A man and a beast were gauging each other on a sandy beach.

“Futon, I choose you!”

A flash of light came out from Viers’ left chest, from a white badge that was pinned on his clothes.

“Fuu!”

A super-duper fluffy cloud elemental came out wearing his game-face, but it only made him look more adorable.

The enormous Rank 2 hermit crab monster the size of a tiger took it as a sign of battle and used his pincers to crush Futon.

Futon dodged in the air and blew a stream of water from his mouth. His eyes were closed and his cheeks rounded.

It was not very effective.

“Faiya, Dia, I choose you!”

The red badge and green badge also emitted light and Viers’ other two familiars came as summoned.

“Yaa!”

“Woohoo! I’m out! Enemy?”

Faiya’s size didn't change but Dia’s did. She was now a Tinkerbell-sized humanoid with a colorful leafy dress. A vibrant red flower beautified her hair.

Why a Pokémon battle must be one-on-one baffles me.

“You three, trash that crustacean!” Viers commanded.

A trinity of fire, water, and grass-type attacks pummeled the shelled monster.

The badges were a spatial item for familiars. Oscar had something similar but Viers couldn't use something that might implicate him so he sold it and bought three others for his familiars.

His familiars were strong enough to defeat Rank 2 monsters on their own. Futon and Faiya grew from Level 0 to Level 2 very quickly but Viers suspected their growth would slow down once they hit level 3, which was Viers’ own Level when creating them.

“Fuu! Fuu!”

“Yaa! Yaa!”

Futon and Faiya snuggled Viers to inform him of their victory. It was as expected because the elementals were already stronger than the average Pathseeker. Dia was the same. What they lacked was battle experience.

“Hohoho, you won, you won. Bravo, children. How was it inside the badge?”

“Not bad, I slept most of the time but I prefer to stay with you, kin,” Mini-Dia climbed his clothes and sat on his shoulder.

If Viers had to say anything, she resembled Bellossom a little bit.

The cloud and fire siblings bobbed their bodies. Viers recognized a nod when he saw one.

“I feel the same. But it is necessary when we go into a place with a lot of people. You three are so gorgeous bad people might be jealous. So when the time comes, be patient and wait inside, okay?”

“Kay~” Dia answered.

“Good kids. Shall we?”

Viers stored the monster carcass into his inventory as the three familiars answered positively, like kindergarteners.

“We’re finally here at last,” Clarissa commented.

“Almost there, Paina,” Farley nodded to her friend.

“Yes… Valkut city…” Paina’s emotions were complex as she watched the V-Stream.

Gwen was there too but she was unavailable. Viers couldn't afford to split his Victa too much. Since she was unlikely to contribute much to this journey, Farley’s sister was in hibernation. Farley and the person herself bore no ill will and showed understanding of Viers’ circumstances.

There was an angry roar. Viers saw a bigger, stronger version of the monster he just defeated coming his way.

Is it his momma?

“Let’s run! Ahahaha!”

A man, three souls, and three unique lifeforms went deeper inland.

***

A few hours of walking the wilderness, Viers reached a road, a sign of civilization. He estimated his position on the map he’d prepared before making the trip and continued walking. The lack of people on the road allowed his familiars to gawk at the outside world by half hiding inside his green cloak. The three took up seats in the unused hood part behind Viers’ head.

Their three little heads peeking out were the stuff of cuteness legend.

Not long after that, Viers saw some kind of border checkpoint that made him frown. Because of the terrain, this was the only border when getting in and out of Valkut land around this area. Going around the mountain range itself would take weeks.

On the map, past here should be Valkut city’s territory. Hmph. These cities are more like kingdoms and their borders rather than cities. Should I try flying? …Let’s see how it goes first. I can always sneak in later.

Viers put his familiars into the badges and approached the border checkpoint. He sensed multiple Level 3s and even a few Level 4s guarding the walls. The gate was open so Viers walked in after the guards did not reply to his hail.

After the gate, Viers walked straight about twenty meters. During that time, the border guards paid no attention to him. A few glances but that was it. No inspection or anything similar. Which was good news for Viers, as he didn't come here as Avel and possessed no identification.

There was a written warning though.

[Those who pass this point, cannot freely leave.]

Just below the warning, there was a date. The time for when people were allowed to exit the border.

“Excuse me, what is this?” Viers called the nearest border guard.

“Exactly as it says. If you go in, you can only come out on that date. The border will be open for a whole day. If you miss it, you’re stuck inside until next year,” the man said.

“Why?” Viers asked.

“It’s the law. If you have complaints, send them to the Governor. You are free to go in, or turn back.”

From the writing, the day the border would be open for exit was a week from now.

Viers smelled something that stunk to high heaven.

But should I turn back after coming all this far?

The tenants inside his head voiced their concern but there was simply too little info to go on.

“Since when has this law been in effect?”

“Five years or so? I forgot,” the guard left Viers alone. He seemed utterly devoid of interest to the visitor.

Viers didn't try to find out Valkut’s situation from Izabella because he didn't want her to know where he was going. He tried other channels but found very little. News of a faraway place was hard to get during this age. He did hear rumors about an unusual border policy but he didn't know the details until now.

