Hajin walked along the dusty highway with both hands resting inside his pockets, keeping his eyes on the distant horizon.
The morning sun warmed the back of his neck as the grand walls of the royal capital slowly materialized.
Juna walked three paces behind his left shoulder, maintaining the exact same cautious distance she held for two full days.
She matched his steady stride across the packed dirt, refusing to close the gap while remaining within his defensive perimeter.
'Progress... at least she walks with me now instead of bolting straight into the thick mountain woods.'
The feral wolf girl still tensed whenever loaded merchant wagons rattled past them, clutching the coat around her frame.
Her eyes darted across the rocky hills, scanning every cluster of bushes for potential ambushes by hostile human hunters.
"How do you feel about big cities?" he asked over his shoulder without breaking his stride. "Ever seen towering white walls?"
"Hate them," Juna grunted, scowling beneath the thick collar. "Too many people."
"Fair enough," he replied with an amused chuckle. "Hard to argue with a wild wolf who prefers open mountain peaks over crowded streets."
"Humans stare," she muttered, pulling the wool tighter around her ears. "Always looking at my ears like I'm a monster..."
"Let them stare," he shrugged, his hands buried deep in his pockets. "Bored gate guards rarely bother anyone unless you give them a good reason."
"They have thick clubs," she grumbled, her tail tucked tight under the coat. "They look like hunters."
"Those clubs are for stray dogs, not lunar wolves."
"A human with a club is still an enemy."
"Not when he is half-asleep and dreaming about ale," he countered with a dry chuckle. "Relax your shoulders before you draw attention."
She grunted in reluctant agreement, keeping her gaze locked onto his worn shoes moving steadily before her.
The steady crunch of their footsteps on the dry gravel echoed quietly under the clear morning blue sky.
"We need salt, rope, and a proper pot for our future campsite," he noted, glancing back at her.
"Salt... salt makes meat taste amazing," she admitted quietly, her ears twitching with fond remembrance of roasted fat.
Hajin chuckled softly at her honest reaction, enjoying the steady improvement in their shared dynamic across the long mountain journey.
They passed rolling green farmland where peasant laborers tended wheat fields beneath the watchful eyes of mounted estate overseers.
Hajin observed the distinct crystalline Shards orbiting the wrists of those guards, noting their cloudy and unrefined magical quality.
The countryside flourished under royal protection, yet distant frontier villages remained vulnerable to sudden dimensional monster outbreaks during the harvest.
The royal capital represented the economic heart of the realm, drawing adventurers and mercenaries from across the four grand provinces.
A translucent interface flickered at the edge of his peripheral vision, displaying the latest updates from his Earth audience.
[ Stream ]
[ Status: Active ]
[ Viewers: 12 ]
[ Comments: 53 ]
The viewer count climbed past ten during their morning trek, unlocking a donation feature that remained locked until today.
Curious comments scrolled across the lower frame in pale green font, typed by bored spectators residing on a distant planet.
[ ShadowMage44: the animation quality on this indie stream is genuinely insane ]
[ DarkBlade: did i miss the first few episodes, where does the plot begin ]
[ LurkerNoMore: this is definitely an unreleased fantasy series, check that slick UI ]
[ CringeSlayer91: wolf girl carried the mountain arc, now we finally get a city episode ]
'They believe my entire life is a fictional show... which makes their strange presence far easier to tolerate.'
He navigated through the system settings while walking, discovering a newly unlocked control switch hovering beside the main stream panel.
[ Broadcast Control ]
[ Stream: ON/OFF ]
[ Note: Turning off the stream pauses Soul Energy accumulation. Goddess Fragment Recovery will not progress while broadcast is inactive. ]
He read the warning carefully, then tapped the glowing translucent toggle with his finger to switch the broadcast to OFF.
The floating comment feed froze instantly, and the subtle mental pressure connecting his consciousness to Earth vanished into complete silence.
He walked several paces in serene quiet, relishing the absolute privacy before tapping the interface to turn the broadcast back ON.
