As he left the arena and thanked Jacob for his learning, Marlon wondered what to do until the tournament arrived. His instinct was to go hunting for other players, but he didn't listen to that voice which, although tempting, would lead him into endless trouble. It took more effort than he thought to silence it, but he managed to do it anyway, pushing it to the back of his mind and muzzling it as best he could.

Luna followed him obediently and avoided without difficulty the legs of the various pedestrians crossing his path.

He could not slaughter people for no reason in a city like Delia. He would undoubtedly be arrested and probably executed afterward, as the guards were almost omnipresent in the streets. And he had to find a way to identify the players for sure.

"Don't forget that you have to earn a living. Life in a big city costs money, and although you've met Jacob, he's not the village leader Selia was."

Life was indeed much easier in the small villages where a few services rendered could be enough to provide you with food and shelter. But he had to manage to survive, and earn enough to live on. Life was also more expensive in a big city like Delia, although earning money didn't seem as complicated as in Akranio.

His priority was to find a job. While he decided to head for the North Quarter of Delia, the residential area, he paid close attention to the criers so as not to miss any potential clues.

There were ads posted on posts, similar to the one he had found when he arrived in this world, but they were handling, cleaning, transportation jobs. Only unsuitable and uninteresting things for Marlon, to which he would resort only if he had no other choice.

The streets were as crowded as ever, and Marlon stopped himself from staring at the Nessos he saw on the street, more intrigued than ever by this particular species. He also passed other particular convoys such as the one with the gigantic bull seen a few weeks before.

Chained demon-beasts with weakening seals passed him by, escorted by contingents of soldiers or reptilian Nessos, the latter of whom seemed to specialize in escorting giant beasts. Nearly all of them were heading for the arena, and his heart raced at the thought of fighting these gigantic, overpowered monsters.

The hawkers were walking up and down the various alleys of the city, touting their various miracle products, and Marlon couldn't help but have the image of a charlatan in his mind when he saw them all smiling and offering solutions to various problems of love, poverty or even health.

"haha, you're so poor, maybe they'd offer you one of those poverty cures, right?"

Loki scoffed gently, but the need for money was real, and the young adventurer didn't want to sleep on the street on an empty stomach, nor did he want to risk his freedom, or even his head, by stealing.

He watched as what appeared to be a magician passed by him, floating in the air with what appeared to be a transparent wind bubble conjured by him. This was a first, and he was jostled by other passersby as he stopped in front of the unlikely sight he had just seen.

The mage seemed to be heading for the Wizard's Tower, and Marlon thought he should go there at least once, but that would have to wait until he had recovered financially.

As he resumed his walk toward the North Quarter, an announcement caught his attention and he moved closer to the crier's podium to hear better.

"Adventurer Niclos is still looking for a Silver rank warrior in at least two fighting categories for the expedition to the Silver Mountains! Hurry, the convoy will leave tomorrow, and the mission will last about two months! The pay is a minimum of fifty silver Amecareth, the loot will be duly divided between the different members. The Adventurers Guild is taking registrations until tonight! Last reminder!"

The crier's message included two interesting pieces of information.

First, Niklos, the one Loki was afraid of, would not be around for two months! Almost until the tournament! That was a relatively long time that would give Marlon time to improve and especially to not turn around every time he heard his name.

Second, the Adventurers' Guild. He asked Loki if he knew anything about it, but the AI had never heard of it before. So Marlon decided to check it out, and he stopped a man carrying what appeared to be a walking potion stall.

He could clearly read the labels indicating 'life potion' or 'fire resistance potion' on the various colored vials on the cart.

The man seemed to be in a hurry, but Marlon's respectful tone convinced him to respond to this young man who seemed to have just arrived in Delia and looked lost.

"The Adventurers' Guild? Everyone knows it here! You continue north, when you pass the Wizards' Tower, it's a few dozen meters further, before the residential area! You can't miss it, it's a yellow building like the sun! Come on, I'm in a hurry, me!"

