Erik's eyes darted around the crowded shopping center, searching for a path through the maze of stalls and shops.
He approached a random person walking by and asked where to make his ID again since he had lost his.
The individual indicated with his hand towards a structure that bore the neon sign "Administration Office" above the entrance to a building.
The office was a glass building with a slick contemporary design that starkly contrasted the other shops and places inside this weird gate-shopping mall. The neon lights framed the entrance cast a warm and inviting light on those waiting outside. People gathered together to form a line extending from the entrance and wound its way through the surrounding stores. Despite the apparent chaos, there was an unspoken order to it all.
Some people were engaged in animated conversation with their companions, their voices mingling with the crowd's buzz.
After giving an appreciative nod to the man, Erik started walking in the indicated direction. As he got closer to the office, he noticed a crowd congregating around the entrance, and everyone in the crowd appeared to be very annoyed. Maybe it was because of the crowd, or maybe because they had to settle something big, but there wasn't anyone not having that expression on their face.
The presence of so many people was disconcerting. Erik was well aware of the peculiarities of his situation; he was well-known in Frant and needed extreme caution.
The very last thing he wanted was to be recognized by someone in that crowd, especially in such an unpredictable setting. It was a risk he was not willing to take, so he decided to stay as far away from the crowd as possible.
Erik waited just far enough away from the entrance to be able to hack into the computers inside and let the System do its job. The continuous stream of people went in and out of the building or walked past him.
< System, can you connect to the computers from here?> the young man asked. The biological supercomputer replied immediately.
[ANSWER: YES. WHAT YOU NEED ME TO DO?]
<Connect to the computers and create a fake identity for me. However, keep my name the same aside from the surname; I want to avoid confusion and possibly weird situations. Erik is a relatively common name, after all.> The young man gave his orders; there was determination in his eyes but a slight apprehension. He hoped no one would find out his identity was fake and wondered if someone would check it in the future. Everything depended on the biological supercomputer, but he was sure the AI wouldn't make any mistakes.
<Also, make sure that the date the ID was made is not suspicious.>
[UNDERSTOOD. CONNECTING TO "ADMINISTRATION OFFICE" COMPUTER NO. 7. CONNECTION COMPLETE. STARTING FORGING PROCEDURE. PLEASE WAIT.]
While he had to wait, Erik found himself fixating on a nearby weapon shop. He couldn't resist the allure of the sword proudly displayed in the shop window. His Flyssa had accompanied him on many adventures, but it was evident to him that the weapon started becoming obsolete. The weapon couldn't be used against too strong Thaids since it would shatter their bones and skin. He had to replace the weapon.
Erik's gaze was drawn to the weapon. It was a piece of artwork bearing the signature of the illustrious artisans of Etrium.
Eshalt, an ore of lower quality than Aclaitrium with lower mana conductivity but affordable to the masses, was most likely used in constructing the blade.
The artificial lights directed onto the weapon revealed a kaleidoscope of colors when it illuminated the metallic surface. The blade had a complex wave pattern, and the metal made it shine almost iridescently, indicating the enormous amount of heat and force used in its creation.
The blade's edge was as sharp as a razor, a menacing guarantee of instant retribution. The hilt of the sword held the same allure as the blade itself.
It appeared to be crafted from jet-black obsidian, carved, and polished to a smooth finish by a skilled craftsman. Along the length of the hilt, there were embedded miniature iridescent gemstones.
In the center, there was a symbol, possibly the maker's signature, etched into the obsidian in a silvery script that was barely visible unless one knew where to look.
This emblem could be found in the center of the object. The young man was taken aback by the craftsman's skill and the weapon's beauty. Despite imagining it was worse than one made of Aclaitrium ore, the craftmanship behind it and the weapon's beauty left the young man stunned.
[TASK COMPLETE. ID FORGED. THE HOST CAN FREELY USE IT WITHIN ETRIUM'S TERRITORY. HOWEVER, A PHYSICAL COPY OF THE ID MUST BE MADE. SINCE THE USER DOES NOT HAVE IT, THE BEST THING TO DO WOULD BE TO GO TO THE ADMINISTRATION CENTER AND REQUEST A NEW ONE TO BE MADE. IT IS SUFFICIENT TO SAY THAT THE USER LOST IT WHILE HUNTING.]
<Tell me the info you inserted.> The young man said to his loyal companion. He couldn't risk messing up now that his goal of entering the city was within reach.
[UNDERSTOOD. HERE ARE THE SPECIFICS:]
|ETRIUM IDENTIFICATION|
|PHOTO
| FIRST NAME: ERIK
| LAST NAME: KAY
| DATE OF BIRTH: 08 / 11 / 3025
| AGE: 17
| BIRTH CITY: NOKISI POINT
| BIRTH NATION: ETRIUM
| OCCUPATION: MERCENARY
| CURRENT RESIDENCE:
| Street: 225 SERENITY LANE
| City: NOKISI POINT
|Postal Code: ET67309
| SEX: MALE
| HEIGHT: 170 cm
| WEIGHT: 65 kg
| EYE COLOR: BROWN
| HAIR COLOR: BLACK
| BRAIN CRYSTAL POWER: FORCE MANIPULATION
| Unique Identification Number: ETR7893456123
<Hey, System. It says I'm a mercenary, but what if they check if it is true?>
[ANSWER: I ALREADY MADE A FILE FOR YOU IN THE MERCENARY GUILD BY CONNECTING TO THE DATABASE THROUGH TESTROVSC'S REST MERCENARY GUILD HEADQUARTERS DATABASE. I INSERTED NOKISI POINT AS YOUR REGISTRATION HUB. I ALSO CREATED A FAKE BIRTH CERTIFICATE SO THERE WON'T BE ANY PROBLEMS REGARDING THIS MATTER.]
<Good. People will think I came here for more opportunities instead of staying in Nokisi Point since it is oversaturated with mercenaries and the Band of Giants monopolized the best hunting grounds.>
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