The feed resumed at once, as confused viewers flooded the chat box with frantic questions regarding the sudden stream interruption.
[ CringeSlayer91: did the stream just lag or crash for everyone else ]
[ NewViewer_02: thought my internet died for a second there ]
[ ShadowMage44: classic indie server issues, but at least the picture came back ]
'I can cut the connection whenever I choose... nobody watches me sleep unless I permit them to look.'
He dismissed the interface with a satisfied nod, knowing he controlled the flow of information across the vast cosmic void.
The soul energy gauge slowly accumulated minute particles of radiant light with every active minute of public Earth broadcast.
A secondary window displayed locked divine shop items, requiring ancient relics and divine fragments before unlocking higher tier purchases.
Basic healing salves and stamina potions were already visible, priced in stream credits, while the separate Soul Energy gauge accumulated to fuel Goddess Fragment Recovery.
The dirt road widened as it joined the grand northern merchant thoroughfare, where dozens of massive freight wagons formed lines.
Mighty walls loomed ahead, rising fifty feet into the azure sky with reinforced iron bastions lining the battlements.
[ DarkBlade: city arc lets go ]
[ LurkerNoMore: somebody get the wolf girl a hood before the gate guards notice those ears ]
Armored guards in polished steel breastplates stood beside the grand archway, lazily inspecting incoming cargo wagons for taxable luxury goods.
Hajin checked his right wrist, where the Ring would manifest if he channeled mana through his newly forged channels.
'Standard warriors manifest crystalline Shards... displaying a divine Ring will trigger endless dangerous questions from high nobles.'
"Stay close on my left," Hajin instructed in a hushed murmur as they approached the bustling gate. "Keep your hood down... don't look them in the eyes."
"I'm not stupid," Juna hissed back, rolling her eyes as she tucked her chin into the collar. "I know how to blend in."
She muttered under her breath, pulling the hood lower over her dark messy hair and pointed ears.
They merged into the dense line of travelers, walking calmly past the armored guards who monitored the bustling city gate.
One tired sentry glanced briefly at Juna's concealed ears, then waved the next flour wagon through without asking for papers.
[ ShadowMage44: they just walked straight through the gate without a single checkpoint fight scene ]
[ CringeSlayer91: the classic gate guard trope got denied, respect ]
Hajin smiled faintly at the chat commentary, stepping across the threshold into the bustling paved streets of the capital.
The transition from dusty wilderness to paved civilization brought a sensory assault of voices, colors, and exotic regional aromas.
A wall of city noise struck their ears at once, blending shouting merchants, clattering carriage wheels, and laughing street children.
The rich aroma of frying pastries, spiced sausages, and roasted nuts drifted through the crowded marketplace from nearby wooden stalls.
Hajin took five confident steps forward before realizing that his wolf companion stopped dead in the middle of the cobbles.
Juna stood frozen with her head tilted upward, her nose twitching frantically as she inhaled a rich, heavenly scent.
"Bread..." she whispered in wide-eyed awe, her nose twitching frantically as she locked eyes onto a nearby counter.
Her pointed ears perked forward through her messy black hair in pure, unshielded childlike delight.
A nearby artisan bakery displayed warm loaves of fresh honey bread, dusted with sweet powdered sugar and melted butter.
Her eyes shone with pure wonder, setting aside her fierce predator persona in the presence of fresh baked goods.
"Guild first," Hajin laughed softly, catching her sleeve before she bolted toward the display counter. "We need to cash in our monster crystals before we can buy anything."
"Why go to some boring guild when that smells so good...?" Juna protested, pouting as she pointed an eager claw at the crusty loaves. "Look at those stacks of fluffy pastries, Hajin! Just look at them!"
"My pockets are completely empty," he replied with a dry, teasing grin. "Bakers usually don't accept pinecones or enthusiastic compliments as legal tender."
"Then let's trade a monster core right here," she insisted, leaning toward him with pleading eyes. "I will eat an entire basket myself!"
"Nobody takes raw beast cores at a bakery counter, you wild wolf," he chuckled, giving her hood an affectionate tug to keep her moving. "They will call the city guards instead of handing over pastries."
