Chapter Forty: Nicholas City

A mercenary troupe was a team formed by adventurers, with each troupe consisting of at least fifty members. Wang Luo noticed the badge on Larica’s chest, bearing a large “D” and the words “Lakay Mercenary Troupe”—each troupe had its own unique emblem.

The mercenary troupes, like adventurers, were ranked from highest to lowest as A, B, C, D, E, F, with grades above A being S, SS, and SSS. Both mercenary troupes and adventurers could accept missions issued by the Mercenary Guild, earning points and rewards by completing them.

Ranking of mercenary troupes and adventurers was not determined by strength, but by accumulated points. Nearly all mages and warriors on the Celestial Profound Continent had at some point joined the Mercenary Guild, becoming adventurers. Once an adventurer joined a mercenary troupe, they were referred to as mercenaries. There was a distinction: most people preferred hiring mercenaries over adventurers, since mercenaries offered a degree of credibility, whereas adventurers had none.

Wang Luo planned to join the Mercenary Guild in Nicholas City and register as an adventurer, thereby obtaining an identification—the adventurer’s badge.

“At last, I’ve arrived!”

Standing outside Nicholas City with a suitcase on his back, Wang Luo couldn’t help but sigh in relief. After more than ten days, he had finally reached Nicholas City.

He gazed at the crowds queued to enter and exit the city and at its towering walls, feeling a surge of excitement. It had been ten days since he last ate meat; he had survived solely on fruit.

He had brought some fruit from the Magic Beast Forest and couldn’t bear to throw them away, so the remaining space in his spatial ring could only squeeze in about three hundred Kukku chickens. Over these ten days, the fruit had been eaten up, and with no meat, he had to rely on fruit to satisfy his cravings. After this ordeal, Wang Luo fully grasped the truth of the saying: “It’s easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to return from extravagance to frugality.”

He traded Kukku chickens for the quiet cooperation of the three beasts, who stayed in the box. Wang Luo then joined the line to enter the city, drawing curious glances from those around him. He felt confused—there didn’t seem to be anything odd about him.

Nicholas City was the closest city to the Magic Beast Forest, making it exceptionally prosperous. However, for this reason, Nicholas City paid a heavy price every century.

Once every hundred years, the beasts in the Magic Beast Forest would riot, launching a beast tide. On that day, not only the Magic Beast Forest but also the Sunset Prairie, Snowy Mountains, and Elven Woods seemed to conspire together, unleashing beast tides upon the human world. There were only a few years left until the next beast tide.

Ten minutes later, Wang Luo entered Nicholas City in a mood of frustration, accompanied by the laughter of the gate guards. Children his age didn’t need to queue—they could enter directly and for free, without paying even a copper coin for admission.

Although waiting so long had left Wang Luo annoyed, the prospect of comfortable living soon revived his spirits. After asking for directions to the city's inns, he hurried off.

“Little sir, are you looking for a room? Where are your guardians?” At the Ruski Inn, the best in Nicholas City, a waiter politely asked Wang Luo, though his eyes betrayed a hint of disdain that Wang Luo noticed clearly. With a flick of his finger, Wang Luo tossed a gold coin into the waiter’s hand. The waiter’s eyes instantly brightened, and his attitude toward Wang Luo changed completely.

“Take me to your best room!” Wang Luo, carrying his wooden box, said as he walked, followed closely by the now obsequious waiter.

“Little sir, our best room is fifty gold coins per night, with all meals included!” The waiter was briefly stunned before replying.

“Enough chatter. If I couldn’t afford it, why would I be here?” Wang Luo replied bluntly, tossing another gold coin to the waiter.

“Please, this way, little sir!” Hearing Wang Luo’s impatience, the waiter quickly led him upstairs to the third floor of the Ruski Inn.

“What’s on the fourth floor?” Glancing at the staircase leading up, Wang Luo paused and asked.

“Little sir, the fourth floor is reserved for those with status and power; money alone isn’t enough. Only seventh-level mages and warriors or certain nobles can stay there.”

Having received two gold coins as tips, the waiter did his best to answer all of Wang Luo’s questions. Wang Luo, in turn, was equally unreserved in asking them. After giving another gold coin, the waiter finally withdrew from the room.

Soon, a spread of delicious dishes was delivered to Wang Luo’s room. The moment the waiter left, the three beasts eagerly scrambled out of the box—only to be promptly dragged into the bathroom by Wang Luo.

After a thorough scrubbing in the water bucket, Wang Luo and his three beasts commenced a feast, devouring the table’s offerings until almost nothing remained. When the waiter returned to clear the plates and deliver four large glasses of fruit juice, he left with a peculiar look on his face.

“Hey, you three, don’t just focus on drinking! Listen, we only have seven gold coins and some silver left now!”

Wang Luo addressed the three beasts, who were enjoying their juices. They glanced at him in puzzlement, then continued savoring their drinks, keeping an eye on the glass Wang Luo was stirring in front of him.

“Let me put it this way: seven gold coins means you can only eat seventy Kukku chickens!” At this, the three beasts stopped drinking and listened intently to Wang Luo’s words.

On the fourth floor of the Ruski Inn, a little girl and a middle-aged man were dining together. The girl looked up and said to the man opposite her, “Father, there’s an egg betting gala tonight. I heard there’s a seventh-level magical beast egg. Can you buy one for me? I’m about to go to Celestial Profound Academy, so I’ll be able to hatch my own pet!”

“Hmm, don’t worry. Finish your meal, and I promise you’ll get a seventh-level magical beast egg!” the man replied with a smile.

“Thank you, Father! I’m full now, let’s go right away—otherwise someone might snatch the seventh-level egg before we get there!” The girl took a sip of juice and happily addressed the man, who shook his head with a laugh and went with her to the egg betting gala. If Wang Luo were present, he would surely recognize the girl—it was the very girl he had once offended.

“Alright, it’s settled. You three stay quietly in the box while we sell magic crystals and buy Kukku chickens. If you misbehave, we’ll be chased by a crowd again—that would be trouble!”

In the room, Wang Luo tried to keep a stern face as he spoke to the three beasts, who nodded earnestly. For the sake of Kukku chickens, they were willing to endure.

Azure Dragon of Another World, Chapter 40: Nicholas City, update complete!