Book 1: Chapter 53

Aqua The two of us swim up to the large dome around the city before he asks if he can place his hand on my shoulder while we pass through. Since apparently the barrier keeps anyone not holding an id out. So the only way to let new hunters in is through a current hunter guiding them in personally. I can think of quite a few ways that sort of system could be abused, but it’s not my city, so I just nod my head and let him guide me inside of the dome. With the two of us stepping inside of the dry dome before landing on the ground in it with him removing his hand from my shoulder. But I barely pay attention to him as I look around the dome at the city and just the ocean beyond the dome. Because I have to admit, this is a beautiful place. Especially now that we’re on a higher depth in the water, making the water lighter in color. Albeit not too much lighter. We are still in what he calls the deep layer of the ocean after all. Just barely though. Actually, the monsters started getting weaker the closer we got here. So the monsters at this elevation are only around level 20 or so. About the same level as the middling range in the caves. Speaking of the caves, I bid farewell to that backpack that will forever stay in that cave. Along with my alarm clock. Good thing I kept everything I needed in my storage ring. Anyway, the city itself has one large street going in a massive ring around it, touching the dome. Letting the hunters entering the city land on that very street. Then that street is connected to various other streets creating a bit of a maze going through the city. Which is apparently done in a military style according to my friendly little tour guide. There’s something different about this particular Deep City – as he calls cities located in the deep layer – since it’s a Hunter’s City. And that’s the fact that there aren’t any actual homes here that are just homes. Anyone who lives in the Hunter’s City is a hunter or a craftsman. And all the buildings here are either inns, workshops, or barracks for monster defense. As for the Hunter’s Guild Building itself? That, according to the tour guide, is the large building at the center of the city. One in the form of a wide and rectangular tower. This world really does have a unique civilization. It’s actually rather fascinating. Even these buildings look rather unique. They’re all made from some sort of blue stone. One that can survive even if the city is flooded without any damage to the structures. It’s a type of stone found in the mid to lower depths of the deep layer according to the tour guide. And the environment of a city entirely meant for underwater monster hunters is interesting in its own right. But once we arrive at the large Hunter’s Guild, my attention refocuses. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The building itself has quite a few hunters inside of it. And I can’t help but notice a lot of looks sent my way. Some curious, others focused more on the man with me, but a few are more... irritating gazes. Although those particular gazes vanish the moment they identify me and see my level, making them beat a hasty retreat. My tour guide continues leading me into the building before we make our way towards one of the several receptionist desks. Where he says, “Could you please register Miss Aqua Fallen here with the guild?” The receptionist standing behind the desk – a woman with dark hair and eyes wearing a uniform – looks between me and him for a moment before focusing on him as she says, “So you found the First Ranker after all? Was she really in the caves training?” “Yep! I was surprised to find her with a serpial when I arrived,” my tour guide says, clearly omitting the part about me almost dying. “Ah, those things have been getting more antsy lately, so watch out for them, kay?” she says with a wink sent my way before smiling. “Call me Jen. I’m one of the receptionists at this branch, so if you ever need anything, come to me!” My tour guide leans into my ear as he whispers, “Don’t listen to her. She’s trying to get a bonus from taking all the work of the First Ranker.” I feel a faint wry smile stretch across my face at their amusing antics. “Hey! Don’t out me like that!” Jen exclaims with a huff as the other receptionists at other counters – half men, half women – chuckle at her outburst. And even some of the hunters at their desks do the same. Then she turns towards me and says, “How about we start with your registration, kay?” “Sure,” I nod my head as she pulls out some papers. Ugh. Paperwork. “This could take a while, Jal,” Jen says to my tour guide, using some sort of nickname. “You might want to check on Brigar while you’re here. I’m pretty sure he said he’s got something new to show you at the workshop.” “Ah, thanks Jen,” my tour guide says with a wide smile forming on his face. “I’ll be going now, but I’ll be back in one hour.” “Alright,” I state with a nod. “Thanks for the help, tour guide.” He blinks at that, making me realize I accidentally called him the nickname I was using in my head out loud. Oops? Jen and several of the other hunters here burst out into laughter. Meanwhile my tour guide just blushes in embarrassment, waves once, and leaves. Meh. He doesn’t look offended. So his nickname stays. “Let’s go to one of the private rooms and I’ll ask you several questions along with the paperwork,” Jen says with a smile still on her face, making me wonder if there’s some monster behind her smile. How could someone smile while talking about paperwork...? I’ve had way too much of that from my entertainment industry work already. And I’m sure Rhett does far more of it than me. We proceed to walk behind her desk to enter a room before sitting down on opposite sides of a table, where she begins to ask me several different questions. Ones like ‘have you hunted so and so monster’ and ‘where were you born’ with some sort of device tracking if I’m lying or not. And conveniently enough, none of her questions are actually problematic. Even the ‘where were you born’ question wasn’t a problem. After all, I have no idea where I was born. I just said that, and it worked perfectly fine. Honestly, I’m more interested in this device that tracks lies. How did they even make something like this so early on? Actually, how’d they make a device to breathe and speak so clearly underwater before the System even arrived? It’s a mystery, that’s for sure. I glance at the chat as she asks the last questions. [FREE INTERVIEW!!!!] [WE GET TO WITNESS A FREE AQUA INTERVIEW!] [WOOOHOOOOO!!!] I can’t help but raise a brow at their words. But I guess this is technically like an interview. In a way. Anyway, I lean forwards to begin filling out the paperwork. Only for something... unexpected... to happen a few seconds later. A loud beeping sound echoes in the room, startling me and the receptionist. Then my id appears in front of me – and judging by her gaze – in front of her as well. My mouth parts open when I see the name beginning to change on my id tag. “What. The. Fuck?” I ask out loud at the sight. Because my name is literally fucking changing right now. Which can only mean one thing. Someone with my birth certificate in the Alliance just submitted it to the legal offices. And it’s not hard to figure out who when I see my new family name behind my first name. I clench my fist as I glare at the word. Feeling both humiliated and infuriated at the idea of someone changing my name without even telling me. Even if it’s just my last name. But no matter how much I glare at it, confusing the receptionist, the name doesn’t change back. It stays. Glowing that same blue color as my Bloodline demands. [Aqua Orcayne – Bloodline: Unknown – Level 29] The damned Abyssal Orcas.