With the blowing wind, Octo was landed on the first floor, where the population thrived the most out of all the circles.
anwhile, on the other side, Nimuk landed on the ground of the third floor, where the number of luxury shops reduced significantly, while those with more strength in their arms grew in number. This was also the circle where most people ca to relax.
. . . . . . . .
"The teleportation circle? I think I’ve heard of that place before, but I don’t know much about it," was the answer Henry got from one of the shopkeepers he asked on the street.
"What the hell? Haven’t they lived their whole lives here? So how do they not know sothing like the teleportation circle—the literal place that brings travelers here?" With that complaint, Henry walked away.
"Isn’t there anyone in this place who knows about this stuff?" Once back in the street, he looked around again, only to see a sight he didn’t expect—it was a newspaper hut.
"Well, if there’s anyone who should know, it’s gotta be that guy," he said with hope as he made his way toward the newspaper hut shopkeeper.
The place was kind of busy when he arrived, and he had to wait for a while until all those buying newspapers finished and left.
"Hey, you—the suspicious guy!"
Before Henry could even speak, the newspaper hut shopkeeper called out to him.
"Yes, you! What’s the deal with you? I noticed you the mont you arrived here. Are you so kind of thief aiming for my stuff? I warn you, boy—these things don’t belong to , they belong to the United Rurd Guild Society, and if you know what’s good for you, I don’t think I need to tell you how bad things could get," said the man.
"Actually, I don’t," said Henry, stepping closer to the paper hut and facing the man.
"And that’s why I’m here—to get to know about sothing," he added.
"Huh, really?" Although the shopkeeper responded, both his words and expression were still full of doubt. So Henry reached into his pouch, took out a crystal, and tossed it to the man.
"I’m not a liar. All I want to know about is where the teleportation circle is, and if possible, how can I take a ride from it."
The man caught the crystal in midair and inspected it. Only after confirming it was real did he put it into his pocket.
"Teleportation circle? It’s actually up there," said the man, pointing his finger at the sky—or more realistically, the upper floor.
"On the surface world. But taking a ride from it isn’t as easy as most people think. It requires a large sum of money—and more importantly, you have to be quick."
"Quick? Why is that important?" asked Henry.
"Well, this world only has one teleportation circle. Just one. So there’s a massive number of people needing to use it. You have to book a slot first if you want to take a ride," the old man explained.
"So what happens if I want to book it now?" Henry asked.
"We do have the ability to book a teleportation ride remotely, but the cost would be a bit higher since we need the extra money to cover our own efforts. Do you have money?" the man asked as he took out a large book.
Henry looked at the crystal pouch Marian had given him. Except for the one he had tossed to the man and another he had spent to buy so candy he saw on the road, he still had the rest—but he guessed it wouldn’t be enough.
"How long would it take for to use the teleportation circle?" he asked.
"Well, if you book it today, then... about three months," the man replied.
"You’re kidding !" Henry took a step back in disbelief.
"I can’t stay that long here... I gotta tell Auran about this." Turning around, Henry walked away in silence.
The seller thought nothing of it.
"Guess the wait ti was too much for him," was the only and last thought he had.
. . . . . .
On the third circle, Octo was walking while gazing around.
"In my previous world, I had quite a bit of money despite the governnt taxing most of it. Although I eventually got caught trying to rob the wrong target, I still managed to gather an amount that could only be possessed by a rich man. If I put in so effort here, I think I could reach that level even faster than before—maybe even surpass it—considering this place seems to have low taxes."
It wasn’t a pointless thought. He had already done his research by asking a few people about the financial state of the area.
"But the problem is, there doesn’t seem to be any gangs or thugs here. It’s surprising, considering how rich this place is. But on the other hand... what a jackpot. Just imagining what it would be like to be the only thug in a place like this is enough to make feel filthy rich."
With those greedy thoughts racing through his mind and testing the limit of his own patience, he quickly found a solitary shop built slightly away from the other stores. The surroundings were not as luxurious as the rest of the city, making it the most fitting first target for Octo.
"Okay, low custor traffic, no guards, and just an old man running the shop—this should be quick and easy."
Clink!
Opening the door, Octo calmly entered the shop. It was actually an attic-style shop with nurous items on the shelves: old staffs, hats, even so back-alley mineral crystals and exotic plants scattered around the room.
"Ohh, a custor! How may I serve you today? Looking for sothing to buy, I hope?" asked the old man cheerfully.
But what greeted him was the rude behavior of Octo, who imdiately grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
"Listen here, you old fool. I’m the new protector of this area, and I already drove away a few thugs who were eyeing this place. So don’t you think I deserve so kind of reward for protecting it?" said Octo rudely and fiercely as he reached into the old man’s pocket and took out his wallet, emptying it.
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