My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 472: Registration in the guild

Ethan wandered through the endless expanse of the forest.

For nearly an hour, he had been following a faint, ancient trail that meandered silently among the towering trees. Above him, a constant silver luminance illuminated the sky, neither fading nor brightening, remaining fixed like an eternal moon.

The entire world felt held in a strange, suspended state.

It was as if the concept of day and night simply did not exist here.

He frequently brushed past immense trees with bark that pulsed with a ghostly glow, their slow, rhythmic light reminiscent of respiration, as if the trees themselves were living entities silently witnessing his journey.

The air also possessed a distinct quality.

It was denser.

Though not so heavy as to completely impede his movements, it required more deliberate effort for every stride.

"Yumiko," Ethan murmured, breaking the quietude, "do you have any data on the location of the nearest settlement?"

A familiar voice echoed within his mind.

[Searching fragmented data follows.]

A momentary silence ensued.

[A human enclave is located approximately forty kilometers to the northeast.]

[Spatial patterns point toward organized construction, likely a town maintained by a guild presence.]

Ethan acknowledged this with a nod.

"That will suffice."

Adjusting his path, he continued his trek.

As he walked, he took care to assess the limitations of his physical form.

He attempted a simple vertical bound.

The result, however, was underwhelming.

In his original reality, a casual jump of that nature might have propelled him across dimensions—or at least several kilometers, were he suppressing his power—but here, he barely ascended fifty meters before the pull of gravity yanked him back to the earth.

The landing itself felt more forceful.

Not agonizing, exactly.

Merely oppressive, as though gravity carried an extra degree of weight.

Ethan touched down softly and furrowed his brow.

"I will clearly need time to adjust," he muttered.

The deviation in physical laws was unmistakable.

This realm throttled power far more severely than the one he had departed. If typical movement felt this labored, he realized, combat would surely be an entirely different experience.

He persisted along the path, observing his surroundings with keen attention.

Two hours elapsed.

The density of the forest began to taper off.

As the massive trunks became smaller and increasingly sparse, Ethan eventually stepped out of the treeline onto a well-traveled dirt path.

And there, in the distance, it appeared at last.

A town.

It was entirely enclosed by stone walls.

These fortifications rose roughly ten meters high and encircled the area entirely. Strange, glowing runes traced lines along the stone surface, pulsing at a slow, rhythmic tempo, not unlike a steady heartbeat.

Peering past the battlements, Ethan could discern rooftops of varying sizes.

Some were rudimentary wooden constructions.

Others seemed reinforced with metal alloys.

Dominating the skyline was a soaring tower crafted from a bronze-colored metal that shimmered under the silver sky.

The town gate lay open.

Two sentries were stationed on either side.

Each hung a blade at their hip.

As Ethan drew nearer, both guards kept a vigilant watch on him.

Their expressions lacked hostility.

They were simply cautious.

"Halt," one commanded once Ethan reached speaking distance.

"Identify your purpose in Valdris."

Ethan paused, observing the guard with composed indifference.

"I am seeking to join a guild."

The guard scrutinized him for a long, lingering moment.

Then, he let out a sharp sniff.

"Yet another, eh?"

With a scratch of his chin, he glanced at his partner.

"You’re the third arrival this week. Did you emerge from a space rift or a ritual?"

Ethan was surprised by their immediate ability to discern he was a foreigner, though it seemed they were unsurprised by the occurrence itself.

"Umm, I suppose it was through a space rift," he replied.

The guard snorted coldly, casting a disparaging look as if acknowledging refuse.

He then gestured vaguely toward the town interior.

"Proceed straight along the main thoroughfare."

"You will find the Guild Hall situated at the terminus."

"Bronze Dawn manages all newcomer registrations."

Ethan gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

"My thanks."

He stepped past them into the town.

Passing beneath the stone archway, a subtle shift occurred.

The air altered.

It felt more structured.

More tightly regulated.

Ethan glanced upward.

The runes etched into the wall had brightened marginally the moment he passed through the gateway.

Ethan maintained his pace, showing no outward reaction.

At first glance, Valdris resembled a standard medieval town.

Cobblestones smoothed by countless centuries of travel paved the streets.

Vendors shouted their current prices to passersby.

Children dashed through the alleys with bursts of laughter.

Artisans labored in open-fronted workshops, the rhythmic chime of tools striking metal or timber echoing steadily.

The aroma of fresh bread drifted from a nearby bakery.

Everything appeared conventional.

Tranquil.

Yet, Ethan noted details that would escape most.

A woman strode by clutching a basket of bread.

Her steps alighted lightly upon the ground.

But Ethan observed something peculiar.

Each stride she took displaced faint grains of dust and stone.

However, the instant her foot left the ground, every particle reverted precisely to its original position.

Perfectly reset.

Nearby, a blacksmith struck glowing metal upon an anvil.

Though the sound of each blow rang out with clarity, the anvil itself remained devoid of vibration.

The force of every strike vanished into the metal without creating resonance.

The energy simply ceased to exist.

A little girl darted past Ethan, giggling.

As she moved, the air around her rippled softly.

Ethan recognized the phenomenon instantly.

She was instinctively manipulating space to accelerate her momentum.