…Nothing to it.

Viers took a deep breath and stepped forward. He walked further and further until he came out of the border walls.

There was a feeling of passing through a veil. Viers instinctively tried to step back but his back hit something solid.

As per the warning, Viers could not return. He touched the invisible wall and examined it but found nothing, gleaned nothing.

Viers took out a coin from his pouch and flipped it to the way he came from. It went through just fine.

Interesting. How about my familiars? Farley and Paina?

But Viers didn't want to show their form to the border guards and resolved to test it someplace else.

At any rate, Viers had entered the Valkut territory. After passing the border, he saw a lot of people. Pathseekers and Idlers alike, living in tents and whatnot. The scene was similar to war refugees he saw in the movies.

Looks like these people are waiting for the exit to open.

Since he was seeing Level 4s amongst those people, he knew breaking the rules of getting out would not be easy. People definitely congregated at other borders too, waiting for the designated time.

Viers cut through the encampments. At least these people had enough sense to not erect their tents in the middle of the road.

“Another one joining the fray, huh?”

A Level 2 middle-aged Pathseeker with a messy appearance said condescendingly when Viers walked nearby, getting his attention.

“Welcome, to a land of opportunity. People come here seeking the slumbering riches of the Coriz Empire like fleas to a corpse.”

“Is that so,” Viers replied.

“Good luck with that,” the man took a swig from a bottle. Judging by its smell, alcohol.

“Waiting for the border to open? What about the mountain range? There’s no way through there?” Viers asked.

“Level 5 Red Zone. Monsters attack on sight,” the man hiccuped. “Also, dragons live there. ‘Sides, you still can't go through there. The barrier encompasses the entirety of Valkut's territory.”

“I see,” Viers turned to the mountain range. The peaks were covered by mists.

“Won't have to worry about the dragons. There are plenty of nasty monsters below the mountains too. Some wear the skin of humans. Damned bandits and murderers… Look kid, if you’re smart. Wait one week and leave this land. It's not worth going further into this godforsaken land.”

“Thanks for the warning, but I need to find something here.”

“Kheeh,” the man spat. “Don't say nobody warned you.”

“For your warning.”

Viers tossed him a potion. He could see the man suffered an internal injury. In fact, many of the people here suffered injuries. A man was missing an arm, a kid was missing an eye, and other similar cases. People that couldn't stand Valkut’s situation. Civilians and Pathseekers alike.

The potion wouldn't heal him but it would help. It was a small matter to Viers but a great deal for the man.

The man examined the potion for a few seconds then his eyes went wide when realizing its effects. By then Viers’s figure was already blocked by other people. The man tried to seek him but Viers was nowhere to be found.

“Ohhh… Thank you, kid.”

The man hurriedly walked to his tent, fearing someone would steal the potion.

***

For cultivators, there were fortunate encounters.

Naturally, there were unfortunate encounters.

It was forty minutes after he left the border encampment. Viers was just walking normally on the road. On this side of the border, he passed by some people on the way.

He’d just passed by an Idler family of five using a cart pulled by two donkeys. The boy who looked like four years old was watching Viers with his big round eyes. Viers suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.

“You lot, run!”

Viers moved with full speed to the side, hiding behind a big rock. Before the mortals could process Viers’ warning, the visitors came.

Two people were flying in the sky, two Level 4s. Behind them, a green wyvern was chasing them.

One of the Level 4 shot massive icicles at the wyvern but the wyvern just flew straight through. Viers could not see it too clearly because of the speed. Either its scales were too tough or some kind of wind force. Whichever the case, the icicles broke into tiny little pieces and spread all over the place.

Some fell to the ground.

The flyers were already gone at this point. The action was something inconsequential to the shooter or the one shot at.

But the family of five died like an afterthought. Their bodies were struck by hundreds of ice splinters. The donkeys were not spared, the cart and all their belongings fell all over the place.

Viers had no time for sympathy. He had managed to evade the main area of impact but a splinter of ice pierced the rock bigger than a human’s body and hit Viers in the stomach. In a crisis, he activated his Level 3 ability, Unreality Field.

Viers' instinct of activating the Unreality Field was the reason the ice’s energy didn’t kill him in an instant.

“Guarghhh!!?” Viers buckled from a tiny piece of ice smaller than a fingernail.

“Viers!”

“Lord Viers!”

“Fuu!”

His associates showed their worry.

Viers summoned Farley and sent a telepathy instruction before he passed out.

“Kin! Kin!” Dia had tears in her eyes.

“Yaa! Yaaaa…” Faiya was panicking.

“Calm down,” Farley said. “Lord Viers needs healing. We need to get him to a safe place first!”

A ghost and three small familiars carried Viers deeper to the side, away from the site of carnage. After a hundred meters, Farley, with Viers’ permission, pulled out an item from Viers’ Thousand Treasures Casket.

It was a picture of a room.

Farley plastered the picture on a hidden place, spoke the password, and they went into the picture. From the outside, the picture became transparent; its camouflage array was activated.

When Viers opened his eyes again, two days had passed.