Grimm Battlefield

Carrol City was the closest to his hometown, and now that Leon no longer needed to go to WestBlood City, he headed there instead.

As a Class Two city, Carrol City faced monster attacks mostly from those at the Corporal stage or lower, making it a relatively safe place with minimal danger.

Upon arriving, Leon made his way directly to Adventure Paradise.

Entering Inside he looked around, its not his first time here as every adventurer has to register here first before he can sell his loot here.

Leon glanced at the quest board, noting that there were far fewer quests compared to those in WestBlood City. Shaking his head, he approached the receptionist.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist, a young woman with a polite smile, asked.

"Where are Rules being registered?" Leon inquired.

The receptionist's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she quickly composed herself. "On the 35th floor," she replied.

Leon nodded and headed towards the elevator. As he passed by, the receptionist watched him with a brief flicker of envy, her eyes betraying a mix of curiosity and admiration.

Coming out of the elevator to the 35th floor, Leon come across a completely different scene than the one on the ground floor.

There were barely five hundred people here and floor being big enough these people feel like a drop in the bucket.

Seeing no idea where to go next from here, Leon walk toward the reception desk where several pretty receptionists were sitting.

"Hello, where do I register as Rule user?" Leon asked one, "You can enter any of fifty rooms there." she motioned toward the very small rooms which marked with big letters 1 to 50 numerically where people could seem enter and exit out of them.

"Inside it, you will find small stone where you just have to project your Rule power as long as stone glowed you will be Registered as Rule user and your access qualification will also be advanced to 3 stars." said the receptionist.

The receptionist's eyes gleamed with envy, a rare expression for someone of her rank, given that she was at the Lieutenant stage—someone who usually wouldn't give someone like Leon a second glance.

"Thank you," Leon said, offering a polite nod as he walked toward one of the small open rooms. He chose Room No. 12.

The room was as small as expected, just two square meters. In the center of the room stood a palm-sized bluestone, perfectly polished but otherwise unremarkable. Leon approached the stone and placed his hand on it, beginning to channel the power of his Level 2 rules into it.

For the first few seconds, nothing happened. Leon was about to project another Rule when the bluestone began to glow. At first, the light was faint, but it grew steadily brighter, filling the entire room with a deep blue hue.

Suddenly, a message appeared:

RULE POWER AUTHENTICATED

ACCESS UPGRADED TO 4 1/2 STAR

A soft chime echoed in the room, signaling the completion of the authentication process.

"Four and a half stars? Didn't she say it was only going to be three stars?" Leon thought to himself, puzzled but pleased. As he prepared to leave, he considered the benefits. "Anyway, with four stars, many doors have opened for me," he mumbled, knowing that higher access meant greater authority.

Just as Leon turned to leave, he suddenly froze. A woman stood there, her body semi-transparent, like a projection. "How did I not sense her... Never mind, it's just a projection," Leon muttered to himself, his surprise quickly fading as he realized the nature of the apparition.

"Hello, I am Elara the AI of Adventurers Paradise." said the women.

"Hello, Elara" Leon greeted her with a smile.

"With Access being at 4 1/2 Star, you are eligible to know about many confidential things, do you want me to state them for you?" asked AI Elara.

"The confidential topics you have access to know are Central Continent, Forbidden Grounds, Inheritances, The Grimm Battlefield….." AI Elara stated the whole nine topics.

Leon spent the next half-hour absorbing information about the Grimm Battlefield, learning about its grim history. He discovered how, during the first invasion, only 5% of humanity survived, sparking a desperate resistance that eventually pushed the Grimm race back. The details of significant events, like the "Hundred Day War" that occurred around a thousand years ago, were particularly sobering.

After familiarizing himself with the battlefield's history, Leon asked the crucial question, "How can I go to the Grimm Battlefield?"

"One can enter Grimm battlefield thrice a year and every time you go in, you will have to stay in the battlefield for at least six months before you can go out," she said.

"Normally, organizations send their members to Grimm battlefield through their own channels but seeing you are not affiliated to any organization."

It was true as Leon has hidden his affiliation with Eclipse Organization, as he didn't want to go with easy way, not to mention he want to join a organization for access to a secret location that only one of that organization member knows.

"What is the earliest date I can enter in the Grimm battlefield?" Leon asked 

"it's 12 February," said AI Elara.

12 February, that's about a month later.

Leon nodded as he exited, and began to stay here in Carrol City, while he also kept his eyes open for any potential talents.

This time, Leon was determined to be more selective in recruiting talent, focusing only on those with exceptional potential, like the one he had just discovered at Adventure Paradise.

With his newly acquired 4-and-a-half-star access, he could now view detailed profiles of individuals ranked below him—a privilege he intended to use wisely. As he examined her profile, he noticed an important detail.

"She's an orphan," Leon mumbled to himself, thinking about how to approach her. He knew he needed to craft a careful plan to invite her into his organization, understanding that her background might make her wary or skeptical.