—-


    Kieran didn’t take long to reach the Teleportation Hall located inside the Hero’s Sanctuary. It was a building of shocking grandeur as the Teleportation Gate held inside was built from resplendent crystals and sturdy white stones with a chalky exterior that would rub onto one’s hands if touched.


    Kieran waltzed through the Teleportation Hall while ncing around in amazement. Although he hade across many such halls in his time inside Zenith Online, none of thempared to what he witnessed currently. If he had to guess its costs, it wouldn’t be surprising if it entered millions, if not tens of millions of gold.


    Eventually, Kieran met with the individual known as the Gatekeeper of Teleportations. As their name implied, they were the gatekeeper of this ce and the sole one at that. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be ideal for a single person to guard such an expansive construct, but this gatekeeper’s conditions were far from ordinary.


    Only a fool would start trouble within their jurisdiction. As Kieran approached, he realized that this particr individual dressed in an embroidered robe that covered their entire face, enveloping it in perpetual darkness, gave off the innate presence that only a powerhouse could muster.


    ‘What level NPC would this individual be?’ Kieran wondered. Amidst his curiosity, Kieran made sure to move his hand forward. A sh of white light flickered under the dark hood. This light caused the previously concealed insignia to be visible.


    “The Bloody Hero? Very well, have you decided upon your destination? As it is your first use, the fee is waived. Anyter visits will need to be paid for by you or footed by your sponsor. Is that understood?” the gatekeeper stated.


    Kieran nodded subtly but couldn’t help but question this gatekeeper’s identity. The tone they used wasn’t that simple. It seemed to carry a pride equal to that of Scar. In that case, could this character be on par with Mythical Heroes, or could they have a background that warranted their confidence?_-.


    Nevertheless, Kieran wasn’t offended by the gatekeeper’s words. They merely exined the fact of the matter in a stoic tone, and Kieran could respect that.


    “The Aeredale Kingdom,” Kieran replied after a brief silence.


    The gatekeeper’s head tilted up slightly, allowing the bright light of the crystals refracting throughout the hall to shine some light on their face. From what Kieran saw, it was a man who appeared no older than him. But, what caught Kieran’s attention was the gatekeeper’s eyes. Despite being wholly white andcking any ocr facilities, they gave off the feeling of being brilliant.


    ‘Not… human. But what race is that?’ Kieran wondered. Even with his knowledge of the races inhabiting Xenith, he couldn’t piece together the gatekeeper’s origins with a single analysis of his facial features.


    Meanwhile, the gatekeeper slowly closed their eyes. This caused their presence to disappearpletely, or rather it merged with the portal behind them. “Aeredale Kingdom. The lesser power owned by the Xesian Empire? Is that the destination you seek?”


    “Correct,” Kieran answered. Emerging from a Beginner Vige, Kieran’s next step was to move to a Kingdom. Although the Aeredale Kingdom was a territory inside the Xesian Empire, Kieran couldn’t exactly waltz in the Empire’s Imperial City. Even the most basic ess required the credentials to enter.


    Still, entering a Kingdom was more than enough to allow a Tier 1 yer to growfortably. The number of quests and opportunities present inside any kingdom was hundreds of times greater than in Beginner Viges. Not to mention, many Beginner Viges were linked to one general Empire depending on the region.


    There were two other empires and many more Kingdoms in Kieran’s case. At the very least, to be a true empire, it needed to annex at least three kingdoms and remain stable in terms of martial and financial stability for at least ten years.


    Once the Empire fulfilled those criteria, it would be recognized as a genuine empire.


    “Very well. The temporal gateway is prepared. Step inside, and you’ll be transported to your destination shortly,” the gatekeeper said while also opening their eyes. They then continued after a short pause, “You may feel some difort due to your lesser constitution; just bear with the sensation.”


    “That won’t be an issue,” Kieran answered while stepping before the Teleportation Gate. He extended his hand and pressed against the portal. It was like cing one’s hand on a jelly-like substance. There was a slight resistance, but Kieran knew this phenomenon was known as Spatial Rebounding.


