Chapter 118 - Stepping Off The Platform

The process of moving through the gate wasn't any different from what Tom and Claudia experienced many times over during their trip in the dungeon. The differences only started to appear once their transit was over. 

'Beautifull,' Tom thought as soon as he emerged from the portal. Stunned by sight, he was unable to make a single step. 

"MOVE AWAY!" Krater screamed before bodyslamming Tom out of the way. And right after that, Claudia appeared in the same spot that Tom did a moment ago. 

"Beautifull," she muttered silently, as stunned as Tom was a mere moment ago. 

"Did you already forget how risky it is to stand at the entrance?!" Krater lashed out at Tom while helping the young man stand up. 

"I'm sorry. It's just been too long since I last saw the light of the day," Tom apologized and excused himself, pushing his mind to its limits to keep his story cohesive.. 

After all, he couldn't just go and claim that it was his first time seeing this world in the first place!

"Now that you said it... You might be right." Krater lowered his head before shaking it. 

The only reason why the current leader of the party that Tom met in the dungeon could react so fast was that he and the rest of his party left the dungeon several minutes in advance. And now, this decision to let them go first proved to be pretty good. 

'I had my doubts about them, but I don't see any armed forces gathering around this place,' Tom thought, casting a sneaky glance all around. 

In theory, there were many ways to hide away from his eyes. But in reality, with how powerful Tom was at this point, he could sense the tiny fluctuations in the mana that any living being would case, making any attempt at hiding futile. 

"There is a reason why this is the very first thing you learn when you join the guild!" Krater said in an angry voice, pulling Claudia away by her hand. 

The entrance to the portal itself was starkly different from what Tom saw back in his homeworld. Instead of a massive structure securing the area around the portal to deny access to any unwarranted guests, this world adopted a more open-minded approach. 

The portal hung in the air, just like back in the dome back near Tom's home. Yet, instead of various types of security preventing access, the locals actually built quite a few structures aiming to help with the transport between the world and the dungeon. 

The platform on which all the returnees appeared was no different. Raised over five meters above the ground, it was made with massive chunks of stone bricks. The platform itself was full of elaborate carvings, ones that even precision cutting machines from Tom's world would have trouble finishing in a short period of time. 

And in a world clearly devoid of any electrical appliances, turning a simple stone slab into this kind of elaborate work of art had to take an unimaginable amount of effort. 

"I get that you avoided the city the last time, but I don't think it's a good idea to look for another place to sell your haul," Krater said. He then cast a quick look at the rest of his party already standing a few meters away. 

Rather than occupying the small platform, they all moved to the lower floor of the construction, where only a single set of stone stairs separated them from the ground itself. 

"The guild is going to be a problem. With no license..." Tom said, only to cut his sentence short and put a thoughtful look on his face. "Or nevermind," he suddenly appeared to change his mind as a small smile blossomed on his lips. "I think I know how to deal with it," he muttered before turning his eyes back to the newly met companion. "Would you mind leading us to the city?" Tom requested. 

"What are you even talking about?" Krater's eyes widened as he gasped for air in surprise. "You saved our lives. How could we even dare to deny?" he asked, shaking his head powerlessly as he exhaled the air he gasped in before. 

"I didn't want to pressure you into this. That's why to consider this a request as long as it's not too much trouble," Tom said, adopting a polite approach. 

In this world, his strenght mattered now. Just like back home, no matter how powerful he was personally, a well-organized unit would likely be able to take care of him. 

"As I said, we wouldn't deny it even if it actually was troublesome," Krater replied, shaking his head even faster. 

"Tom, do you have a moment?" Claudia asked, approaching the two from behind. 

"I will give you two some privacy, then," Krater said as soon as he heard the girl's request. With those words on his lips, he moved downstairs before grabbing the rest of his group and leading them down to the ground. 

"What do you need?" Tom asked, turning his face to the girl and lowering his voice just in case. 

"Do I really need to spell it out loud?" Claudia asked, adapting the volume of her voice as well. "This is a whole, new world!" She exclaimed while keeping the volume of her voice to a soft whisper. "While there is a lot that I would like to talk about regarding this discovery, I think there is one thing that you should be most interested in," she said as she raised her arms only to put her hands on Tom's shoulders. 

"There is a huge chance that your father isn't dead," she said, looking Tom straight in the eyes. 

"I know," the young man replied impassively, averting his eyes away. "While he might still be alive and messing in this world somewhere," he said, raising his eyes back only to shake his head the moment later, "but I don't want to raise my hopes yet." Tom bit on his lip. "Only when I find some..." he started speaking, only to cut his sentence short when the portal behind them suddenly lit up. 

Moving his eyes to the source of the event, Tom saw electric sparks travel all over the circumvention of the dark orb of the portal. Then, it appeared as if the entire portal squeezed, collapsed onto its core... Only to bounce back and throw a clump of matter out of its insides. 

"Hah," a man released his breath only to step down from the platform right away. Before long, the portal started to act up again, only to throw out yet another person. 

'I guess Krater was right about that thing everyone learns,' Tom thought, observing how everyone coming out of the portal would instantly move away from the landing platform. 

"Guys, hurry up!" Krator shouted from the ground where he brought the rest of his party. Looking at them from his elevated position, Tom couldn't help but notice the suspicious look still present in the beautiful eyes of the elven girl. 

'Fuck,' Tom shrugged when their eyes met. For some reason, he instantly averted his sight as a wave of bashfulness coursed through his body. 'Huh?' he thought, surprised by the reaction of his own brain. 'Did I turn into some kind of pre-school kid or something to act like that?' he thought, puzzled, while his cheeks turned slightly reddish. 

"Hmm?" Claudia muttered slightly, squinting her eyes as a small grin appeared on her face. "Your father's situation aside, I wouldn't mind getting her for a roll," she said as she bumped her elbow into Tom's side. 

"What, are you bi or something?" Tom asked, more interested in dropping the topic than actually learning the answer. 

"Not really," Claudia shrugged her arms as she grabbed Tom's hand and pulled him downstairs towards Krater's group. "But come on, aren't we here now?" she asked, clearly hoping to avoid any words or sentences that could betray how they perceived this place as another world, betraying their real identity in the process. "How could I resist the opportunity to take an elf for a roll?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear. 

"Once we sell our haul, we should have more than enough money to hire the most beautiful from some kind of brothel district," Tom said, instantly putting down the flames of Claudia's passion. "Don't forget that we can't act too high-key for now," he added as the two of them joined with the rest of the group. 

"Huh?" Claudia shrugged in surprise. "Why not?" she asked, only to look around in hopes of finding some clues. "What's wrong with claiming the position of strenght with the power we have?" she asked, clearly puzzled by Tom's approach to the topic. 

"Because of the mess that I'm about to kick in the guild," Tom replied with a lovely smile, unable to stop the hints of viciousness that already ran rampant in his soul. 

"Guys, I'm not sure we are supposed to hear that," Krater said with a troubled look on his face. 

"There is no need for you to worry," Tom replied, shaking his head as his vicious smile turned kind. "It's all just a plan to get them to issue us new licenses without forcing us to go through the standard ordeals," he said as his eyes moved towards the line of the horizon. 

The horizon where the outline of the town already started to appear. 

'A town in a new world,' Tom thought, barely capable of holding his excitement back. 'Let's see what this place has to offer for us!'