secret dice.

Chapter 784 Meeting an acquaintance

Just as the captain said those words, another mission notification popped up in front of Luo Jun.

"Proceed to the town hall to register."

“Alright, lead the way.” Being new to the city, Luo Jun decided to follow the mission prompts and landed on the ground with several griffin riders, then walked into the city.

Walking through it, Harbor Harbor was even more breathtaking than it appeared from afar. Whether due to magic or the unique rules of the game world itself, the architecture here was not only magnificent but also adorned with ornate patterns and decorations. The statues and reliefs were incredibly intricate, many featuring top-heavy, openwork structures. Huge sculptures were connected to the main building by only a slender link; Luo Jun felt a strong wind could easily break them…

In the main world, even if there were enough technology to build it, no city would construct such a thing. Leaving aside the question of structural sturdiness, cleaning alone would be a major challenge. It might be shiny and clean when it's first built, but after a few days, dust would settle on it, and those nooks and crannies would be impossible to wipe clean...

But in this [game] world, there seems to be no need to worry about such issues at all. Unlike that simple and unrefined mountain village, this bustling city truly has the feel of a fantasy city.

The town center is located next to the central square, directly opposite the cathedral.

Luo Jun followed the Knight Captain inside and, under the guidance of the staff, completed the registration of his identity information.

While the formalities were being processed, Luo Jun asked the knight captain, "Excuse me, what do you mean by the Lost Land? From what you've said, it seems I'm not the only one who came from there?"

The knight captain replied, "Long ago, the territory of the Oran Empire was much larger than it is now. But hundreds of years ago, the Great Cataclysm caused the Tower of Babel to rise from the ground, splitting the entire continent into pieces. Although the core area of ​​the empire was preserved, many border fortresses and mountain villages were separated and cut off from the empire's central government. These places are known as the Lost Lands."

"Because of the passage of time, it is impossible to know exactly how many lost lands there are in the world. However, in recent years, some residents of lost lands have returned to the Empire through ancient teleportation arrays. These people have no identity in the Empire and need to be re-registered and verified."

There's such a backstory? It seems like this is a patch to help players get into the world's lore.

Luo Jun stroked his chin: "So, who was the last inhabitant of the Lost Lands to arrive at Harbor Port? Where are they now?"

"The last one was just two days ago," the knight captain said. "She was a woman with considerable magical power who had joined the Mercenary Association and was temporarily assigned to the Rose Mercenary Group."

"The Mercenary Association?" Luo Jun asked. "Is it the kind of mercenary group that takes on and performs missions?"

“That’s right, you probably don’t have any Oran Empire currency on you,” the knight captain reminded him. “If you want to earn some living expenses, you can register with the Mercenary Association. There aren’t many mages who can fly, so there should be many teams willing to take someone like you.”

"Is that woman you mentioned still in the city?" Luo Jun asked. "There were other people who left our hometown before me; perhaps she was someone I knew."

The last character Luo Jun entered the game before was the Ice Queen, which also fits the knight's description of powerful magic.

If we can find a senior, we should be able to get more information.

“If you want to find her, you can ask at the Mercenary Association…” the knight captain said. “However, with your current level, registering directly would be a very low starting point. I advise you to go to the training ground to improve your level first.”

"Training ground?" This question had been bothering Luo Jun for days. He had completed many tasks in the newbie village and gained experience points each time, but his level had not increased. He thought he had encountered some kind of bug. Now it seemed that there were other conditions for increasing the level.

“That’s right. Once you’ve accumulated enough experience, you can go to the training grounds to get your level certification,” the knight captain explained. “Only with level certification will the blessings of the gods strengthen your body and make you even stronger!”

Upgrading requires going to the training ground? What an outdated concept...

Just then, the formalities were completed, and the Knight Captain finished his guiding duties and left to continue his shift.

"That's it? They just processed my identity paperwork, some nobody, and then left me alone?" Luo Jun walked out of the town hall. This really is a [game] world; it's so childish...

