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.

freedom

he admired the sentiment, he found the whole thing too abstract and a little childish. In any pragmatic setting, there had

Restrictions molded society.

the lack of solid rules and sufficient regulations, was because there were already unspoken rules that existed within

as they tried to deny this fact, it

in their behavior which informed him that there were unwritten regulations that bound

why they're still

exist, or maybe the population of this city grew to an absurd degree—to the point where control became difficult—then the

status-quo

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

within him; to the point where he could not

"I wanted to change."

was silence in his

Of course, no

used to be a very weak and cowardly person. I hid behind stronger people and always looked

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

Less risks, more reward.

was with the

solemn tone oozed through the still

to comfort myself by thinking he was more

at least there

reason Noah spoke in past

came to realize that the guy was secretly a lot better than I realized. He was stronger, smarter… better. He was better than me, than most people around us." A

"I liked that."

happened to this friend of yours? Why

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

a little, and Noah

why he was revealing so much about his past to such a stranger, but somehow… he felt

didn't want

left the Capital and initially wanted to travel South, since things are a lot safer there than in the North. But

wanted to be as far away from the war as possible. If anyone could afford it,

ridiculously high. Many would consider the quality of life incredibly low