"You promised warm bread the second we finish our business," she grumbled, her shoulders slumping in tragic disappointment. "Don't you dare forget that promise!"
"I never forget a debt to a hungry wolf," he answered with a reassuring grin. "Keep moving and let's find the intake desk."
"It smells like sweet sugar and roasted wheat," she muttered, casting one last lingering glance over her shoulder. "If you trick me, I will bite your hand."
"A fair contract," he laughed, steering her into the main avenue toward the center square. "Keep your sharp teeth ready for whoever tries to cheat our exchange rate."
The bustling city crowd parted around them as they made their way toward the grand guild hall in the center.
A new chapter of danger and opportunity opened before them, beneath the high towers of the grand royal capital city.
Tall stone buildings rose on both sides of the bustling avenue, displaying colorful merchant banners that fluttered in the breeze.
"So many people carrying weapons," Juna whispered under her breath, her eyes darting between passing mercenaries. "Do humans always walk around packed together like sheep?"
"Everyone here lives off dungeon hunting or royal tax coin," Hajin explained quietly, keeping his stride steady beside her. "Keep your hood low and let me handle any questions."
"I am not scared of these weaklings," she huffed, her tail twitching against her traveler coat. "None of them even smell dangerous."
"Confidence is fine, but starting a riot on our first afternoon ruins the schedule," he countered smoothly. "Let's grab our silver first."
Hajin kept a watchful eye on the armed mercenaries passing by, noting the sharp crystalline Shards orbiting their armored wrists.
Most low-rank adventurers displayed only one or two cloudy Shards, indicating modest physical enhancement and basic elemental magic capability.
The great density of armed warriors in the capital confirmed that dangerous monster rifts threatened the surrounding provincial territories daily.
'This city thrives on dungeon commerce... which makes the Adventurer Guild the fastest place to establish our independent reputation.'
Juna followed closely behind his footsteps, her keen senses tracking the strange magical currents flowing beneath the streets.
The lingering warmth of the solar insignia on the center of her chest gave her steady reassurance amid the overwhelming urban commotion.
They navigated through the winding artisan district, drawing closer to the grand granite plaza where the Adventurer Guild stood.
The guild hall rose like a fortified keep above the square, its arched granite facade carved with legendary beast hunts.
Armed sellswords and robed spellcasters congregated around the steps, sharing boastful war stories and nursing clay flagons of dark ale.
Hajin reached down to tap his belt pouch, confirming the two purple two-Shard crystals remained secure against his hip.
'First order of business is turning these cores into silver before any guild clerk asks for an adventurer license.'
Juna wrinkled her nose beneath her hood as they mounted the steps, her ears pivoting beneath the rough cloth.
The breeze spilling through the open double doors carried the pungent stench of stale ale, sweat, pipe weed, and dried monster blood.
Several scarred mercenaries loitering against the fluted pillars straightened up, their predatory eyes tracking the two unranked newcomers.
"Keep your hood down and stay behind my left shoulder," Hajin warned in a low murmur, narrowing his eyes at the loitering sellswords.
"The lowlifes in this hall prey on anyone who smells like fresh country dirt."
"I smell steel and cheap beer," Juna whispered back, her small fangs baring in an instinctive sneer. "Nothing here scares a wolf."
"Good," Hajin murmured with a dangerous smirk, resting his thumb lightly over his notched hilt. "Save that bite for whoever reaches for my purse."
Hajin pulled the deep hood lower over her pointed ears, making certain not a single strand of fur showed.
"Chin down and stay on my heel until we get our silver across the intake counter," he added, adjusting the rough wool of her hood.
Juna gave a stiff nod of agreement, tucking her hands deep within the oversized pockets of her traveler coat.
Hajin planted his hand against the door handle, shoving the iron-banded timber open with practiced ease.
The thick scent of stale ale, pipe tobacco, and sweat-soaked leather washed over them like a solid wall of heat.
They stepped across the threshold together, diving straight into the roar and smoke of the capital's largest mercenary guild.