[Welcome to the Vanswara Stronghold.]
Caelus stared at the world before him with wide eyes.
"Isn’t this just a planet?"
When he heard the word stronghold, he expected something at the size of a city.
Not an entire fucking planet!
Sylvia was equally surprised.
She could see that this world was vast, stretching endlessly in every direction with mountains, forests, and cities dotting the landscape.
"Yes, this is a planet." Ruvian said while eyeing Caelus and Sylvia with a questioning gaze.
Why were they so shocked?
Did they come from some backwater place?
"These strongholds have existed in the Path to Worlds for a very long time." Ruvian explained. "People born here can directly go into the Path to Worlds without even thinking about age restrictions."
He crossed his arms with a hint of pride.
"In your worlds, the age limit is probably seventeen or eighteen." He continued. "But in our world, even toddlers can become an Awakener at the Ace-Rank if they chance upon a Golden Pill of Ascension."
Caelus and Sylvia looked at each other in slight surprise.
So these people were cheating!
Now he fully understood just how privileged they were compared to those in the Tier 1 World.
"So you’re just some privileged guy that has the backing of the Origin Network." Caelus scoffed. "Heh, loser."
Ruvian’s expression shifted with confusion.
"What?"
"We reached the stage we’re at with effort, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears." Caelus continued with a smug tone. "You guys just had everything handed to you on a silver platter."
Ruvian’s lips twitched.
What was up with this guy?
Why was he looking down on him?
He was the one who grew up in a stronghold!
He should be the one looking down on them!
"Well, whatever." Ruvian decided to let it go. "I’ll take you guys around, come."
As he said that, he began leading them through the stronghold.
At the same time, Caelus was observing the place closely.
He wouldn’t be able to leave the Path to Worlds until the day he ascended or died.
But that wasn’t what shocked him the most.
It was that there were actual people living in this place with a completely different way of leveling up.
Their minimum power was not at King-Rank but at the Ace-Rank.
Children ran through the streets with auras that would terrify Master-Rank players back on Earth.
It was genuinely shocking.
Soon, Ruvian took them to a large building in the center of the city.
"This is usually where the players gather around in the stronghold."
It was a huge resort with lots of facilities.
Caelus could see restaurants, training halls, lounges, and various other amenities through the glass walls.
"You need to have Merits and sufficient Combat Score to enter this place." Ruvian explained. "This resort is run by the Origin Network, but you should be careful."
His expression became serious.
"There are some genuinely evil people inside there."
Caelus nodded at his warning.
"Thanks for the heads up."
They parted ways with Ruvian and walked toward the resort entrance.
A holographic person greeted them at the reception desk.
There were plenty of other players in the lobby, but they all looked dejected and frustrated.
It seemed like they couldn’t get in since they didn’t have enough Merit or sufficient Combat Score.
From what Caelus understood, if you didn’t have Merit, you couldn’t live in this stronghold as a player.
The people of the stronghold were racist against outsiders.
He walked forward toward the reception desk.
But then some guy stepped in front of him and blocked his path.
The man wore golden armor emblazoned with a lightning bolt symbol.
"Move away, newcomer." The man said arrogantly. "I have two Merits, you guys should move along and wait your turn."
Caelus’s lips twitched.
It reminded him of those particular ads he used to see on his phone.
The ones where people got better treatment depending on their VIP status.
VVIP got the highest privilege and special treatment while regular customers were treated like dirt.
And now he was experiencing something similar in real life.
"You Olympian Faction people, no matter what world you come from, are really annoying aren’t you?"
The Olympian Faction member’s face twisted with anger.
"What did you say to me?!"
Caelus ignored him completely.
He stepped around the man and walked up to the reception desk.
"We have three Merits and we’re a party of two."
Two Merits belonged to Sylvia, one from when they entered the Path to Worlds without a ticket and one from the incident with the Hollow Faction.
Caelus had one Merit of his own.
The holographic receptionist’s expression immediately brightened.
"Three Merits! Wonderful!" She smiled warmly. "You have enough Merit to enjoy the highest privileges of the resort, and you can accommodate up to ten people in your suite."
The lobby went silent.
Everyone stared at Caelus and Sylvia with wide eyes.
"They have three Merit points?!"
"How is that possible? They just arrived!"
"Three Merits is enough for the VIP treatment!"
"Who are these people?!"
The Olympian Faction member’s face turned red with embarrassment and rage.
He had been showing off his two Merits, and these newcomers had more than him?
"You... how do you have three Merits already?!"
Caelus didn’t even look at him.
Several players rushed forward with desperate expressions.
"Excuse me! Can you help us get accommodated?"
"If you add us to your party, we can share the room!"
"We’ll pay you! We’ll do anything!"
Caelus smiled pleasantly at them.
"No."
Then he turned and walked away with Sylvia, leaving the crowd of players stunned and disappointed.
The Olympian Faction member was left standing there with his face twitching uncontrollably.
As they walked toward their suite, Caelus’s lips were twitching as well.
It went out exactly how it was shown in those ads.
Maybe those ads weren’t fake at all.
This was the real version of what would happen in a situation where status and privilege mattered more than anything else.
Their suite was luxurious beyond imagination.
It had multiple bedrooms, a private training room, a dining area, and even a personal hot spring.
After settling in, a staff member delivered a tablet to their room.
"This contains basic information about the Path to Worlds and the Vanswara Stronghold." The staff member explained. "Please review it at your leisure."
Caelus took the tablet and thanked the staff member.
Once they were alone, he and Sylvia sat down on the comfortable couch together.
He turned on the tablet and began reading.
[Welcome to the Path to Worlds - Beginner’s Guide]
[Section 1: Merit System]
[Merits are the currency of status in the Path to Worlds. They are obtained by defeating other players, collecting Golden Pills of Ascension, or completing special challenges issued by the Origin Network.]
[Section 2: Strongholds]
[Strongholds are safe zones within the Path to Worlds. Each stronghold is an independent world with its own rules and governance. Players without sufficient Merit may be denied entry or services. Inside Strongholds, Golden Pill Of Ascension may spawn.]
[Section 3: The Corruption (New Entry)]
[WARNING: Prolonged exposure to the open Path can result in corruption. Symptoms include hallucinations, loss of control, and eventual transformation into a Darkspawn. Return to a stronghold immediately if you experience any symptoms.]
Caelus’s expression became serious as he read that section.
Then he moved onto section 4.
[Section 4: Ascending to Tier 2]
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