The man resumed his mad dash, shouting to anyone who would listen about the benefits of his potions. They seemed to be taken much more seriously than the elixirs sold by the other quacks, for various people stopped him to buy his wares before he disappeared from Marlon's field of vision.

He continued in the direction he had indicated and he swooned over the gigantic tower of the Magi, visible from anywhere in the city. Like a gigantic needle on which a sphere would be placed reflecting every ray of sunlight that reached it, it stood in the center of the city and dominated everything. The needle itself was gray in color but a multicolored aura seemed to shine around its structure, creating an illusion very similar to the rainbows he had seen on Earth in his previous life.

After forty-five long minutes, and after having avoided several carioles driving without any respect for pedestrians, Marlon arrived in front of the entrance of this impressive building. The entrance was a golden door on which many runes seemed to be forged. The young Rune Apprentice recognized the structure of the shapes imprinted in the door, but could not tell what they meant. He had not yet acquired the knowledge necessary to decipher what appeared to be an advanced level of runic writing.

This door was also heavily guarded. A string of guards in heavy armor seemed to circle the entire needle, and their armor glowed with an aura that Marlon could not identify, surely due to the use of magic. All were armed with halberds over two meters long and also carried a longsword at their side similar in size to the one the swordsman possessed.

He would return here soon, now confident that he would find useful information about his class. He also remembered the crier at the entrance to Delia talking about a master Runist. But his priority was still money.

He continued on his way and understood why the merchant who had helped him seemed to think that no one could miss the Adventurers' Guild.

It seemed as if a prankster had passed in front of this huge U-shaped building and painted it with an almost fluorescent yellow paint, so aggressive was it to the eyes of the uninformed passer-by. The many windows of the building all seemed to have iron bars, surely to prevent intrusion, and they were of a slightly darker color.

The roof was made of ochre tiles that clashed with the rest of the building but enhanced the aesthetics of the building somewhat, which was spoiled by the yellow paint. But all tastes were in nature after all.

"On that, I'm with you, kid. It's ugly! Even on Earth, few people have dared to build this kind of horror."

He stopped wasting time on the disturbing visual of the building and headed for the entrance, which was in the center of the U-shaped structure and was preceded by rock stairs, also painted yellow.

No guards here, but a fairly large influx of people of all profiles. Warriors were wearing imposing armor, others looking like mages, wearing colorful robes and lost in their thoughts. Some of these people wore dark clothes, hoods pulled down over their faces, and Marlon couldn't help but think of thieves, a class most familiar from his old RPG fantasy games.

Once inside the building, he was surprised by the much more studious and functional side, contrasting with the outside. Numerous counters were present and received the various visitors one by one, all of them seemingly held by young women with similar looks.

All of them wore a gray and black suit, a mid-length haircut, and even their features had a strong resemblance. They almost looked like sisters.

"-My hand in saying that magic is still at work!"

He took a number, handed out by one of the guild employees, and waited only a few seconds before another one called his number.

Some had what looked like laminated cards and didn't wait like he did, going directly in front of people who were waiting, with priority.

It reminded him far too much of certain agencies on Earth to feel comfortable, but he made an effort anyway and walked up to the woman waiting for him, a charming smile on her face. A major difference from his old world, already.

"Hello, what can the Guild do for you today?"

"I...I just arrived in town, and I would like to find a quest to earn some money."

"Have you passed your identification yet?"

Marlon shook his head in denial and the hostess then pulled out a kind of opaque black ball the size of a human head. A multicolored glow could be seen in the center of this sphere.

"Please place both hands on the identification crystal. Don't worry, your information is automatically classified and only the Guild has access to it," she added as she saw the young man hesitate.

"It's up to you. But I have a feeling you're going to have to go through this if you want to access the quests."

The Runist then put down both hands and waited a few seconds. The eyes of his interlocutor became vague and she had an exclamation of surprise after about ten seconds.

"You're going to have to follow me, sir. I don't have the qualifications to handle your skills."

She was already leaving her counter and walking briskly toward a staircase at the end of the hall where all the reception desks were located. Seeing that he was not the only adventurer to go up to the upper floor, he did not worry too much.

