convinced that his Transcendence would end in him entering the spirit world. Still, he was weaker than the level necessary for the spirit world, and there was a great difference between himself and the others who entered the spirit world before him
Lee Sungmin was not the only one who gained something. Consistently sparring with a warrior walking a similar path had also helped the development of The Crazy Heavenly Demon. In other words, they had benefited from each other.
“It’s been a long time since I last saw Rubes.”
Rubia got out of his arms. She stretched out like a crouching cat and put her hand on her waist.
“Have you ever been to Rubes?”
“You know, this is the headquarters of the Wizard Guild, and there are Gold and Red towers.”
Gold tower. A memory came back to Lee Sungmin unbidden. Lee Sungmin had formed a relationship with Lloyd, the owner of the gold tower in Preskan’s Dungeon. Lloyd had told Lee Sungmin, who saved his life, that he would do him a favour if he came back one day.
‘I don’t really want to call in a favour right now.’
When Lloyd first said that, he put it off until later because he had nothing to request from Lloyd at that time. Lee Sungmin glanced down at his left wrist. The bracelet that Scarlett had given him when they parted ways at the Shaolin Temple hung loosely on his arm.
Scarlett said she would let him know through the bracelet if she needed help one day.
But the bracelet had never reacted, even over the many years that had passed. Lee Sungmin was reassured by that fact. Lee Sungmin had received a lot of help from Scarlett, and the fact that the bracelet had not responded was proof that there was nothing wrong with Scarlett’s personal affairs.
“My cold-hearted master had not contacted me in more than a year, but he may have left a message in the Gold Tower.”
Although their journey was still continuing, Rubia was very excited. Lee Sungmin opened his eyes wide after hearing the excited Rubia’s voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Lloyd, the Tower Master of the Gold Tower, is my master’s disciple.”
“What?”
Lee Sungmin looked surprised. Rubia opened her arms wide, feeling proud of Lee Sungmin’s surprise.
“My master is a great man. Though he isn’t that famous, few of the famous wizards don’t know my master!”
Rubia’s words decided what they would do today. Lee Sungmin could afford to meet with Wijihoyeon tomorrow, but he had no plans for today. So he decided to stop by the Gold and Red Towers.
As a large city, Rubes had many convenient facilities that were not found in other cities. Trains stations and trains that ran on railways facilitated the rapid movement of urban residents. Lee Sungmin followed Rubia, who was leading the way, to the train station near the entrance of the city.
“The train…”
He couldn’t help but admire. Lee Sungmin, who had lived in Seoul, knew about railways such as trains and subways, but had never encountered it in Eria. He has heard rumors in the past that there was a railroad in Rubes, but it was the first time that he’d seen it with his own eyes.
“It’s the pride of Rubes, created by the collaboration of Wizards and Technicians. Not all No-Class’ do, but some No-Class’ have skills that Wizards and those of the Murim’s lack. And if the dexterity of the dwarves and magic unite with those skills… Ta-da!”
Rubia explained in an excited voice. She looked elated as she pointed at the train that was stationary on the tracks.
“It’s faster than a wagon, and you can sit still and enjoy the scenery out of the window!”
“Why are you so proud?”
The Crazy Heavenly Demon looked a little bewildered. Rubia raised her hand at the remark and grabbed her nose.
“Can you please not talk to me? You smell like a country hick!”
“What?”
“Hurry up and come. I have to buy us a ticket!”
Rubia headed for the turnstile, hopping around without having any intention of dealing with the confused Crazy Heavenly Demon. Lee Sungmin glanced at the train with emotion and headed for the turnstile behind Rubia. The world was harsh on No-Class’, but not on all No-Class’.
There were many No-Class’ that were treated according to the quality and quantity of knowledge they possessed.
However, there were only a few No-Class’ with such talent. Lee Sungmin knew about railways, but he didn’t know enough to be able to build them. Most would be similar. Those with No Class and no knowledge would have no choice but to live in misery in this world, just like Lee Sungmin in his previous life.
The central square of Rubes, the Gold Tower, and the Red Tower weren’t too far away. Lee Sungmin bought a ticket to the Gold Tower first.
“Why isn’t this convenient ride available in other cities?”
The Crazy Heavenly Demon murmured on the train. He seemed very uncomfortable riding on a train made of metal, but he headed to his seat and insisted on sitting by the window.
“Because it’s hard to manage.”
Rubia, who gave up her seat by the window as if she were being generous, boasted.
“Rubes is the most secure and quiet city in all of Eria’s cities, with many different forces looking after the city. There are also a lot more rich people, and the amount of taxes they collect is huge compared to other cities. Railways are convenient, but they aren’t easy to set up in every city.”
