Raven Shore was a beautiful city located at the edge of the Blue Sea. It was famous for its bustling trade routes. Along the shore, one could spot a dockyard filled with ships, some refilling goods, others simply waiting. A few ship repair shops stood nearby, ready for emergencies.
Since the city was situated near the coast, small fishing boats were a common sight. Fishermen would catch fish and sell them to merchants, making it one of the city’s largest sources of revenue.
The ports were alive with activity. People haggled over goods, examined wares, and traded for rare spices brought from distant lands. Of course soldiers also patrolled the areas making sure no conflict arises and in case the troublemakers might be held captive.
Just six to seven hundred meters from Raven Shore, groups of people could be seen collecting dried salt from the beach. This natural resource was a major draw for merchants from all over the region.
At the center of the city stood a grand castle, surrounded by sturdy stone walls. Within its perimeter were farms, a blacksmith, stables, and a small pond filled with fresh water. To address the city’s water needs, four wells had been dug, ensuring a steady supply.
Inside one of the castle’s chambers, Duke Augustine Frostmoon sat on a grand chair, his expression cold and unreadable. The aura he radiated was suffocating, several people in the room found it hard to breathe.
He scanned the room with piercing eyes and spoke in a chilling tone:
"I don’t care what you have to do. Use every connection you have to find my daughter, Maria. If anything happens to her..."
He didn’t finish the sentence.
Instead, he released a surge of aura, subtle, yet overwhelming. The pressure made everyone in the room visibly pale.
The people gathered were from various departments, military, intelligence, logistics. Normally, it was nearly impossible to meet Lord Duke Augustine in person. But today, after hearing the news of Miss Maria’s disappearance, they had been summoned, and the fear in their hearts was real.
Rumors had long circulated that Duke Augustine was an Earth Grade Knight. Judging by the oppressive energy in the room, those rumors might very well be true.
He waved his hand, and the people inside the room bowed deeply before hurrying out, as if escaping with their lives.
Just then, a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties entered. She wore a flowing red dress adorned with gold and fine jewelry. Her voice was low, almost trembling:
"Augustine... did you get any news of my daughter?"
Duke Augustine looked at his wife and spoke with calm reassurance,
"Gracia, you don’t have to worry. I’ve already given orders to my people to search for Maria."
Gracia nodded, but the worry in her eyes was unmistakable. The same concern lingered in Augustine’s heart. Maria was their only daughter, precious beyond measure. Losing her was not an option.
On the other hand, Aaron was pulling an arrow from the corpse of a bandit, muttering to himself,
"With this, I’ve gathered enough experience to reach Level 3. Finally, I’ll get to feel the changes in my body brought by leveling up."
Without further hesitation, he opened the map and tapped on the blue dot. Then he brought up his stats and allocated all his experience points toward leveling up.
His level shifted from 2 to 3.
At that moment, a warm energy surged through his body, nourishing every fiber of his being. It lasted only a few seconds, but it was deeply comforting. His fatigue faded, and he felt completely refreshed.
He immediately checked his stats again, curious to see what had changed.
Aaron Warwick (Lv. 3) (0/300 EXP)
STR: 3+1- 4 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelFɪre.net
- Lion Breathing Mastery (Lv.2) (101/200)
- Basic Sword Mastery (lv.2) (3/200)
- Basic Archer Mastery (lv.2) (8/200)
Aaron checked his updated stats and discovered that leveling up didn’t grant him free stat points to distribute, instead, it directly increased his attributes. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution had each gone up by one point. However, Intelligence remained at zero.
He didn’t understand why, but assumed he might uncover the reason in the future.
For now, he felt great. His body was stronger, and his mind was at ease, he had found a reliable way to grow.
Maria glanced at Aaron, who was standing still and spacing out.
She couldn’t help but call out,
Snapping back to reality, Aaron looked at her and said,
"Miss Maria, let’s go. Hopefully, they were the last of them."
Before Maria could respond, Aaron had already mounted the horse and begun riding ahead.
Seeing this, she quickly followed behind.
Aaron carefully led Maria, and soon they reached Tulip Town. Even before arriving, vibrant fields of tulips stretched across the landscape, painting the horizon with color.
At the town’s entrance, Aaron saw a large stone wall guarding the perimeter. Taking a closer look, he noticed soldiers patrolling along the top. The gate was wide enough for two carriages to pass through side by side. It was heavily guarded, and the soldiers were responsible for recording names and collecting 2 copper coins per person.
Each visitor was handed a permit, and the guard explained in a firm tone:
"This permit is valid for three days. You must renew it if you wish to stay longer. If you’re caught without a permit, or with an expired one, you will be fined 20 copper coins. If you fail to pay, you will be taken captive and sold as a slave."
Aaron paid eight copper coins and smoothly entered the town. As he rode through the bustling crowd, he turned to Maria and asked,
"Miss Maria, do you want to find an inn to rest here, or shall we continue our journey?"
Maria hesitated. Her current appearance was dusty and worn, but that worked in her favor, it helped conceal her identity from anyone who might be searching for her.
"Let’s just find a place to eat. Then we can continue our journey."
Aaron nodded without saying much.
Soon, they found a food stall. Just like in the previous world, people here earned their living by selling simple meals to travelers and townsfolk alike.