Once they reached the upper floor, she led him into a very wide corridor where several closed doors followed one another. They continued to the end of this corridor and she stood to the side, inviting him through a golden door where no distinctive signs were visible.

He opened the door and was surprised to find himself facing yet another female look-alike. This one, however, seemed slightly different. Her gaze was more acerbic, more severe, and she was smoking what seemed to be the equivalent of a cigarette in this world.

"Sit down, boy."

Marlon did as requested, but couldn't help but ask:

"How do you all look so much alike?"

The eyes of his interlocutor widened slightly and she smiled at him. But of a smile of a predator, which made pass a shiver along the column of Marlon.

"Smart, huh? We don't look alike, we're the same person. At least, they are a copy of me, and they transmit information to me in real-time. I'm a pretty unique person, you see, kind of like you! My class is called the Multiplier. I can generate as many bodies as I want, they are me, and we all communicate together seamlessly. While this has its advantages, it comes at a price! Not everything in this world is perfect! But you on the other hand..."

She had risen and was circling the young man like a wolf circling prey before pouncing on it.

"Runists are extremely rare, even here in Delia. We only have one, and he travels around the continent to expand his knowledge. He's here for a few months, but he'll be leaving soon. Your class is one of the ones with the most potential...especially this variant that I've never seen in my life, and I'm starting to see quite a few, believe me..."

She took a puff on her cigarette and spit the smoke in the direction of Marlon, who coughed under the odorous assault.

"An Incarnator, a Necromancer and now a Runist...we live in interesting times, that's for sure! You've done well to drop by here, boy. Your information will be kept secret, and we'll provide you with quests appropriate to your level in exchange for hard cash. I strongly advise you not to tell anyone else about your class, though. Here, take this guild card, it will allow you to find work in any city that has one of our counters."

The woman handed him a playing-card-sized card, all gold, with runic markings on it. Marlon took it in his hand and felt a slight shock as a red shadow passed through the card.

"She is now bound to you. No one will be able to steal it from you or pretend to be you. Keep it safe, and if anything happens, go to one of our branches to have it replaced. We are present in every major city on Gaia, on almost every continent. But it will take time, so be careful."

"Why did you bring me here if it's only for that?" asked Marlon then, suspicious.

"Haha, this card is not given to all our members, only to the most...exotic classes. The others have something more classic. And I love to meet future prodigies myself and give them a slight boost. Let's just say that in the future, I'm the one who could use the help, if you see where I'm going with this?"

The young man now understood much better and felt relieved. A self-serving relationship was far less suspicious than a natural act of kindness, especially by someone who seemed to run a powerful and well-developed guild on the entire continent.

"Go down to the first floor, on the west wall of the building you will find the Quest board. Take one according to your estimated level. Don't overestimate yourself. Even with a class like yours, you are still a novice, and many monsters could crush you with a wave of their hand if they wanted to. Go on, off you go, now, and come back and see me sometime!"

As he walked back down the hall, Marlon thought about everything that this woman whose name he didn't even know had said.

"The incarnator is probably Niklos. As for the Necromancer, no idea...but I'm sure she's a player too. Three rare classes can't appear at the same time. Anyway, they've all been here, that's for sure, and you can be sure that they all got a card similar to yours. This woman looks like a businesswoman, she thinks of her interests. It's good for us, she shouldn't sell you out."

The mere fact that he could be sold worried the young man, but he did not dwell on these thoughts, which were not constructive.

He had arrived at the western wall of the building and was now facing a gigantic black slate where numerous quests were written.

The information was quite accurate and seemed to be updated in real-time through a magical process. He saw some ads disappear while others were written on the gigantic slate by themselves.

"Up, on your left, look! We know what Niklos went looking for now."

The young man glanced at the spot Loki had indicated and felt a chill run through him.

Quest: Hunt the wyvern terrorizing the western regions of the Silver Mountains.

Minimum fifty people in the silver row

Reward: Bloody Armor Set, 150 Golden Amecareth, Wyvern's Work.

In progress, estimated duration: two months

Team Leader: Niklos

"Niklos is indeed an Incarnator?"

