Three days afterward.
Starting that day, the White Raven guild had a two-story building in the city of New Beginnings. It was located in the Guild District where all the other guilds active in Edinburgh had their branches.
The building looked old and decrepit. Arrays and runes previously carved in the premises had been erased in haste. As a result, some runes meant to exude light were turning off and on sporadically. Like some haunted theme park made for mortals' entertainment.
It had broken windows and cracked walls. The arrays meant for water generation had malfunctioned, spraying jets of water in between.
It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that the building needed a thorough revamp. Eren felt like discarding all his tasks and becoming a robber to satiate his ever-increasing need for money. No matter how much he earned and conned people, his needs would always find ways to make holes in his sleeves.
"*Sigh This is all I can do on such short notice, Eren. I hope you are not too discouraged."
Levine said while walking seductively ahead of Eren inside a large and empty hall of the White Raven guild. She had gotten rid of the hood and cloak that came with it. As a result, her bodacious curves were out in the open for Eren to see.
Eren's mana sense registered Levine's presence clearly after he took off her red cloak. He guessed that the apparel was what kept her ranking status hidden.
Levine had entered the liquid stage of the B-Rank in such a short time. Or to be precise, she had gained her regressed rank back after recovering this whole time. From the looks of it, she was closer to breaking through the solid stage.
With her restored rank and powers, Levine also looked younger and more beautiful than before. It was as if she was traveling back in time as she advanced in her rank.
And yet, Eren didn't try to ogle at Levine's increasing feminine charms. He stuck to complimenting her in the nicest way possible. The butcher knew when not to think with his dick after all.
"Haha! I am not in a position to bargain, Master Levine. This is already more than enough. So what if it is far away from the main road of the guild district? We'll manage just fine."
Eren said while smiling mirthlessly. He meant what he said. Having his presence in the guild district was critical for him and his guild, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
"I got this place from Amazeballs Assassins. Hehe. That's a funny name for a guild. Anyway, I heard the guild's main party was half-wiped in Monster Canyon and the other half was injured severely.
Their misfortune helped us get this property easily and within our budget. I just hope the place doesn't become a curse for budding guilds.
Don't repeat the previous owner's mistakes, Eren. Stay vigilant in Monster Canyon no matter how simple the missions might seem."
The previous owner of the building was a relatively small guild that had decided to close its shop and move elsewhere. Levine had used her contacts to get this place for herself and leased it to the White Raven guild without any harsh conditions.
Monster Canyon!
Eren chuckled depressingly when he heard Levine's warning. He knew the horrors of the Monster Canyon first hand.
After all, this was the place he had died in his previous timeline.
Even at that time, he hadn't underestimated it. It was just that Monster Canyon had a habit of catching rankers off guard.
A part of him wanted to tell Levine that Monster Canyon was not something that would spare you if you just stayed vigilant. It was also not the place that would give you rewards proportional to your efforts.
The place was just unpredictable.
The city of New Beginnings was created as a result of Monster Canyon's existence. It started as some well-known guilds of the past coming under one roof under the then king's orders and deciding to do clean-up operations with the military's help. As more guilds came and started following the pattern, a new city was built over time.
The name of the city captured the emotions of every ranker that wanted to explore Monster Canyon. Though the place carried huge risks, it was also packed with unimaginable opportunities. Opportunities that can lead to new beginnings. Or a tragic end for that matter.
The rankers that had benefited from exploring Monster Canyon were too many to keep track of. The figure almost surpassed the number of rankers who had gone missing in the place, never to be seen or heard from again.
Apart from the riches and exceptional rewards it had to offer, Monster Canyon was also famous for one more thing. It helped rankers achieve breakthroughs when they were struggling with their bottlenecks. The nature of the mana in the place was such that it allowed rankers to advance to the next level or rank.
The place was known as a monster haven because of its peculiarity. It was a giant land that had many entrances and exits.
The monster-influenced mana was strong in the Monster Canyon. It had many monster nests, monster settlements, and monster dungeons that had unknown origins. Even the mana beasts that existed in the Monster Canyon were mostly tamed by monster settlements into doing the monsters' bidding.
Monster Canyon was a place for heroes and rising stars. It was a place for those who wanted to be more than their supposed limiters placed upon them.
It was also a place for desperados and daredevils. It was a place where one would turn to when all their options had been exhausted.
Eren of the past timeline had come here to have a new beginning just like everyone else. It was also to get rid of the bottleneck that had been bothering him for years.
In the end, Monster Canyon had claimed his life.
But in a way, it had also provided him with the new and refreshed beginning he craved for. The city of New Beginnings had delivered what it had promised to give to its population with its name.
'Back to square one. With higher stakes than before, with a better game than before.
Monster Canyon... Oh, Monster Canyon. Let's see who prevails this time.'
Eren said while clenching his fists. He subconsciously brought his fists closer to his groin in a defensive stance when he remembered the tragedy that had struck him moments before his death.
Eren had a score to settle with the place. Not just for claiming his life, but the way it had been claimed as well.
AN: Thanks Drin27 for your super gift. ;)
