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.

of freedom were lost

and a little childish. In any pragmatic

Restrictions molded society.

well within the City, despite the lack of solid rules and sufficient regulations, was because there were already

as they tried to deny this fact, it was

in their behavior which informed

why they're still

population of this city grew to an absurd degree—to the

The status-quo

so, the true reason Noah chose this path—despite a lot of easier

engrained within him; to the point where he could

"I wanted to change."

was silence in his

inquisitive voice caused Noah to smile even more. Of course, no one would get it if he

I hid behind stronger people and always

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

Less risks, more reward.

was with

myself." Noah's solemn tone

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

least there was one guy who was worse than

Noah

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

"I liked that."

happened to this friend of yours? Why

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 him. I wasn't

and Noah

was revealing so much about his past

didn't want to

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

no surprise, considering how most people wanted to be as far away from the war as possible. If anyone could afford it,

of living there was ridiculously high. Many would consider the quality