Surrounding the central square are some of the city's most important buildings: the town hall, the church, the training grounds, and the mercenary guild. Luo Jun wasn't particularly interested in training and leveling up; his attributes were already off the charts, so further upgrades seemed pointless.

With that in mind, he decided to go to the mercenary guild first to inquire about the whereabouts of the others.

Would you like to register as a mercenary?

The beautiful receptionist smiled and asked Luo Jun.

"I'd like to inquire about something," Luo Jun said. "Has any powerful woman from the Lost Lands recently registered as a mercenary? I'd like to know where she is."

"Are you referring to Miss Mu, who just joined the Rose Mercenary Group?"

"Miss Mu?" Luo Jun blinked curiously; the information didn't mention anyone with the surname Mu.

"She's currently leveling up in the training grounds; you should be able to find her there."

In the end, he still had to go to the training ground... Luo Jun thanked them, left the mercenary guild, and entered the training ground next door.

The training ground offers two services: training and level assessment. Training directly increases experience points, although it's far less efficient than completing quests or fighting monsters, but it's safer; you can think of it as exchanging money and time for experience.

As for level assessment, it involves calculating your current experience points to assign you a level. This usually costs money, and the higher and more numerous the level increases, the more expensive it becomes.

The training area is divided into public areas and private rooms. The former is similar to a gym, with a wide range of exercise equipment in a spacious area where everyone can train freely and pay by the hour.

Private rooms are much more expensive, offering not only privacy but also better equipment and even providing training programs that closely resemble real combat, making it much more efficient for gaining experience.

"Do you need training or a level assessment?" the beautiful receptionist asked with a smile, her business smile exactly the same as the one of the mercenary guilds next door.

“I’m here to find someone…” Luo Jun tried to explain, “She should be training here.”

"If you're looking for someone, I recommend checking out the public training area, but you'll need to pay one silver coin per hour and a deposit of twenty silver coins."

"I just need to find someone, can't you at least let them know?"

"Sorry, we don't offer that service. If you want to enter the training area, you'll have to pay a fee." Luo Jun was tempted to smash up this shabby training ground, but then he thought it wasn't worth getting angry with an NPC. The problem was, he really didn't have any money. When he left, the villagers gave him clothes, a sword, and even a basket of potatoes, radishes, and cured meat, but he hadn't given them any money…

Just as Luo Jun was worrying, the training area door opened, and a young woman wearing light leather armor, carrying a bow and arrow, and wiping her sweat with a towel walked out.

"Hey? Luo Jun?!" The woman recognized her at a glance, and Luo Jun's eyes widened when he saw her: "Mu Lanshi? So you're the Miss Mu they were talking about? What are you doing here?"

"That's a long story..." Mu Lanshi sighed, looking up at Luo Jun: "You're still at level one? Just arrived? Why are you so slow? I thought you went to another city..."

"What other cities..." Luo Jun was completely confused: "There's more than one spawn point?"

"We'll talk about that later. You haven't redeemed the experience from the newbie quests yet, have you? Hurry up and check your level."

“But I don’t have any money…” Luo Jun scratched his head. Mu Lanshi smiled and said, “It’s okay. Didn’t you just come here after finishing the newbie quests? The newbie quests will only get you to level three or four at most. The training ground appraisal for levels below five is free.”

"That's alright." Luo Jun found a receptionist, selected the level assessment, and was quickly led to a magnificent statue. She placed her hand on the huge crystal on the statue's base, and soon felt streams of energy entering her body...

Is it an enhancement during upgrades?
Having undergone multiple attribute enhancements and even broken through the tenth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm, Luo Jun was intimately familiar with the sensations of physical enhancement. However, this time was different from before. He could feel that the power was an enhancement to him, but it hadn't truly merged with his body. It was more like primordial energy wandering within his meridians, providing some kind of assistance to his physical body…

Of course, this little bit of help was almost negligible for him.

"Congratulations on reaching level 5. You still have experience points remaining. To continue leveling up, you will need to pay a fee. Would you like to level up now?"

Luo Jun was slightly taken aback. He brought up the attribute interface, glanced at his still full experience bar, and walked out.

