Caius Astroweild's POV
I walked through the dense trees, carving a path forward with my sword.
Several days had passed since my escape. The instant teleportation gate had sent me to the northern entrance of the Edgewood Forest—a forest located just outside the borders of the Solaria Empire, no longer considered human territory, where some monsters still roamed.
There weren't many of them. Mostly first- and second-rank monsters, which meant the area wasn't considered dangerous.
Of course, that was by Awakened standards.
Over the past few days, I had fought multiple times against the forest's inhabitants, and this was the result.
Wounds covered my body, dried blood clinging to my skin.As for my clothes, they barely covered anything anymore—most of them were torn to shreds.
But the worst part was the smell… a foul stench that attracted these irritating insects.
I waved my hand, swatting away what looked like a mosquito—if mosquitoes were the size of small animals.
Finally, I saw the end of that cursed forest.
After walking a bit farther, the trees gradually thinned until they disappeared completely.
I could now be considered officially inside the Solaria Empire.
Ahead of me, I spotted a small city and began heading toward it.
As I moved away from the forest, I noticed other people emerging from different directions, all heading toward the same city.
That made sense. After all, this forest was a good hunting ground for mercenaries and small guilds.
The city's name was Castelta.
It had been established as a gathering point for those heading into the forest, as well as for merchants who bought monster corpses and various materials.
Boring and classic—sure.
But that was only on the surface.Underground, there was a massive black market where all kinds of illegal transactions took place.
How did I know that?
Naturally… from the game.
This city was the birthplace of one of the game's main characters, Kyle Astro.There was a quest where the player came here with Kyle and visited the underground market.
Thinking back to what had happened a few days ago…
It was true that I had erased that place entirely, but that didn't mean the Void System wouldn't figure out that I was responsible for destroying the laboratory.
I couldn't assume I was safe.
And I still didn't know much about what it meant to be a vessel for the Devourer.
So for now, I needed to hide… and grow stronger. I couldn't allow them to take my freedom after everything I had endured.
And what better place to blend in and grow at the same time?
Of course—the Axis.
The academy where this world's protagonist's story begins, located within this empire.
With so many powerful individuals there, it was the perfect place for me.
As for the plot?
Who cares?
What do you take me for? Someone who gets reincarnated into another world, knows the future, then decides not to interfere, choosing to live peacefully in the shadows—only to accidentally build a harem and later go on adventures with his women to fix the protagonist's mistakes after he somehow turns into a failure?
Of course not.
I would exploit every event, every piece of information I knew, to reach my goal… whether that altered the course of events or not. I didn't care.
But before all that, I needed to know my origins.Did I have parents in this world?
Not because I cared whether they existed or not—but to avoid future complications, and to know whether I could use my full name.
Caius Astroweild.
Lost in thought, I reached the city gates.
Castelta wasn't advanced or impressive like the other cities of the empire. Its streets weren't wide, it had no modern transportation system, and most of its buildings didn't exceed four floors. Architecturally, it was a mix of medieval design and modern elements from my previous world.
The main street was filled with adventurers returning from the forest, while merchants tried to approach them, offering services or attempting to buy their loot.
Naturally, no one approached me.
Why?
Simply put, I looked like a homeless kid who had tried to kill himself in that forest and failed—then ran back here.
More importantly…
As I walked through the streets, I caught countless glances, most likely because of my excessively filthy state.
"I really need a bath and a change of clothes," I muttered.
I had several monster corpses stored inside my ring. Honestly, this storage ring had a decent amount of space.
But I couldn't sell them to those merchants. They would at least ask for an ID card—something I didn't have.
After walking for a long time, I finally found what I was looking for.
A narrow, dark alley.
I entered without hesitation. At its end stood a wooden door that looked old and completely out of place in this era. Above it, glowing letters were engraved:
The Broken Goblet Tavern
I stopped in front of the door and pushed it open.
The inside was almost empty. Only the tavern owner was there, wiping a set of mugs, along with a few patrons drinking at old wooden tables.
The moment I entered, everyone looked at me at once. I ignored their gazes and walked straight toward the owner.
I passed by a few drunkards, but none of them spoke. None of them approached me.
Why?
Why would I waste time dealing with some thugs and start a third-rate dramatic fight when I could simply release my killing intent and scare them off?
Dramatic fights were the protagonist's job—not mine.
I stopped in front of the tavern owner.
He was an old man with a short beard. He looked at me and said,"Kid, is it really necessary to release that killing intent? You're scaring my customers."
He seemed used to situations like this.
I withdrew my killing intent, and I heard a few people finally let out the breaths they had been holding.
"The goblet is empty," I said.
The man looked slightly surprised, but quickly composed himself."Well, aren't you an interesting little kid."
He then pointed toward a side door."Go that way."
I followed his instructions. As I walked, he added,"And do everyone a favor—take a bath as soon as possible, unless you want people dropping dead around you."
I ignored his sarcastic remark and waved my hand dismissively.
I reached the door and opened it. A staircase led downward. I descended, soon finding myself in a narrow corridor.
I walked to its end, where a large metal door stood. Beside it were two massive men.
I could feel the pressure radiating from them—they were around Rank three.
When I approached, they stopped me. One of them spoke,"What's your business here, kid?"
I gave the second password."I'm looking for some lost goods."
The two men nodded. One of them turned around and entered a series of numbers on the panel beside the door, which opened automatically.
He gestured for me to pass."You may enter, kid."
I nodded back and walked through. The door closed behind me the moment I passed.
I found myself in a long, wide passage, with people flowing back and forth.Some wore cloaks or masks to hide their faces, while others didn't care if they were recognized.
Merchant stalls lined both sides of the road, selling all kinds of goods. Along the walls were numerous shops, their signs indicating what they sold.
Weapons. Potions. Monster corpses. And much more.
Welcome to the Black Market of Castelta.