After walking for a couple of minutes, Zich finally arrived at the shelter.
Just like him, dozens of players were also returning as the sky began to darken, and no one wanted to be locked outside.
They were all lined up in front of the counter where payments for the shelter were being processed. The line moved slowly, and after some time, it was Zich's turn.
He placed his backpack, which had already drawn quite a few stares since he arrived, on the counter.
The slim, gaunt man eyed the backpack with a look close to greed before speaking.
"First night costs one low-grade material or equivalent trade value." He paused, looked at the backpack again, and added with a knowing grin, "But if you were to trade that, you could get months' worth of accommodation."
"Months' worth of accommodation? Damn, I would jump on that."
"Yeah, no need to worry about being eaten alive."
"That's not it. What kind of treasure is valuable enough to cover months of accommodation?"
The queue suddenly filled with noise as the newbie players began talking and trying to get a better look at the backpack.
'Thank you so much,' Zich thought dryly, shooting a cold glance at the man behind the counter.
Even though the offer sounded tempting, he had no intention of giving up his convenient backpack. The other players were all carrying their items by hand or in makeshift bags, looking very uncomfortable.
"No. I have something else to trade," Zich replied, causing the smile on the man's face to fade.
Unbothered, he reached into the backpack and placed items on the counter one by one. The mosquito stinger. Two wings. The blood sac. Three beetle carapaces worth of harvested parts, each carefully bagged the way his mother had taught him.
The man did not look impressed at first, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"Blood Sucker stinger," he said, holding it up to the light. "These are worth more than a night's lodging. You want credit toward the next few nights, or do you want coin?"
"Credit," Zich said without hesitation.
"Room seven," the man said, sliding a key across the counter. "Water jug refills at dawn. Don't leave food out. It draws things in from the walls. You can stay in that room for the next three days."
Zich took the key and went to find his room.
One might wonder why he did not sell the soul stone. It was because he had already decided on the walk back that the stone was not for trading yet. He did not fully understand what it was. Selling something before understanding it was the kind of mistake you only made once.
Plus, with how hard it had been to find even one soul stone, it was clearly not something easy to obtain.
"Hey, do you need a guide?"
Zich had barely walked inside the shelter when a voice called from the side. He looked toward it and saw someone familiar.
It was the blonde-haired girl, the same one who had saved him earlier. She walked over, her gaze briefly settling on his backpack before shifting to his face.
"So, what do you say?" she asked.
"Not necessary," Zich replied. "I can find my way around."
"I insist," Helen said with a bright smile. Others might have found it charming, but to Zich, it meant little.
Seeing that she would not be easy to shake off, he eventually relented.
"Fine. But I don't have any credit or treasure to give you."
"Hahaha, it's fine. I wasn't planning to get paid anyway," Helen said with a light laugh.
Something about her behavior made Zich narrow his eyes slightly.
"Why are you being nice to me?" he asked.
Helen was caught slightly off guard by the direct question.
"Oh, nothing," she said, clearing her throat. "I just find you interesting, that's all."
Zich did not look convinced, and his expression made that clear.
"You really show your thoughts on your face, huh," Helen said with a laugh, finding him even more interesting.
"Come on, follow me. Let me show you around," she said, stretching out her hand.
Zich kept his hands in his pockets instead of taking it.
Helen forced a smile and gestured ahead.
"Stay close."
As they walked deeper into the settlement, not too far away, a group of three players noticed the interaction.
"Hmph, look, Rael. It seems Helen has taken a liking to the weird kid."
"Yeah. Isn't he the same one who refused to form a party with us?"
Rael remained quiet despite the teasing. His gaze stayed fixed on Zich, as if trying to see through him.
…
"The bastion follows almost the same structure as the real world, except we only have two districts here," Helen explained as they walked. "The privileged district and the non-privileged district. We are currently in the non-privileged area."
She pointed ahead, where a tall wall rose inside the shelter.
"Beyond those walls is the privileged area."
"What's the difference between the two?" Zich asked.
"Not much," Helen replied. "The non-privileged area is the basic living space for players, while the privileged area is where the shelter lord stays along with the top players. It comes with better accommodation, stronger connections, and other benefits."
"I see," Zich said, a faint light flashing in his eyes.
Some time later, they arrived at the inn.
"See you later," Helen said. "And one more thing. Selling treasures to the Association is a bad deal. If you want to get the most out of your items, check out the player hub down the road."
Before Zich could thank her, she turned and walked away toward the privileged area, her steps light and quick.
'So she stays there,' Zich thought, watching her for a moment before stepping inside.
The room was modest. A bed, a single window, a desk, and a small bathroom that barely had enough space to move in.
After locking the door, Zich did not hesitate and immediately chose to exit the Ascension Mountain.