Lee Sungmin felt the same way as her. In Korea, where Lee Sungmin lived, there weren’t subway trains in every city. It takes time, money, and technology to build a railway, so not all cities would have them.
“Oh… It’s moving…”
The train began to move. The Crazy Heavenly Demon grasped the armrest of the chair tightly and looked out the window. Lee Sungmin also stared blankly out the window. It was a little bumpy at first, but as the train began to pick up speed in earnest, he could only feel a slight vibration.
“Short-distance teleports still have a lot of dangers. Teleporting other people as a group has too many variables and is risky, even if the wizard teleports himself too. Teleport magic is being researched by various wizards, but it will take at least a few decades to be commercialized.”
Rubia swallowed a smile at the sight of the Crazy Heavenly Demon, who was overwhelmed by the passing scenery outside the window.
“A village bumpkin!”
“I can’t believe this vehicle is made of metal.”
“Thanks to magic! Isn’t it cool? Even the weak can travel a long distance quickly if they use the train. What makes this convenience possible is magic and technology, not martial arts.”
“But… I run faster.”
“Please don’t say anything stupid.”
“If I were to make up my mind, I could beat this hunk of metal into pieces.”
“What are you talking about?”
Rubia and the Crazy Heavenly Demon bickering was a common sight. During the journey together, the Crazy Heavenly Demon and Rubia became very close, and a casual observer would likely mistake them to be grandfather and granddaughter.
[The world has changed a lot.]
It wasn’t only the Crazy Heavenly Demon that was surprised. The Armour that was in the carriage also exclaimed.
[ 400 years before, when I lived, there was no such thing.]
‘Time passes. Of course, it’s different.’
[So far, it hadn’t quite hit me. 400 years. Four hundred years was a long time. How much would the South have changed?]
Heoju’s mutterings felt a little lonely. Time for Heoju, who was sealed in the Sleeping Forest, had stopped 400 years ago. Although it is said that the south of Eria was teeming with monsters, the south that Heoju knew of was the south of 400 years ago.
The train stopped at the Gold Tower station. The Crazy Heavenly Demon seemed to want to ride the train more, so Lee Sungmin told him not to cause any accidents and left The Crazy Heavenly Demon on the train alone.
The same was true of the train station near the city entrance, but there were many beggars at the Gold Tower station. They had the audacity to sit at the corner of the station. They looked at Lee Sungmin, who ignored their gaze. Crohn had an area for the Murim to gather. No wonder there were so many beggars in Rubes, near Crohn.
“Hurry up!”
Rubia nagged at Lee Sungmin. Lee Sungmin ignored the beggar’s gaze and escaped from the station. The train station and the Gold Tower were close to each other. Unlike what its name suggested, the Gold Tower did not shine like gold. It looked like a tall tower.
It wasn’t long till another tower of similar height came into view.
“It’s a Red Tower.”
“Let’s stop by the Red Tower after meeting Lloyd.”
“Why?”
“I have someone to say hello to.”
Lee Sungmin opened the door of the tower and entered after speaking.
He said he had come to visit Lloyd, but the wizard on the first floor of the tower shook his head. The reason was that he didn’t make an appointment with Lloyd, the owner of the tower. Lee Sungmin tried to explain, but Rubia stepped in before he could continue speaking.
“I can’t tell you exactly who we are, but we’re important guests. If you refuse to let us meet him, you will be disrespectful to Lloyd. Are you alright with that?”
“No matter how much…”
“That means you’ll take responsibility for it, right? Okay, I’ll be back. Too bad you’re still young…. Tsk tsk!”
Rubia mumbled, looking up and down at the wizard. The wizard’s face whitened. He hesitated for a moment and nodded his head, sighing deeply.
“Okay… What should I tell him then?”
“Connect the crystal ball to Lloyd. I’ll talk to him.”
The wizard brought the crystal ball and handed it to Rubia. The crystal ball changed color after a brief moment. Rubia stared at the crystal ball. Lee Sungmin couldn’t see Lloyd’s figure from this side, but Lloyd was looking at Rubia’s face on the other end of the crystal ball. The crystal ball was slowly dyed gold.
“We’ve got permission.”
Rubia smiled and returned the crystal ball. The wizard saw Rubia’s smile and nodded his head.
“Then please, this way.”
Lee Sungmin and Rubia entered the door the wizard led them to. Rubia closed the door and skillfully manipulated the device by the door. Then the platform slowly began to rise up.
“It’s an elevator.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m from another world.”
The floating platform continued to rise. Before long, it stopped, and Rubia opened the door.
“This way.”
Lee Sungmin followed Rubia into the corridor. At the end of the corridor was a gold door with splendid ornamentation. The door opened before Rubia was able to raise her hand and knock.
“What an unexpected guest!”
Lloyd’s voice echoed out from inside the open door.