Chapter 13 The Other Worlder
Tyler stared at the translucent panels hovering in his vision. *Whoa, I got an achievement. It says I did my first quest, but that wasn’t me. James is the one who... wait. Is it saying that because the fruits came from my inventory? It even said I unlocked a new function.*
James stopped and looked back at him. "Before we head into town, we need to do something about your clothes."
"My clothes?" Tyler asked, looking down at his blood-stained, shredded outfit.
James opened his bag and pulled out a pair of oversized trousers and a brown tunic. "I always keep these for emergencies. Go around the back of the tent and put them on. You'll draw too much attention looking like that."
Right," Tyler said, taking the bundle.
He walked around to the back of the tent, the morning air cool against his skin as he stripped off his ruined clothes. He pulled on the baggy trousers and the large tunic. They didn't fit perfectly, but they were clean and didn't scream that he didn't belong. He left his old, bloody clothes in a heap in the dirt and hurried back to catch up with James.
As he walked beside James, Tyler looked toward the grey building on their left. "I thought you said you were doing me a favor earlier..Those were my fruits back there."
James offered a small, calm smile. "Don't worry about it. I'll give it to you right after we check your rank."
Tyler felt a knot of suspicion tighten in his chest*. Why isn't he giving it to me now?*
They reached the grey brick building. James pressed his hands against the wooden double doors, the heavy timber creaking as they swung inward. As Tyler stepped inside, the humid heat of the morning was replaced by a sudden, refreshing chill.
A man sat behind a polished counter, dressed in a crisp white shirt with blonde hair neatly styled. He looked to be in his late twenties. The man's eyes widened when he recognized the hunter.
"Oh, James," he said.
James leaned his weight against the counter. "Sam. How have you been? How’s the business going?"
"The usual," Sam answered. His gaze shifted, landing on Tyler. "Oh! Who do we have here?"
"I’m Tyler," Tyler said.
"Tyler," Sam repeated, nodding politely. "It’s nice to meet you, sir. How can I help you?"
"He's with me," James interjected. "He's a client from Lyria. He's paying me to help raise his level."
Sam’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as he looked at Tyler. "Oh, from Lyria? That's that's pretty close by."
Tyler forced a nod, his voice catching slightly. "Y-yeah. It is."
*He's lying*,Tyler thought, his heart thumping against his ribs. *Why is he making up a story about me being from Lyria? And a paying client? I guess I have no choice but to play along...*
"So," James said, the sound of his voice breaking Sam's focus. "I’ve come to check my level."
Sam blinked, regaining his composure. "Oh, it's been some time since you did that. Let's go upstairs and check."
"I'd like to check this boy’s level as well," James added.
Sam looked at Tyler again, his eyebrows rising. "Really? Well, all right then. Let's go."
They followed Sam around the edge of the counter to a flight of stairs on the far right. At the top, they reached a sturdy door. Sam rapped his knuckles against the wood. From the other side, a muffled, gravelly voice vibrated through the grain.
"Come in."
Sam pushed the door open. Inside, a man with shock-grey hair and spectacles sat behind a cluttered desk. He was hunched over, the rhythmic scratching of a quill against parchment filling the quiet room. He looked up, peering over the rims of his glasses at James.
"James, you've returned. Have you come to check your level?"
"Yeah," James said. "I have."
Tyler locked eyes with the man behind the desk. The man’s eyes were a striking silver. Despite his shock of grey hair, his skin was smooth and lacked any wrinkles, making him look closer to James's age.
*People in this world have a weird color to their eyes,* Tyler thought.
"Who is this boy with you?" the man asked.
"He’s a client from Lyria," James replied smoothly. "He hired me to help him raise his level."
The man’s brow furrowed, his silver eyes studying Tyler's oversized, plain clothes. "Lyria? We don't see many folks from there. And he's dressed rather plainly for someone with the coin to hire a hunter."
"We had a bit of a rough journey getting here," James interjected calmly, not missing a beat. "Lost some gear along the way. But he's unhurt and ready to get to work."
The examiner’s gaze sharpened. He laced his fingers together and rested his chin on his knuckles. "What’s wrong, boy? Can’t you speak for yourself?"
"I can," Tyler said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "What he’s saying is the truth."
