The dirt path crunched softly under Lin's footsteps.Out here, the world felt… more real.The sensations clearer.The wind carried scents of wildflowers and freshly plowed earth.
A rustle to his right. He turned his head.
A field, a little farther out.An old man was pulling a plow with the help of a large black ox.Sweat gleamed on his brow, but his movements were steady.He only noticed Lin after a few moments.
"Hey! You don't look like you're from around here, kid."
Lin approached calmly, his gaze tracing the neat furrows in the soil.
"I'm not. Just discovering the area.""Heh. Another lost adventurer, huh? You'd best be careful… people have died around here lately.""I know."
The old man raised an eyebrow.Lin stared at him—serene, unafraid.Then his gaze dropped to the freshly cut lines in the dirt. He murmured:
"Nice work. You farm alone?""My sons are gone. So I plow. It's all I've got left."
Lin nodded.He placed a hand on a nearby tree, sensing the quiet rhythm of this land.Simple. Raw. Real.
He thanked the farmer with a silent nod, then resumed his walk.
Farther ahead, the road widened.It wove through gentle hills and patches of trees before opening onto a plain.
And there—majestic, surrounded by tall white stone walls—stood the city of Rhendell.
Blue flags fluttered atop the guard towers.A long line of merchants, adventurers, peasants, and pilgrims waited at the entrance.
Lin walked forward calmly.Two guards in standard armor stepped in his path.
"Halt! Identification?"
He looked up at them, without hostility.
"I'm new.""Name? Profession? Origin?"
He smiled.
"Kerow Lin. Dungeon Maker."
Silence.
The two guards exchanged a glance. One of them grimaced slightly.
"You kidding me? You hear the rumors? A rogue B-rank dungeon just wiped out an entire group recently. And you show up with that as your job?"
Lin remained composed.
"I told you—I'm new. I just want to see the city. Rest for a bit. That's all."
The younger guard frowned.
"We've got orders. Dungeon Makers must be registered with the Capital Guild, or reported to the local Magic Control Authority."
Lin shrugged.
"Then take me there."
There was a pause.
Then the older guard sighed.
"Follow us. And no funny business, got it?"
They passed through the great gate.The city opened before him—cobbled streets, shouting vendors, smells, voices, colors.
For the first time,Lin entered civilization… as a creator.