Inside Maple Town, the first place they headed to was the butcher's shop.
The thick wooden doors groaned as they dragged the bundled monster corpses inside. The butcher—a broad, scarred man with arms like tree trunks—paused mid-cut and slowly looked up.
"…That's a lot of monster, seems you had a busy day," he said, eyes narrowing in appraisal.
After carefully inspecting each corpse, weighing them, and checking the condition of the parts, he finally wiped his hands on a cloth.
"One hundred and fifty gold," he said. "That's the total—excluding the Level 3 Iron-Tusk Boar."
Rohit let out a low breath. "That much already?"
"Blue monkeys sell cheap," the butcher replied. "But you have many."
Nearby, Koushik and Rohit browsed shelves stacked with preserved bones, hides, tusks, and sealed jars of monster fluids.
"These parts are clean," Koushik said thoughtfully. "Good for crafting."
Rohit nodded, selecting several items. "I'll need these for ammo and experiments."
Once the purchases were complete, the butcher turned toward the massive carcass resting near the back.
"This one's dangerous stock," he said, tapping the broken metal tusk of the Level 3 boar. "I'll give twenty gold for it."
Arjun didn't hesitate. He turned and handed the pouch directly to the survivors.
"This is yours."
They froze.
"No, we can't take that," one man said quickly. "You risked your lives—"
"You were fighting before we arrived," Arjun replied. "Without you, it wouldn't have fallen."
The survivors hesitated, then finally accepted the pouch with trembling hands.
"…Thank you," someone whispered. "We'll remember this."
With gold in hand, the group discussed their next step.
"Everyone should rent a single place," Divya said. "Something basic and affordable."
"And share rooms for now," Raya added. "Until everyone can stand on their own, of course, we will help you "
The survivors nodded repeatedly, relief visible on their faces.
After arrangements were made, the two groups separated near the town square.
"Stay alive," Tim said simply.
"We will," the survivors replied, bowing deeply before leaving.
Once they were alone, Arjun stopped a passing townsman.
"Excuse me," he said. "Where's the town hall?"
The man pointed down the street. "See the tall tower? The one that's higher than any building in town?"
They followed his finger.
A massive stone tower rose in the distance, its structure old and imposing, looming over Maple Town .
"That tower's the landmark," the townsman continued. "The town hall is right opposite it. Can't miss it."
"Thank you," Arjun said.
They walked toward the tower, its shadow stretching across the road. As they drew closer, the town hall came into view—wide, orderly, and well-maintained, standing directly across the street from the towering structure.
Inside, the hall was quiet and cool.
Behind the reception counter stood a beautiful woman with neatly tied hair and calm eyes. She looked up as they approached and offered a professional smile.
"Welcome to Maple Town Hall," she said. "I'm the receptionist here. What brings you in?"
Arjun stepped forward. "We're new to Maple Town."
Divya added, "We're here to pay this month's tax."
"Understood," she said smoothly. "Let's get that settled."
The receptionist reached beneath the counter and pulled out a small velvet-lined box.
From it, she took out a crystal ball—smooth, perfectly round, and faintly glowing from within. She placed it gently on the counter between them.
"Please place your hand on the crystal," she said.
Rohit hesitated. "What's it for?"
"It measures your current level," she replied calmly. "Used for tax classification."
Understanding dawned on them. One by one, they stepped forward.
Raya went first.
The moment his palm touched the crystal, light flared briefly.
"Level 1," the receptionist announced, marking it in her ledger.
Tim followed. "Level 1."
Rohit. "Level 1."
Koushik. "Level 1."
Rita. "Level 1."
When Divya placed her hand on the crystal, the glow lingered longer.
"Level 2," the receptionist said.
Then Arjun stepped forward.
The instant his hand touched the crystal, the light pulsed sharply before settling.
"…Level 2," she confirmed.
She flipped the ledger around so they could see.
"For tax purposes," she explained, "Level 1 individuals pay ten gold per month. Level 2 individuals pay twenty gold."
Rohit winced. "That escalates fast."
Divya handed over the gold without comment. Arjun did the same. The others followed, counting their coins carefully.
Once payment was complete, the receptionist reached under the counter again and placed several small metal tokens on the table. Each bore Maple Town's crest and a faint engraving.
"These are your citizenship tokens," she said. "They serve as proof of payment. Keep them with you at all times."
Rita picked hers up. "What happens when we level up?"
"You'll need to pay tax again," the receptionist replied matter-of-factly.
Koushik frowned. "The full amount?"
She shook her head. "No. Only the difference between your previous level's tax and your new level's tax."
There was a moment of silence.
Then relief.
"So if I go from Level 1 to Level 2…" Raya said slowly.
"You pay ten gold," she finished. "Not twenty again."
Rohit let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "That's… reasonable."
The receptionist gave a faint smile. "Maple Town isn't interested in bleeding its residents dry. Just… keeping order."
Arjun nodded, slipping the token into his pouch.
"Understood," he said.
Arjun paused before turning away from the counter.
He glanced through the wide glass windows of the town hall, his eyes settling on the towering structure standing directly opposite the building. It rose above the surrounding rooftops, taller than anything else in Maple Town—its layered spires wrapped in faintly glowing runes that shifted slowly, almost like breathing.
"Excuse me," Arjun said, turning back to the receptionist. "That tower across the road… what is it?"
For the first time since they entered, her professionalism broke.
Her eyes shone with unmistakable reverence.
"That," she said slowly, "is Myriad of Techniques."
The name alone made a few onlookers straighten unconsciously.
"A shop?" Rohit asked, surprised. "That big?"
She nodded. "Yes. And not just any shop."
Divya leaned forward slightly. "What do they sell?"
The receptionist smiled—small, knowing.
"Techniques," she said. "Magic skills. Combat manuals. Movement arts. Mana control methods. Even rare knowledge that cannot be obtained through the system alone."
Koushik's fingers twitched. "So… things that don't come from leveling up?"
"Exactly," she replied. "What the system gives is basic. What Myriad of Techniques offers… is refinement."
Raya swallowed. "That sounds expensive."
Her smile widened just a little. "It is."
Arjun's gaze returned to the tower, studying the runes etched into its walls, the faint pressure it seemed to radiate even from this distance.
"…We should check it out," he said quietly.
"You should," the receptionist agreed. "At least once. Every serious climber does."
With that, she returned to her ledger, leaving them standing there—each of them now painfully aware that across the street stood a place that could change their future entirely.