Tyler glanced at James, his heart thumping against his ribs.* He's lying to them. There must be a good reason. Right? He wouldn't just make a specific lie like that without a good reason...*
The examiner watched him for a second longer before nodding slowly. "I see. Well, it's highly unusual, but as long as the fees are paid... let's just get to it, shall we?"
"Of course," James said.
James walked toward an orb embedded in the wall. A small, black glass screen was mounted directly above it. James pulled off his leather glove and pressed his bare palm against the sphere. The surface was initially cool and smooth against his skin, but as a faint green glow pulsed from within, it grew warm.
Tyler’s eyes widened. *Is this how they check their levels?*
Text materialized on the black screen:
CLASS: KNIGHT
LEVEL: 49
RANK: D
"Wow, he actually leveled up," Sam said.
James let out a short, dry laugh and pulled his hand away. The glowing words faded. *The kid was right. I really did level up.* He gestured toward the orb. "Come on, kid. Let’s check yours."
"Alright," Tyler said. His fingertips twitched with a surge of heat. He moved toward the orb, his movements stiff. *James said that a G rank should be impossible. How the hell are these people going to react if it shows that I'm a G rank? I hope this won't get me in trouble.*
*Something feels off. If anyone finds out I’m from another world, I’ll be in serious trouble. My instincts are screaming at me to keep this a secret. If I don't, I won’t just be treated differently, something much worse will happen.*
"What are you waiting for? Touch the orb," James said, his voice breaking through Tyler's thoughts.
Tyler looked back and saw every eye in the room fixed on him. He swallowed hard, his throat feeling dry and constricted. He reached out and pressed his palm against the smooth, cool surface of the sphere. A faint green light pulsed beneath his skin, and the black screen shimmered as words materialized.
CLASS: CRAFTSMAN
LEVEL: 6
RANK: G
"What the hell?" the examiner said, his silver eyes widening. "It says you're a G-Rank?"
Tyler swallowed again, the sound loud in the quiet room. "Yeah."
"But that's impossible," Sam added, stepping closer to the screen.
The examiner turned his gaze to Sam, his brow furrowing. "Sam, you didn't drop the orb while you were cleaning it, did you?"
Sam scratched his cheek, his eyes darting to the floor. "Um, I might have, but... I don't think it got damaged. It hasn't even cracked."
The man behind the desk pressed his palm into his forehead and dragged it down his face. "Ah... damn it. Even a small scratch can cause this thing to react like this. You should really be careful with these."
As the examiner lectured Sam, Tyler turned to look at James. The hunter had stepped back, his face pale. His eyes were wide, fixed on Tyler with an expression of pure dread.
*What is wrong with him?* Tyler thought.
James stood rooted to the spot, his fingers twitching at his sides. *No, this can't be possible. What in the world is going on? Someone like that shouldn't exist. How can someone else...*
"James?" Tyler said.
James flinched as if he’d been struck. "What?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing," James snapped, though his voice lacked its usual weight.
"I’m sorry, guys," Sam said, turning back to them with a sheepish look. "It looks like the orb is malfunctioning. If you want to check your levels again, you’ll have to do it tomorrow. It might be broken. I'm sorry. It’s my fault."
The man behind the desk let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair. "We'll have it fixed by tomorrow. You can't check your levels until then. Also, this might mean that James's level was also a malfunction."
"Yeah," James said, his voice tight. "We'll be heading out. We'll come back tomorrow."
"Sam, escort them outside," the man ordered.
"Yes, sir," Sam said.
The three of them left the office, their boots thudding softly on the stairs as they headed back down to the main floor. Sam paused at the front doors, his expression pained. "I apologize again for what happened."
"Oh no, don't worry," James said, his tone forced and distracted. "These things happen. You don't have to beat yourself up for it. Anyway, we'll be heading out now."
"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then," Sam said, waving as they stepped out.
The heavy wooden doors closed behind them. Once they were back in the morning sun, James stopped abruptly. Tyler watched him, noting the way James’s shoulders remained hunched.
"I told you," Tyler said. "I’m a G-Rank. I wasn't lying."
James turned his head slowly to look at Tyler. *This is interesting. This kid, really is from another world.*