1 Crypt Tavern

As he once again gazed at the window of the "Crypt Tavern," nestled halfway in the underground city of Lamore, A Teenage apprentice wizard by the name of "Tucker" anxiously awaited someone's arrival.

Tucker hoped to see the person he was patiently waiting for, but that person was already an hour late for their appointment. His eyes scanned the street shrouded in darkness, but the awaited figure was nowhere in sight. The empty street was devoid of any signs of life.

"Could it be that this person just took the money and ran away?" Tucker wondered, rubbing his brows from time to time. After all, this guy was an assassin, and he had a reputation for swiftly evading danger in all his previous adventures with him.

However, upon careful consideration, Tucker dismissed this possibility. They were in the Land of Ashes during the Ash Night period, a time when the Ash Sun is covered with mist and cold and dessolation takes over, Lamore Tower City State was known as one of the safest places for miles around. It was highly unlikely for that assassin to escape before the next Ash Day arrived unless he wanted to hide with the kobolds in a cave for warmth.

"There must be a reason for the delay," Tucker concluded, although the item the assassin carried was of utmost importance to him. It was the key for Tucker to make the "system" play a significant role.

Tucker's tension began to ease as reason prevailed. His gaze shifted around the "Crypt Tavern." Except for a few adventurers who had missed the Ash Day window and found themselves drinking their sorrows away, and a couple of local drunks, no one disturbed him. Tucker adjusted his sitting position and continued to wait.

Recalling events from about three months ago, Tucker remembered, how he had gotten drunk during a company team-building event. But when he woke up, he found himself in a bizarre and otherworldly realm with roaring steam engines, supernatural occurrences, and the looming presence of death and evil all around.

It was one thing to wake up with a hangover after a drinking session, but waking up in a completely different world was a shock, to say the least. As the memories of the body he occupied settled in, Tucker had gradually accepted the reality of being in this dangerous, supernatural world, reborn as an apprentice wizard that shared the same name as himself 'Tucker'.

Being sixteen again offered him, a fresh start, with the hope of repeating the peculiar habits of his young colleagues in his original world. All the signs point in this new life were pointing toward exciting places.

Tucker who was young again was brimming with ambition, eager to showcase his talents and embrace his new life. But after enduring nine twilights without proper meals and fighting with his life at stake, he faced the harsh reality of this harsh world he found himself in.

In this life, he realized he was just an orphan, as the parents of this body had died tragically in "Tide of Ash," which was a period when the creatures of the crypt emerged and swarmed the city, he who had taken over this body was now left with only a small cave cabin that once belonged to his parents.

Despite being a Level 5 [Apprentice Wizard] when he came to this world, Tucker discovered that there were many other individuals stuck at this level in the city-state of Lamore Tower.

However, before Tucker succumbed to starvation, he was fortunate to receive the benefits of a Transmigrated person which was his very own system, the Area Mining system, which Tucker considered this his golden opportunity, allowing him to anchor an area, mining experience, and other speciality resources over long-term ming time. With this system in place, Tucker's panic subsided, and he embarked on a journey of mining resources.

In just the past three months, Tucker was able to raise his level from 5 to 9, significantly improving several of his extraordinary heredity skills. But he was aware that the areas he had anchored were all "ordinary," offering him the most common resources.

Tucker desperately needed to anchor a rare area abundant in energy and be able to obtain those rare resources that were capable of transforming him.

Finally, in a cryptic tavern on this fateful day, the opportunity Tucker had been waiting for arrived with a resounding "Bang!" The door swung open, and a group of figures rushed in, closing the door behind them to escape the bone-chilling cold.

Among the newcomers was a young assassin of seventeen or eighteen with short blue hair, dressed in silver-white leather armour and a linen veil. His face, handsome but distorted by the cold, turned white.

Muttering about the frigid weather, the young assassin approached the bartender and ordered a glass of Butter Beer, the favoured drink of adventurers in the Land of Ashes, to ward off the cold.

After a few sips, his face took on a rosy hue. Tucker, ever calm, remarked, "If you didn't show up, I might've thought you'd run off with the money i gave you. Besides, you're an hour and a half late, Carlos."

Carlos, an assassin with the sequence [Assassin], turned to Tucker without a hint of contempt, obviously recognizing his competence from their previous adventure.

Carlos had seen Tucker's quick, precise, and ruthless approach in action, which had saved the team from disaster more than once. What impressed him even more was Tucker's remarkable escape speed, unusual for a wizard.

Moreover, Carlos had worked with Tucker and was familiar with his adventures on Ash Day, where he faced dangerous situations and emerged unscathed while those who crossed him met grisly fates.

In response to Tucker's playful accusation, Carlos jokingly retorted, "Are you kidding? I wouldn't dare run off with your money. But I'd be more concerned about running for my life going out at a time like this, I'm still baffled at myself as to why I would listen to you."

He chuckled and continued, "I was on my way, but my sister stopped me to lecture me. You know how she is, especially after our last dangerous escapade."

Carlos paused, then explained, "Last time we went to such a hazardous place, and my sister has quite the temper…"

Tucker couldn't help but feel envious of a guy named Carlos for having such an exceptional sister. Carlos's sister possessed a rare combination of talent and beauty, earning her the admiration of Wizard Count Larmore. What's more, she was also supported by the higher up of the tower.

As their glasses of butter beer emptied, Tucker leaned in, his voice hushed. "Are you ready?"

Carlos nodded cautiously. "Yeah."

Carlos, concerned for his companion's well-being, asked, "Are you certain about venturing into that forbidden area in Larmore Tower? If anything goes ary, expulsion won't be your only concern; your life may be at stake."

Tucker's tone was nonchalant as he added, "You don't have to go if you're not comfortable with it."

Carlos chuckled, replying, "Haha... You promised me, remember? If I find anything..."

He cast a wary glance around the tavern, ensuring their conversation remained discreet. Although the other patrons paid no mind to their discussion, Carlos was wise enough to keep it brief.

With their decision made, Tucker rose from his seat, his eyes briefly scanning a quiet corner of the Crypt Tavern. Then, he headed for the exit, and Carlos followed suit.