"Yes..."

"We'll really have to avoid running into him when he gets home then. I really don't want to fight a guy who can turn into a wyvern."

"I can confirm. That would be a really, really bad idea. Let's look for a quest worthy of you now."

Marlon looked at the various ads for a moment, but many of them were either uninteresting or were of a higher rank than his.

He finally found something that seemed to fit his profile and paid a little more attention. As if the ad sensed his will, it disappeared and reappeared before his eyes, delivering its information.

Quest: Clean the Catacombs of Delia

You must kill at least ten mutant rat-men in the catacombs of the city.

Minimum rank: Bronze, one person

Reward: Twenty silver Amecareth, Common Jewel

Duration: One week maximum

Marlon wanted to take this quest, full of advantages. First of all, it was at his level, then it did not require the creation of a group like most of the other quests. Then it didn't require moving away from the city, allowing to earn money quickly.

He didn't know how to accept a quest, but as he glanced around, he saw other adventurers taking chalk from pots on wooden shelves and writing their names across the quests they were interested in.

He hurried to do the same and wrote his name as an adventurer on the slate. Immediately the content changed and a line was added:

Team Leader: Revenge Drelor

DING

The message from the interface system told him that he had accepted the famous quest and he closed the notification without paying any more attention.

Finally, he had found a way to restore his wealth! He headed for the exit, but not without asking one of the multiple clones how to get into the catacombs.

It turned out that many entrances were scattered around the city, and were guarded by soldiers who would only let him pass after seeing his adventurer's card.

The nearest one was not far from the Adventurers' Guild building, so Marlon headed in its direction. And indeed, after only five minutes of walking, he arrived at a square in the middle of which stood an impressive white stone fountain. A canine Nessos was depicted holding the hand of a human, both of them seeming to look up to the sky while a demon-beast lying on the ground seemed to be resting quietly.

It was the monument that the hostess had told him to look for to make sure he was in the right place. He turned his back to the statue and saw immediately what he was looking for. Two soldiers in heavy armor protecting a massive rock door that seemed to be sealed. He walked towards them and greeted them, taking out his adventurer's card.

"Hello, I'm here from the Guild to clean the catacombs."

The soldiers nodded and one of them muttered incomprehensible words as he looked at the sealed door. Suddenly, it began to glow with silver light and opened softly with an unpleasant creak that made the young adventurer grit his teeth.

"When you want to go out again, pull down the lever on the inside wall. It will activate the mechanism to open the door."

Marlon nodded and thanked the man for the information as he entered the dark tunnel leading to the catacombs. Luna followed him quietly.

Torches lit up as he stepped onto the first step down to his destination... A strong stale smell reached him, mixed with other less pleasant scents like carrion and sewage.

The ceiling was quite low, but he didn't need to stoop, descending the steps carefully as he brought his sword to bear. The only sound he heard was that of water running and scratching that seemed to come from inside the walls. Nothing that frightened him too much, his instincts not warning him of immediate danger.

He reached the first set of stairs, and before going any further he checked his resources.

His sword and armor were in good condition, and he still had two nearly complete scrolls of the Fire Stalker spell. He had used up all his blood vials and scrolls and could not afford to buy any more at the moment. So he was eager to battle the rat-men so he could get some material for his runes.

He went down the last flight of stairs and the scenery immediately became much more gloomy. Water was flowing and carrying with it an intense smell of feces and urine, surely the city's sewage passing through the catacombs.

The walls were made of what looked like reddish bricks, but what was most shocking were the hundreds, if not thousands of skulls embedded in the walls and ceilings. All of them seemed to stare at him, and an uneasy impression was created by this morbid decor.

Platforms made of gray rock sank into the depths of the catacombs, the darkness preventing Marlon from seeing very far.

Indeed, the magic torches were only lit as he advanced, for about fifty meters. Further on, it was darkness. For the moment he could not see a living soul, and he took a deep breath of the stinking air before rushing forward, his eyes determined and his hand clenched on his blade.

"Come on, let's go on a rat hunt! Hahaha!"