Into the Helsinki mountains (part-1)

Several hours later;

Back at Silver's house, Noah sat cross-legged on the floor, the Boar Queen's Core resting in his palm.

He took a deep breath, channeling his energy into it.

The core began to glow, its light pulsing in sync with his heartbeat.

A few minutes passed. Then, suddenly—

CRACK!

The core shattered into fragments, dissolving into pure energy.

Noah's body absorbed it instantly. He could feel the rush of power… yet—

Nothing changed.

No new skills. No special ability. No boost in strength. And Neither is there any boost in experience points. It just dissolved in his body.

He frowned, flexing his fingers. "That's it?"

He had expected something. A minor ability at the very least. But no—his body had simply absorbed the energy like it was nothing.

A realization dawned on him. "Indeed, it would make perfectly sense that cores should be useless to this body. After all, cores are only useful to humans and this body is not."

Even if he refined hundreds, it wouldn't matter. He can only increase his strength from leveling up.

He exhaled and leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling.

"So that's how it is…"

For others, Astron Cores were a path to power.

For him?

Just another useless trinket. He can only sell them for money.

*

The smell of freshly cooked food filled the small dining room. Steam rose from a variety of dishes—grilled meat, vegetable stew, fried eggs, and warm bread. Silver's mother, a gentle-looking woman in her late thirties, moved around the table, setting down plates with a warm smile.

"Eat up, dear," she said, placing an extra helping of meat onto Noah's plate. "You must be hungry after all that hunting yesterday."

Noah glanced at his plate, then at Silver's. The portions were vastly different. His was piled high with meat, while Silver's meal looked much more modest.

He frowned.

Throughout the meal, he observed Silver's mother. Despite her smile, he noticed the small things—the slight tiredness in her eyes, the way she hesitated before adding more food to his plate, the subtle glances she gave toward the kitchen.

It didn't take much to put the pieces together.

She was trying to keep up the hospitality, but it was clearly a financial strain.

And Noah wasn't helping.

His appetite was… abnormal. What an average human ate in three days, he finished in a single meal. He needed way more food than these two just to feel full. And meat—high-quality protein—was expensive.

Noah put down his fork.

This wasn't sustainable.

He couldn't stay here like this—eating their food, increasing their burden.

Silver's mother noticed his pause and tilted her head. "Is something wrong, dear? Do you not like the food?"

Noah shook his head. "It's great."

He glanced at Silver, who was completely oblivious, stuffing his mouth with bread.

Then, he looked back at Silver's mother.

"Thank you for the meal," Noah said. "But I've decided—I'll be moving out soon."

There was a brief silence at the table.

Silver blinked. "Huh?"

His mother looked concerned. "Did something happen?"

Noah shook his head again. "No. But I need to start making my own way. And…" He tapped his fingers against the table. "I eat too much."

Silver's mother chuckled. "Oh, dear. It's fine, really. You're a growing boy!"

Noah gave her a small, polite smile, but inside, he was chuckling that he was not a growing boy as he seemed on the outside. He was older than even dinosaurs.

Either way, he needed money. A lot of it. Because if he was going to live on his own, he had to be able to afford his own lifestyle. All of a sudden, he kinda missed Virgo. She just had to go there and hunt a Tier-8 or Tier-9 monster and all of their money problems will be solved overnight.

*

As the sun turned orange and was going down into the descending path, Noah walked back into the Adventurer's Guild, the same lively atmosphere greeting him. He made his way straight to the counter where Elena, the receptionist from before, was busy typing something on her monitor as usual.

She noticed him approaching and smiled slightly. "Back again already, Mr. Noah?"

Noah nodded. "I need tougher quests."

Elena sighed, already expecting this. She pulled up his guild ID and shook her head. "I told you yesterday. You're Tier-0. No matter how fast you finished the boar quest, I can't give you high-risk missions. And boar hunting was the toughest job out there."

Noah crossed his arms. "Then, look for another boar hunting. It would be nice if they had greater numbers. You saw how fast I finished my last job."

Elena gave him a look but then went on working with the mouse, going through the list of quests. "Unfortunately, there are none that will satisfy you."

Noah frowned. "None?"

Elena sighed, leaning forward. "Look, Noah. This is a backward town in the countryside. If you want better quests, you need to go to the city."

Noah considered arguing, but he could tell she was speaking the truth.

Elena, seeing his frustration, tapped her chin in thought. After a moment, she said, "You know… if you really want something tougher, you should check the Guild Forum."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "Guild Forum?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah. It's an online board where adventurers post their own private requests. People forming temporary teams often look for extra hands. You might find something interesting there."