    After all, Teleportation Gate essentially operated by discing space to a certain extent. At least, that’s how the higher quality one’s worked. Lower quality ones required a beacon on the other side, whereas those like the one Kieran stood before could teleport the individual wherever they desired inside a set destination.


    A faint image of Aeredale’s central city appeared inside the portal. As this image became apparent, Kieran focused his hand on the area right before a highly popted street. It was his destination since it housed all of the crucial infrastructures.


    “Godspeed,” the gatekeeper said before suddenly snapping their fingers. The resistance disappeared, allowing Kieran to sink inside effortlessly.


    …


    Inside Aeredale City…


    A portal opened in the middle of the bustling street from which Kieran walked out. Numerous buildings that seemed influenced by both modern and historical architectural styles greeted Kieran’s vision along with arge fountain that sprouted crystal clear water.


    Some of the walkways were decorated withrge or small statues of what seemed to be important figures. Some were men, and some were women, but every sculpture was beautifully made.


    After a short moment of marveling at the sight, Kieran averted his gaze and looked toward one of thergest buildings present. The exterior was predominantly constructed from sturdy brown wood save from some stone interspersed throughout the structure.


    ‘Ah, the Adventurer Guild,’ Kieran thought. Just as he took a step forward, a message indicator lit up in the corner of Kieran’s gaze. However, it wasn’t from the person he expected.


    〈System: You have received a message from Bastion!〉


    [Bastion: Have you made it to the Aeredale Kingdom yet? We’ve followed your advice and havee here. I didn’t expect so many yers to arrive already. There are rumors that a Lv.20 dungeon has been found already. I’m sure you can guess why I’ve contacted you—are you down to tackle it first?!]


    “People have already collected information on a dungeon? But… only a Lv.20 one? Err, that’s too low. I need too much Experience to focus on a dungeon that’s so close to our level,” Kieran muttered.


    As a result, Kieran sent back a message that declined the invitation. Because of this, Bastion immediately sent a request for a video call. Within a few seconds, Bastion’s rtively handsome face appeared. Because he had no helmet, his light brown locks were on full disy.


    “Come on, what do you mean you don’t want to dungeon dive? We’ve been waiting for you for this exact moment. Instead of dungeoning, we’ve been raising our World Fame. I’m not too far off from reaching a Citizen, but god, am I bored,” Bastion eximed with a devastated expression.


    Although Kieran understood his plight, he shook his head again. “It’s not that I don’t want to go dungeon diving. What I’m saying is that its quality is toocking. As you can see, I’ve already reached Lv.23. There’s no reason for me to run a Lv.20 dungeon. Now, if we happen to find a Lv.25 or higher dungeon, we can talk business.”


    Bastion choked for a moment, then looked at Kieran oddly. “Did you just say Lv.23? How did I miss that?! I thought you said you werepleting your ss promotion; how did you surpass me in level?”


    “Because it was difficult,” Kieran shrugged while avoiding the details. There was no way he’d reveal that he solo’d a Boss and a Rare Variant at that. Although this party had a budding trust, information had an unusual way of spreading like wildfire within Zenith Online.


    “Considering I know nothing about a True Berserker or why its name is so unusual… I’m inclined to believe you. Also, there’s an issue. I’ve heard the rumors. It seems like we won’t have enough people to start the dungeon run. What do you say about that?” Bastion muttered while scratching his head with a clueless look.


    “They require ten people, right? We’ll just have to look for two people at that time,” Kieran answered while shrugging the issue aside as if it didn’t matter.


    Bastion silently counted on his fingers before staring at Kieran with narrowed eyes. “Dude, can you do math or what?! We have nine people; we only need to look for one!”


    “Nope,” Kieran shook his head. “I doubt Aspaira is interested in running more dungeons since she’ll have ess to the Alchemist Circle in this city. Therefore, we’ll have to fill her spot.”


    “Bah, who the hell wants the fiddle with pills and potions? I’ve seen enough of them in my life,” Bastion gru