Time to move

As soon as he left the place, Elliot headed straight to pay the debt, but his mind was soon overwhelmed by thoughts.

The Tournament of Stars.

A local tournament sponsored by the guilds, the Tournament of Stars, held no direct impact on the Global Awakening System, though it did receive its official approval. It took place periodically during the first year after the World Year.

The World Championship—the pinnacle of competition—was held once every 4 years, with the last one concluded approximately 10 months ago. The champions of that World Champions were still celebrated worldwide, their names and feats etched into the public consciousness.

Elliot had even seen them countless times on television. Their images were everywhere, promoted relentlessly. And why wouldn't they be?

It made sense since they were unimaginably powerful. So much so that Elliot and anyone from Loen City couldn't even imagine the realm they stood in and could only admire them from far away.

However, in the aftermath of the last World Championship, as the first year drew to a close, the Tournament of Stars was set to take place in every city naturally.

This tournament was significant and had a big impact in small towns, especially on the younger generation, since it provided an opportunity for the young talents—capped at 18 years old—to prove themselves. 

The rewards were substantial, with one of the most coveted prizes being the opportunity to participate in the Leveled Leagues, a tournament officially sponsored by the System. 

The Leveled Leagues represented the first of many and also the lowest level of the competitive hierarchy, its prestige depending on the country or region in which it was held.

However, qualifying to participate in the Tournament of Stars was no easy feat. It required the participants to undergo a rigorous selection process since the local guilds actually served as the branches of other larger guilds and were commonly known as 'Seeders.' Their primary purpose was to scout, train and eventually send the talented individuals from the lower-level leagues to their parent guilds, which competed exclusively in leagues or tournaments of greater importance.

Winning the Tournament of Stats wasn't just about the prizes—it was a potential gateway into one of those elite guilds. That was why it was so revered in the world. Anyone who had awakened, regardless of their strength, talent, or background, had likely participated in it at some point.

'I wonder which guild Ruth has connections with,' Elliot mused, his thoughts drifting. 'Meeting those kinds of people isn't easy these days.'

His gaze fell on the envelope in his hands. Unable to resist, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the small handwritten letter inside.

But...

As his eyes scanned the recipient's name, Elliot frowned.

The Cats.

A peculiar name for an organization, but one that masked its formidable reputation. The Cats were an offshoot of one of the great organizations of the Kingdom of Arce—an organization worthy of respect and praise; even Elliot admired them.

It was not because they were powerful but because they were vigilantes. They openly opposed the Clark Family, stan dig against their corruption and unethical practices.

However, there was a problem.

Few knew this, but The Cats had banned any members of the Clark Clan or their related families from entering their facilities.

'Sigh…' Elliot sighed heavily.

That was something Ruth didn't know, so he couldn't blame her. 

If anything, he was grateful for all the information she had provided. It had made one thing clear—he needed to join a guild as soon as possible. 

Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to join the one she had suggested.

With that decided, he put the envelope in his inventory and stopped thinking about it.

He then made his way to the organization that had hired him as a Misfit, settled his $150 debt, and submitted a letter of resignation.

After that, he returned to his room—but not to stay.

He gathered his belongings. 

It was time to move out.

Now that he had some money—and had the ability to make more if he set his mind to it—staying here longer didn't make sense.

Of course, he couldn't afford anything extravagant, but he needed to live in an area that was close to the gym to maximize his efficiency.

After all, Loen City was massive.

It was a modern, highly developed metropolis, divided into several distinct districts.

There was a commercial area, a business area, a low-level rural area, and a high-level rural area. At its heart lay the Guilds area, home to the city's most powerful organizations, where the Awakened Association's headquarters was also located.

The city was so vast that the Association maintained smaller branches to handle minor tasks, such as the sales branch where Ruth worked.

Despite its scale, Loen City wasn't particularly known for towering skyscrapers. Most tall buildings either belonged to factories or guilds; commercial and residential buildings rarely reached great heights. This is mainly due to the Great Ocean lying a bit further south of the city—which was home to numerous unknown dangers. 

It was rumored to harbor world-renowned sea beasts, from massive sea dragons to even leviathans.

As a result, Loen City did not invest heavily in large buildings and prioritized sturdy, low-rise but highly resilient buildings over grandeur.

However, that didn't detract from its charm. The streets were always clean, and the cars—which were not powered by strange energy or electricity—no longer polluted the air as they did in the industrial era. The city also had its fair share of local secrets and mysteries, though none were particularly interesting.

Among all these areas, Elliot lived in the lowest-level rural area—the most neglected and desolate part of the city, far from the bustling center.

'Living so far away is not convenient for getting around and living next to a gym would attract up a lot of energy, so is better.' he thought as he packed up. A few minutes later, he set off to find transport.

However, he was forced to stop.

"Hey, you little bastard."

He turned to see who was talking to him.

'These debt collectors again?' He sighed and shook his head.

"I already paid my debt. I don't think you have any business with me anymore." Without sparing them another glance, he kept walking.

This made the leader of the collectors frown.

"Is it true that you submitted a letter of resignation?"

To his question, Elliot simply shrugged. He had no intention of wasting his time with these people.

If he didn't hurry for the Association, someone else might snatch up today's dungeon pass, something he didn't want to happen.

So he picked up pace and soon disappeared from view.

The leader's scowl deepened.

"That damn bastard."

With a sharp crack, he crushed the glass he had been drinking from. The shards penetrated his hands, but little blood came out—his flesh was tough.

"Do you want us to kill him, boss?" one of his men asked.

The leader shot the man a look before shaking his head with a grin. 

"No. I'll take care of this myself."