Noah narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't that be a loss for the guild?"

Elena shook her head. "The guild isn't a profit-making business. It's a non-profit organization set up by the World Federation. Its goal is to encourage more Astron Warriors to clear out the wild zones and protect civilization. Whether you take an official quest or a private one, as long as threats are being dealt with, it doesn't matter."

Noah smirked. "That makes things easier, then."

Elena chuckled. "Just don't go biting off more than you can chew, alright?"

Noah ignored her warning and turned to leave, already pulling out his phone. Time to see what this Guild Forum had to offer.

The neon lights of the internet café flickered slightly as Noah stepped inside. The place wasn't crowded—just a few people hunched over their monitors, some gaming, others browsing the web. The faint hum of old air conditioning filled the air.

Noah made his way to the counter, handing over a few zeni coins to rent a station. The clerk lazily slid a plastic card across the counter. "Booth 12."

Settling into the chair, Noah booted up the system and navigated to the Guild Forum. His lack of a smartphone was annoying, but it couldn't be helped—he simply didn't have enough money for one yet.

A prompt appeared:

[New User Registration Required]

He sighed, scanning his Guild ID and letting the face recognition camera do its job. A second later, his details popped up.

Welcome, Noah.

Immediately, he dove into the forum, filtering out low-tier requests. Most of the jobs were dull— herb gathering, escorting merchants, basic hunting. Nothing interesting.

He kept scrolling.

Then, something caught his eye.

"Seeking a Guide for Helsinki Mountains – No Combat Required."

Mission Rank: Unknown

Reward: Negotiable

Requirements: None. Just know the terrain well.

Noah clicked on it.

"Entering the Level-100 Region soon. Need someone familiar with the forest. No other requirements. If interested, call me."

The mission was absurd. A level-100 region? Anyone below Tier-2 wouldn't even think of stepping foot there. And even Tier-3 wouldn't want to explore that place all alone.

But the guy wasn't asking for a bodyguard. He just needed a guide.

Noah smirked. "Perfect."

He jotted down the phone number and logged out.

The phone booth was old, its glass panels scratched and covered in faded stickers. Noah slid a zeni coin into the slot and punched in the number.

A click. Then a voice. "Yeah?"

Noah kept it straight to the point. "Hello, I just saw your post on the forum. You need a guide for the Helsinki Mountains?"

"That's right," the man replied. "You interested?"

"I am," Noah said. "But I'll be upfront. I'm a rookie—Tier-0. That said, I know the forest like the back of my hand. I don't need protection, just the payment once the job is done."

A pause. Then a chuckle. "A Tier-0? You got guts, kid."

"You need a guide. I know the terrain," Noah pressed. "If you're fine with that, we have a deal. If not, I'll hang up now."

Another pause. Then the man said, "Alright. Meet me at Gate 3, Blackburn Station, tomorrow at 6 AM. Don't be late."

The line went dead.

Noah stepped out of the booth, cracking his knuckles. "A level-100 region, huh? This will be a good opportunity to level up."

The following day;

The hotel outside the barrier wasn't anything fancy—just a simple resting zone meant for travelers and warriors preparing to enter the wild. A neon sign flickered above the entrance, barely legible in the dim light of dawn. The air smelled of damp earth and cheap coffee.

Noah stepped inside.

The lobby was quiet. A few mercenaries and adventurers sat around, sipping drinks, checking their gear, or chatting in low voices. Some glanced at Noah, but most ignored him—just another rookie passing through.

Then, he saw him.

A man stood near the window, arms crossed, gazing out at the Helsinki Mountains beyond the barrier. His presence alone was overwhelming.

Noah instantly knew—this guy was strong.

"Aria, scan him."

Species: Human

Level: 256 (Tier-5)

Elements: Lightning/Water

*

Noah's brows twitched. Level-256? This guy was far beyond what should be needed for a level-100 region.

Xerx turned, his gaze locking onto Noah's. His eyes were sharp, like a hawk examining prey. He was dressed in simple combat gear—black tactical pants, a dark jacket, and sturdy boots—but Noah could tell that every inch of him was battle-hardened.

"You're the guide?" Xerx asked, his voice deep and calm.

Noah nodded. "Noah. You're the client?"

"Yeah," Xerx replied. He eyed Noah up and down. "Didn't expect a teenager."

"Well, looks can be deceiving," Noah muttered.

Xerx chuckled, then turned toward the massive barrier in the distance—the shimmering, translucent dome separating the civilized world from the wildlands. "Alright then, let's get moving."