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 were

he found the whole thing too abstract and a little childish. In any pragmatic

Restrictions molded society.

Adventurers were still coexisting pretty well within the City, despite the lack of solid rules and sufficient

much as they tried to deny this

outsider, Noah could see patterns in their behavior which informed him that there were unwritten regulations

why they're still

didn't exist, or maybe the population of this city grew to an absurd degree—to the point where control

The status-quo

of easier options—was

the point where

"I wanted to change."

was silence

more. Of course, no one would get

behind stronger people

the latter part of his statement. He didn't think he needed to,

Less risks, more reward.

problem was with

myself." Noah's solemn tone oozed through

friend before moving here. Before we became friends, I used to comfort myself by thinking he was more pathetic than I

at least there was one guy who was worse

reason Noah spoke in

guy was secretly a lot better than I realized. He was stronger, smarter…

"I liked that."

to this friend of yours?

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

little, and

about his past

want to

lot safer there than in the North. But apparently, all

as far away from the war as possible. If

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