The outside world didn't look much different from the basin. It basically only had fewer trees.
There was still a lot of snow everywhere, and the majority of trees were conifers.
One difference of note was the general changes of elevation. The basin had only had mountains around it, and the inside of the basin had been rather even.
In contrast, the outside had far more mountainous terrain. Hills stretched across the landscape, and Alex could see some mountains.
Alex hadn't been to Alaska on Earth, but he assumed that Alaska would look a bit like that.
In the distance, Alex saw a small village.
The village was built on the side of a hill, and he could see around 100 houses made of stone.
Obviously, it was a rather small village.
"That's Coldew Village. You can ask for directions to Warrior's Paradise there," the guard said.
"How did you know that I want to go to Warrior's Paradise?" Alex asked.
"The Duke wrote in his letter that you wanted to join his academy. By the way," the guard said as he remembered something. "You might want to stay at Coldew Village for a while and earn some money."
"Money? Why?" Alex asked.
"The yearly exams for the academy have only recently finished. You either need to wait about eleven months or get some money for a special exam."
Alex didn't like what he had just heard.
This really was bad timing.
"Money, huh?" Alex said.
The guard laughed. "Yep, money is always a problem. It doesn't matter how powerful you become or what job you have. You always need money," the guard said.
"How much do I need?" Alex asked.
"Five gold coins," the guard answered.
Alex was a bit surprised. "That doesn't sound like a lot," Alex said.
The guard scoffed. "100 copper coins are a silver coin. 100 silver coins are a gold coin. One average apple costs one copper coin. Do the math yourself."
Alex did the math, and he took a deep breath.
Five gold coins were equivalent to 50,000 apples!
One apple, on average, had cost around 20 cents on earth. So, five apples were the equivalent of a dollar.
This meant that Alex would have to pay around 10,000 dollars to enter the academy!
That was a lot of money!
"Why is it so expensive?" Alex asked.
"Two reasons," the guard answered. "First, the academy also needs money. Second, if you want the academy to hold a test for only one person, you better not be a weakling. Strong warriors can earn a lot of money rather easily. For them, getting the funds shouldn't take more than a month."
"More power means more money, and the more money you have, the less it's worth in your eyes. A weak warrior that can't earn any money will think that this is far too much money, but a strong warrior can deal with the expense," the guard explained.
Alex nodded.
That was actually quite a smart policy.
However, that didn't stop Alex from hating the fact that he had to get so much money just to join some academy.
"How should I go about earning money?" Alex asked.
"Coldew Village doesn't have much money," the guard said. "However, Coldew Village is famous for its Ice Wood. Ice Wood comes from a tree called the Dripping Cold Tree. The Dripping Cold Tree absorbs a lot of Mana and converts it to Ice Mana, which is then stored in its wood. Ice Mages need that wood for a plethora of different things."
"So," Alex said, "you say I should get some of that Ice Wood and sell it at a nearby town?"
"Yes," the guard said. "Get a sled and a ton of Ice Wood. Transport it to Warrior's Paradise and sell it to a woodworker. That should be enough to cover your entrance fee."
"And how am I supposed to get my hand on a ton of Ice Wood?" Alex asked.
"Exchange your services for resources. Coldew Village is in the wilderness, and there are plenty of beasts that make issues. Ask the mayor for any troublesome beasts and kill them. Say you want to be paid in Ice Wood, and everything will be fine," the guard explained.
Alex scratched his chin in thought and nodded. "That should work. Thanks!" Alex said with a smile.
"No problem," the guard answered, but then, he extended his right index finger to show that he had one more thing to say.
"Keep one thing in mind," he said. "There are a lot of bandits around. It's okay to kill a bandit. In fact, it's even encouraged!"
"Don't die an early death because you feel pity for someone that just tried to take your life," the guard said.
Alex took a deep breath.
His death on Earth flashed through his mind.
He had already killed a human before, and he had certainly not enjoyed it.
Alex became a bit nervous when he thought about killing a human, but he knew that it was a necessity.
This world ruled on strength alone, and such a world couldn't possibly be peaceful.
Would Alex kill someone for more power?
Probably.
So, if Alex was willing to think about a human for power, others would certainly think like that too.
"I will keep that in mind. Thank you again for your advice," Alex said.
"No problem. Wish you luck in your entrance exam!" the guard said with a smile and a wave before going back to the pathway between the mountains.
Alex watched as the guard left and then focused on the village in the distance.
'A village, huh?' Alex thought. 'Back on Earth, such small villages are incredibly rare in very developed countries. I don't think I've ever been to such a small village before.'
Alex took a deep breath and jumped forward.
The mountains were on a higher elevation than the valley below him, and the street going downward was relatively steep.
Luckily, Alex was no longer in a thick forest.
Now, a path was in front of him.
Alex became faster and faster as he accelerated down the mountain.
The wind violently brushed against Alex's body, and Alex had never felt this free before!
Alex could run as fast as a car! Well, not as fast as a car going full-throttle, but he was still as fast as a car that drove outside any settlements. It wasn't highway level, but still pretty fast.
Alex looked at the village in the distance, and he could only smile.
Power!
Speed!
Freedom!
Maybe coming to this world wasn't so bad?
