He had become level 3 on the first day, and he thought on the second day he would reach level 5.

However even after four days of battle, he was still stuck at level 5 with only 30 percent progress. He had just become level 5 yesterday, and leveling up was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Yes, it seems we need to search for stronger ground. The area around the beginner village has monsters below level 5. Killing them now feels like killing chickens," Reigns spoke.

Ren lowered his bow completely this time but still kept it ready in his hand. He glanced toward Reigns.

"To go further, we need to go deeper, and we might need to camp. Your farming might be affected," Ren muttered.

"Don’t worry about that," Reigns replied without hesitation.

Arvin paused for a moment and then turned his head toward the girls. His expression became a bit more serious.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I have no problems, but you ladies might feel a bit uncomfortable," he added.

Mira looked at Lyra when she heard that. She did not speak and waited for Lyra’s response.

Lyra took a small breath and then spoke calmly.

"As you know, I am just a support and useless in combat. If I don’t have such a good team, I would be exploited."

Reigns heard that and thought for a moment. He wanted to say that she could spend to level up, but then he stopped. He knew that in this place, not everyone had good intentions, and even mercenaries could develop crooked thoughts.

The group fell silent for a short while. They exchanged looks and understood each other without needing many words.

After a brief round of discussion, they all came to the same decision.

...

Reigns walked back along the familiar dirt path that led to his farmland, and the scent of damp soil and crushed leaves filled the air while the quiet rustle of crops swaying in the breeze reached his ears. From a distance, he could already see movement ahead, and as expected, the place was crowded again.

He did not slow down at first because he was already used to this, and ever since he started growing Splash Shooter plants, the land had gained quite a bit of attention. He had never tried to hide it, and word had spread quickly among both awakened and merchants.

Having a name was not that bad.

As he got closer, the noise became clearer, and people were talking over each other with voices filled with curiosity and excitement. Most of them were awakened from his world, while some were merchants who had come with offers in their eyes and calculations in their minds.

"I heard this plant can attack on its own."

"No way, it has to be some kind of trick."

"I am telling you, I saw it myself."

"Sell it to me. I will pay well."

Reigns ignored them as usual because he had already refused such offers many times, and he was not interested in selling something like this so easily. However, this time something felt different, and a faint sense of unease slowly crept into his mind.

His steps slowed, and then they stopped completely.

"This..."

His eyes widened as his gaze moved past the usual crowd, and what he saw immediately changed his expression.

Among the gathered people stood several individuals wearing uniforms, and their posture was straight while their expressions were controlled and emotionless. They did not speak like the others, and they did not push or crowd, but instead they simply stood there with quiet authority.

Reigns’ focus sharpened instantly, and his eyes moved above their heads where the levels floated clearly.

Level 14. Level 15. Some even higher.

A cold feeling ran down his spine because these were not ordinary guys, and the difference in presence was obvious even without looking at their levels.

His body tensed without him realizing it, and his instincts told him to be careful, so he did not step forward immediately this time and instead observed them closely.

The chatter slowly died down as more people noticed him, and the noise that once filled the area faded into a low murmur. Then suddenly, someone shouted loudly.

"He is here!"

Every head turned toward him at once, and dozens of eyes locked onto him. Some were curious, some were greedy, and some were simply watching without showing any clear emotion, but none of them rushed forward like before.

Instead, something else happened as the crowd began to move on its own, and people stepped back while making space. The noise continued to fade as a path slowly opened in front of Reigns, and the shift in atmosphere became even more obvious.

He did not move and just stood there while watching carefully.

From within the parted crowd, a figure stepped forward, and it was an old man who held a cane in one hand while his movements were slow but steady. His clothes were simple, yet there was something about him that did not match the rest of the surroundings, and it created a strange contrast.

The moment Reigns’ eyes met his, a chill spread through his body, and although it was not visible and not loud, it was undeniably there.

Pressure.

Reigns’ gaze instinctively shifted above the old man’s head, and the moment he saw it, his pupils shrank slightly.

Lv???