"Sister Mu, could you lend me some money?" Luo Jun asked Mu Lanshi after they came out.

"You've reached level five or higher?" Mu Lanshi asked in surprise. "I was only level three when I first arrived here. What exactly did you experience in the newbie village?"

"We took a few detours..." Luo Jun laughed, "and fought a few more monsters..."

“No wonder you only arrived at Harbor Port today. But it’s good to upgrade faster.” Mulanshi shook her head and turned to the staff, saying, “Upgrade him to the maximum level. I’ll cover the cost.”

"Yes, ma'am, I admire your generosity!"

Shortly after, Luo Jun, who had completed the upgrade, came out.

"One gold and fifty-five silver?!" Mu Lanshi's eyes widened when she saw the bill: "What level have you reached?"

As she spoke, she activated her Eye of Insight and saw the large "12" above Luo Jun's head.

"You're already level 12 right after leaving the starting village? I'm only level 9!" Mu Lanshi blinked. "How far did you go down the wrong path?"

"It's a little... far..." Luo Jun smiled sheepishly, "Don't worry, I'll pay you back."

"It's not about the money..." she said, but seeing that eighty percent of her hard-earned savings had been deducted in an instant, she still felt a pang of heartache.

"I was planning to treat you to some of the local specialties of Harbor Harbor," Mulan said with a pout. "Now I can't treat you to a fancy meal, so we'll just have to go to a cheap place."

"Sister Mu, you're such a kind person," Luo Jun said with a smile.

The two left the central square and arrived at a tavern near the sea. The prices were reasonable, and many sailors and stevedores chose to relax and unwind there.

The two found a corner seat, and Mulanshi ordered a grilled fish, several meat skewers, bread, and a seafood platter.

"Weren't we broke? This is such a feast!" Luo Jun rubbed his hands together, his mouth watering.

"This whole table only costs two silver coins," Mulan Shi said with a smile. "This is a port city, so this kind of ordinary seafood is very cheap, but it tastes quite delicious to us. However, apart from filling our stomachs and making us feel good, it doesn't have any other special effects."

"This world is full of magical creatures. The dishes they make are not only delicious, but they also provide temporary buffs." Mulan Shi picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth. "However, those dishes are very expensive. I have a mission tomorrow with a hefty reward. When the money comes through, I'll treat you to a delicious experience-boosting dish!"

"There's such a good thing?" Luo Jun also peeled a shrimp and put it in his mouth. The shrimp meat was bouncy, fresh, sweet and delicious, and it was indeed more delicious than what he had eaten in the main world.

"Speaking of which, Sister Mu, what are you doing here?"

“I didn’t want to either…” Mu Lanshi sighed, “After you came in, the door seemed to malfunction, suddenly swallowing me up too. When I opened my eyes, I was in a small mountain village, and they even arranged for me to have a simple, honest childhood sweetheart…”

"It seems everyone's starting village is an independent world..." Luo Jun smiled. "You arrived in Harbor a few days earlier than me. Have you met any of the people who came in before you?"

“No…” Mulan Shi shook her head: “I have also inquired about the information through various channels in the past two days. What can be confirmed at present is that this Oran Empire occupies the main part of the continent and has a total of nine provinces. Harborn Port is the capital of the Gulf Province. In addition to this, the capitals of the other eight provinces also have teleportation arrays leading to the so-called Lost Land.”

"So, the starting city after the starting village isn't necessarily Harbor?" Luo Jun asked. "They could be the capital of another province?"

“There is another possibility,” Mulanshi said. “The capital of the Oran Empire is independent of the nine provinces and is located in the center of the continent. There is a teleportation array there that connects the capitals of the nine provinces.”

"You mean other people might have gone to the capital?" Luo Jun's eyes lit up. "Then let's go too?" As soon as he said that, he saw Mu Lanshi shake her head.

Are there any restrictions?

Mu Lanshi pointed to the top of her head: "If you want to go to the capital, you must reach level 30 or above!"

(End of this chapter)