Level 1 beings.

Every single inhabitant.

In the world he had left behind, these people would be deemed deities.

Here, they were merely average citizens.

Bakers.

Blacksmiths.

Children chasing one another.

The power scaling of this realm was bordering on absurd.

Even Ethan felt a slight sense of being overwhelmed by this revelation.

Eventually, he emerged into the town square.

And there it stood.

The Guild Hall of Bronze Dawn.

The edificia dominated the plaza.

Constructed from dark stone, it featured bronze accents along the edges. The structure spanned three levels, with the tower Ethan had noted earlier rising directly from its center.

Two massive bronze doors formed the entrance.

Each measured nearly five meters in height.

Intricate carvings adorned the metallic surface, depicting warriors clashing with monstrous entities.

Ethan pushed a door open and entered.

The internal atmosphere was an unexpected contrast.

It felt warm.

Almost inviting.

A vast hall expanded before him.

Row upon row of wooden tables filled the area, occupied by groups dining, drinking, and engaged in spirited conversation.

The fragrance of roasted meat mingled with the scent of spiced wine.

Broad wooden boards densely covered with parchment documents lined the walls.

Individuals gathered around these stations in constant motion.

Missions.

Requests.

Contracts.

At the far end sat a massive counter.

Several clerks busied themselves, sorting through documents and consulting with guild members.

Overseeing the hubbub was a tall woman with dark hair streaked with silver.

Ethan made his way to the counter.

The woman lifted her head as he neared.

Her eyes were piercing.

The sort of gaze that omitted nothing.

"New face," she stated flatly.

"Outsider?"

Ethan offered a nod.

"I arrived today."

The woman offered a dry, short huff.

"You have no concept of your location, do you?"

"I understand I am in the World of Elysium," Ethan replied calmly.

"Beyond that, I know little."

One of her eyebrows arched slightly.

"At least you possess the virtue of honesty."

She set the papers she had been holding onto the desk.

"I am Sera."

"Reception administrator for Bronze Dawn."

"Registration follows a specific process."

"I am ready to listen," Ethan replied.

Sera gestured toward a wooden board adjacent to the counter.

"Initially, you must register your name and current level."

"Subsequently, you complete an initial assessment mission."

"That serves to demonstrate you aren't entirely inept."

"Following that, you are granted provisional membership for thirty days."

"Survive until that point, and you become a full-fledged member."

Ethan focused his gaze toward the board.

It displayed an extensive list of names accompanied by numerical values.

"Levels," he remarked.

"What is the measurement criteria?"

Sera cast a peculiar look at him.

"You truly are ignorant of everything. Was your arrival merely a matter of chance?"

"Yes," Ethan confirmed.

She reached under the counter to retrieve a small crystal sphere.

It was roughly the size of a fist.

A faint illumination emanated from within the crystal.

"Place your hand upon this."

"It gauges your strength."

"It will assign you a level."

Ethan inspected the sphere briefly.

Yumiko?

[The implement is safe.]

[It measures dimensional resonance exclusively.]

[It cannot track my presence.]

Ethan pressed his palm against the crystal.

Nothing occurred for an instant.

Then, the crystal flickered.

A subtle pulse of light propagated through the sphere.

Unexpectedly, the glow intensified sharply.

The crystal erupted in a brilliant blaze that illuminated the entire counter area.

Sera’s eyes widened in profound astonishment.

The radiance vanished as swiftly as it had emerged.

Within the crystal, glowing characters began to materialize.

These were symbols Ethan could not decipher.

Sera stared at the digits.

Then she shifted her gaze to Ethan.

Then back to the crystal.

"That is..."

Her voice trailed off in uncertainty.

Ethan waited with practiced patience.

Eventually, she cleared her throat.

"Level 2."

Her tone held a strange quality.

A mixture of skepticism and confusion.

"You represent Level 2."

Ethan blinked.

"Is that an inadequate result?"

Sera emitted a sharp, clipped laugh.

"Inadequate?"

"Not at all."

"It is simply most unconventional."

She shook her head slowly.

"The majority of outsiders arrive at Level 0."

"If they are exceptionally gifted, they might reach Level 1."

"But achieving Level 2 immediately?"

Her analytical gaze traveled over him once more.

More thoroughly this time.

"What precisely were you before arriving in this place?"

Ethan deliberated on the inquiry for a brief moment.

Finally, he provided an answer.

"Something akin to a vagabond."

Sera scrutinized him for several lingering seconds.

Then, she shrugged.

"Fine."

"Retain your secrets."

"Everyone hides something initially."

She seized a form and commenced writing.

"Name?"

"Ethan."

"Only Ethan?"

"For the moment."

Sera scoffed, yet recorded it regardless.

"Very well, Ethan who manifests at Level 2."

She retrieved a sheet of parchment from an orderly stack situated behind her.

Handing it to him, she spoke.

"Here is your initial task."

She tapped the document with a finger.

"South of the township, there is a farmer named Garrick."

"He has contended with corrupted beasts raiding his livestock."

"The creatures are quite feeble."

"Level 1, at the absolute maximum."

She sat back slightly.

"Go cull a few."

"Return with evidence."

"That will conclude your assessment."