An Extra’s POV

"Ahh, that…"

Noah's face fell a little, and something akin to a sad smile added to his clouded countenance.

His tale wasn't particularly a sad story. Many Adventurers in the City had more tragic experiences to share.

However, for Noah, a sixteen-year-old teenager who had been living a pretty mundane life on Earth until three months ago, his story was just as heavy.

"I think… I realized that I had no other choice but to become strong." His smile broadened as he uttered those words.

Many would agree with him, but most were probably going to miss the point. No one could really understand the depths from which he uttered those words.

People desired to get stronger for various reasons.

Some wanted wealth.

'I already have more than enough money to retire to some countryside and live the rest of my life without worrying about sustenance.'

Some craved power.

'I have enough strength to be in the one percent of humans in this world.'

Some lusted after influence.

'I find attention annoying, and most of the time… I like being left alone.'

Women.

'I don't think most of them are anything special.'

Thrill.

'Nothing about fighting Monsters thrills me. It's a dangerous job.'

Noah didn't qualify for most of the reasons why most people desired to be Adventurers. He wasn't like the average Adventurers, and he didn't relate to most of the things they valued.

ideal of freedom were lost

the sentiment, he found the whole thing too abstract and

Restrictions molded society.

reason why the Adventurers were still coexisting pretty well within the City, despite the lack of solid rules and sufficient regulations, was because

as they tried to deny this

Noah could see patterns in their behavior which informed him that

why they're

to an absurd degree—to the point where control became

status-quo would

Noah chose this path—despite a lot of easier options—was due to a

point where he could not escape or deny

"I wanted to change."

was silence in his

to smile even more. Of course, no one would get it

to be a very weak and cowardly person. I hid behind stronger people and always looked for ways to benefit without

gotten rid of the latter part of his statement. He didn't think

Less risks, more reward.

problem was with the

hated myself." Noah's solemn tone

to comfort myself by thinking he was more pathetic than I was. He was average in every way, and

there was one guy

a reason Noah

I realized. He was stronger, smarter… better. He was better than me, than most people around us." A little

"I liked that."

this friend of yours? Why did

back on the chair that he sat on. "I wanted to run away. That guy was a monster who wanted to keep getting strong, and I knew he would drag me with

little, and

so much about his past to such a stranger, but somehow… he felt like

want to

wanted to travel South, since things are a lot safer there than in the North.

considering how most people wanted to be as far away from the war as possible. If anyone

of living there was ridiculously high. Many would consider the quality of life incredibly low for the