Keladria

A small settlement of ogres was munching on freshly hunted food deep within the forest. In the center of their gathering stood a three-meter-tall stone monument, shaped like a spire. It was about two meters wide, with a design resembling a door, making it look like a peculiar, foreign-style little house.

The stone monument had been long neglected, as moss and other plants covered its surface. The ogres had grown accustomed to this oddity and ignored it while devouring their meals.

Then, in the midst of their feast, the stone monument suddenly moved!

The side of the monument with the door-like pattern creaked, producing a noise that resembled a wooden door opening.

Screech...

Glen pushed the door open, expecting to see a pitch-black room, but to his surprise, it was glaringly bright. His eyes, accustomed to darkness, were momentarily blinded by the light, forcing him to shield his eyes with his arm.

When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in the middle of a dense jungle, surrounded by a group of hideous, humanoid monsters staring at him.

"Uh... hello?" Glen forced a grin and greeted them weakly.

"Food... food!" one of the ogres mumbled through its thick tongue, breaking the silence.

Instantly, all the ogres dropped the meat they were eating and rushed at the human intruder with stone clubs and axes in hand.

Well, that's quite the warm welcome… Glen cracked his knuckles as claws extended from his fingertips.

Moments later, after leaving several ogre corpses in his wake, the remaining ogres, frightened out of their wits, fled in all directions, some limping from their injuries.

Glen could have easily finished them off, but the smell here was unbearable. So, he merely disabled them, letting them escape. They likely wouldn't survive for long anyway.

Where am I, exactly? Glen scratched his head, surveying the dense jungle around him. He had only partially transformed his arm into that of a wolf, so his clothes remained intact. He didn't need to go back and change.

Looking back at where he had come from, he was still baffled. Who would have thought that the door hidden beneath his house would lead to this place?

Running his hand over the door, he noticed something odd: the door was made of both stone and wood. He also realized that a series of runes were engraved on his right wrist, which seemed to be connected to the door.

His right hand had been the one holding the handle when he opened the door. Did these runes get branded onto me when I touched it? Glen pondered. Just as he was contemplating, the door slammed shut on its own.

Startled, he quickly tried to pry open the door with his fingers, but it was clearly no use.

"What the...?" Glen gritted his teeth, his face growing increasingly frustrated.

Am I trapped here and can't go back? No, calm down… He took a few deep breaths, trying to steady his nerves.

He glanced at the runes on his wrist and began exploring the stone walls. As his hand brushed over a triangular symbol, the runes on his wrist glowed faintly, and the door opened again.

Glen breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Now that he knew how to open the door, he wasn't in a rush to leave. He surveyed his surroundings and, wanting to see more, chose the direction with the mountain in the distance and began exploring toward it.

When he reached the summit, the view surprised him. At the far end of the sprawling forest stood a city. It was unmistakably the kind of city found in the kingdoms across this world, with European-style buildings, castles, and factories belching black smoke.

Could this be the capital's district? The thought crossed Glen's mind almost immediately. To be more specific, it was probably the district closest to the capital. Keladria, that's the name!

To verify his guess, Glen made his way straight down the mountain. There's no better way to confirm something than by seeing it with your own eyes.

A gust of black wind swept through the forest, startling countless animals and magical beasts, but they had no idea what it was.

Thanks to his partial wolf transformation, Glen's speed easily outpaced everything in the forest.

He soon detected the scent of humans and approached the city wall. Within moments, he could make out the wide road, where caravans and pedestrians passed by in a constant stream. Strange creatures, such as large lizard-like beasts the size of cars and horned cats, also traveled the road.

The city gate was wide open, guarded by soldiers in armor carrying firearms, maintaining order.

Glen reverted to his human form and stepped out from the shadows. He casually approached a passing young man and asked, "Hey, buddy, can you tell me where I am? I seem to have gotten lost and stumbled here. Could you help me out?"

The young man looked at Glen strangely, but still answered, "This is Keladria City. You mean to say you've never heard of it? Unless you're a wildman."

Keladria? That's not the district where Bayek Town is located. This is the capital's western district, isn't it? It's several districts away from Bayek! Keladria... isn't this the district closest to the capital? Glen reflected on everything he knew about Keladria, momentarily forgetting to respond to the young man.

"Hmm… what's wrong, sir?" The young man waved his hand in front of Glen's face, his expression growing more puzzled.

"Oh? Uh..." Glen blinked, realizing how awkward he was. He cleared his throat and casually explained, "Sorry, I just spaced out. You know, when you suddenly find yourself in the main city of a district, it's easy to get distracted."

"Good luck, sir," the young man sighed, clearly uninterested in Glen's clumsy explanation. He gave a slight bow and walked away.

Glen, thick-skinned as always, didn't mind the young man's attitude. Lost in thought, he pondered, A teleportation magic door… It reminds me of an animated movie. The previous owner of my house must have been something else to be able to create such magic. Probably a great mage.

But judging by the state of that basement, it's clear no one has been around for a long time. The mage must have passed away…

Not drawing any further attention to himself, Glen headed back into the forest. He had no intention of entering the city. There was no need. He could always come back when he had more time and money.

Meanwhile, at the city gates, a sharp-eyed eagle perched on the shoulder of a guard, suddenly speaking in human language, "Damn, I think I just sensed the presence of a werewolf?"

"Impossible. This area's been swept clean by the knights. Don't get so worked up," the guard replied.

Back in Bayek, Layla was preparing for a visit to Bayek Town. She had dressed in her finest clothes, wore a sun hat, and carried a bamboo basket filled with carefully prepared gifts from her mother. They were expensive items, delicate foods she had been saving for a special occasion.

She was indeed leaving her home, but she wasn't actually visiting relatives.

She had gone around town to ask a few friends to join her, but most were unavailable. The only one who could join her, a small girl with freckles, changed her expression when she learned Layla was going to Bayek Town.

She cautiously half-opened the door, speaking quietly, "Layla, listen to me. You definitely don't want to go there. I swear to you! If you knew how dangerous it was, you wouldn't even think about it."

"You know about it?" Layla asked.

"Of course. I accidentally went there once, and it was filled with monsters. I saw them with my own eyes, in the mist. If I hadn't run fast, you wouldn't be seeing me now," the freckled girl said, clearly still shaken by the experience.

But Layla didn't seem scared at all. Instead, she covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Hehe… Bonnie, I think you must have been mistaken."

Bonnie, flushed with embarrassment, insisted seriously, "Layla, you have to believe me! Ask the adults—they'll tell you the same thing!"

"Alright, Bonnie, alright, I have to go now," Layla said as she gave Bonnie a gentle hug before turning to leave.

In Layla's mind, if Bayek Town were really as dangerous as Bonnie said, how could it still be so unknown and inconspicuous? And besides, the man she was thinking of lived there.