WebNovels

Chapter 36 - The Rules of the World

A heavy silence filled the large house. Not a single word was exchanged between Catty and Rian, even after the agreement they had made, the one Rian had accepted to no longer be so cold.

This silence wasn't born from any lingering coldness or regret from Rian's time in the forest. This was a silence born of pure, unadulterated awkwardness. Rian was mortified by the memory of Catty's kiss, and Catty was only just now processing the fact that she had deliberately kissed him as a reward.

"Me?... I kissed Rian?... On purpose?... Kyaaaa!!" The memory hit her, and she screamed internally. Her face flushed a deep red, her heart a chaotic mix of embarrassment, joy, and utter bewilderment.

"A kiss?... I was kissed by a beautiful woman… a woman as beautiful as Catty?" Rian mumbled to himself, first in disbelief, then in frustration. "Damn it, why do I want another one?" He was annoyed that he had been too stunned to say anything, especially when all he could think about was wanting her to do it again.

They sat in the same room, both deliberately looking in opposite directions, unable to bear the mortification of Catty's bold action and Rian's silent, wanting response.

The sound of the front door opening shattered the tense quiet. Fredd had returned, his arms laden with an enormous amount of supplies for their new life in the city.

In perfect sync, Rian and Catty both thought, "Finally, he's back." They were immensely relieved, hoping Fredd's presence would break the suffocatingly awkward atmosphere between them.

"You bought so much, Fredd!" Catty said, rushing over to help him with the bags.

"Yes," Fredd said, his voice sincere. "I bought all of this to make your stay here easier. Please, consider it my apology for everything I've done, for all the trouble I caused the people of the lion-kin's village."

"Fredd," Rian began, walking over and bowing his head slightly. "I'm sorry for my threats and the words I said in the forest. They may have made you uncomfortable."

"There's no need to apologize," Fredd replied, waving it off. "That's a normal thing in this world. Any person on the verge of losing someone they love would do the same."

Fredd went to the kitchen and prepared some tea he had bought, along with a few sweet pastries, and served them to Rian and Catty.

"Please, enjoy," he said, placing the tray on the table. "These are local delicacies. I'm sure you'll like them."

"Thank you, Fredd," Catty and Rian said, each taking a pastry.

They bit into the sweet cakes, made from a simple flour dough. The taste was pleasant, though not nearly as rich or refined as the desserts from Rian's modern world.

"It's like a donut," Rian thought, chewing thoughtfully. "But the texture is less soft, and it's a bit bland, with just a hint of sweetness. Still, it's a thousand times better than eating unseasoned mushrooms in the forest."

"Rian, try taking a bite of the cake and then a sip of the sweet tea. It's really delicious," Catty suggested.

Rian tried it. "The sweet tea enhances the flavor of the bland cake, making it more complex. And the slightly bitter aftertaste of the tea leaves makes it feel unique," he mused, genuinely enjoying the simple treat.

"How are you feeling now, Rian?" Fredd asked, noticing that the cold, hard expression Rian had worn in the forest was finally gone.

"Much better," Rian admitted, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling. "I was just a bit traumatized by what happened. I don't want to lose the only person I care about ever again."

"Yes, I understand," Fredd said with a nod. "So, do you have a plan for what you'll do here in the city?"

"I don't have a specific plan, really," Rian confessed. "I was just curious about what life was like outside the forest. I want to develop my abilities and pursue my dream of becoming a hero."

"A hero, eh?" Fredd mused. "That's a difficult title to earn. You'll only be recognized as a hero if you make a truly massive contribution to the kingdom."

"I saw you have a bright green necklace, which means you're Epic tier. Is that right?" Rian asked, curious about the ranking system of this world.

"Yes, that's correct," Fredd confirmed. "You can only achieve the Epic tier after you've reached the required promotion level. I'm currently level 68. The minimum requirement for Epic is level 65."

Fredd then proceeded to explain the tier and promotion requirements in more detail.

Warrior:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 10. (Beginner)

Elite:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 20. (Trooper)

Master:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 30. (Veteran)

Grandmaster:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 50. (Commander)

Epic:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 65. (Champion / Regional Hero)

Legend:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 80. (National Hero)

Mythic:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 99. (Peak of ordinary humans)

Mythical Honor:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 100. (International Hero)

Mythical Glory:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 150. (Only one person is known to have reached this, called the World Leader.)

Mythical Immortal:

Minimum promotion requirement: Level 200. (Demi-God. To date, no one is known to have reached this level.)

"What level are you, Rian?" Fredd asked.

"I don't know," Rian admitted. "I've never really thought about it. How do I check my level?"

"Prick your thumb, smear the blood on the back of your arm, and say 'Level Stats'," Fredd explained, demonstrating the process himself.

A small hologram materialized above the back of his arm.

Level: 68

Tier: Epic

Class: Fighter

Unique Skill: Wrath (Increases attack speed)

Rian stared in amazement. Fredd's status was real, undeniable. Intrigued, he and Catty followed his example.

Rian pricked his thumb with the same needle Fredd had used. A small holographic display, identical to Fredd's, appeared.

Level: 81

Tier: -

Class: -

Unique Skill: Unlimited Storage

Catty did the same.

Level: 34

Tier: -

Class: -

Unique Skill: Dark Shadow

Fredd gasped, his eyes wide with shock as he saw Rian's true level, so far above his own. He quickly dismissed his own status window. Rian, noticing that his and Catty's Tier and Class fields were blank, turned to Fredd.

"Why don't Catty and I have a Tier or a Class?" he asked.

"You'll get those after you register at the Guild in Kuningan," Fredd answered, then muttered under his breath, "His unique skill is useless, but his fighting ability is on par with a national hero. This is insane!"

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