After exiting the Labyrinth once again,
Daniel immediately noticed something different—the gazes from others were much more intense.
Clearly, the news about him breaking record after record in the Labyrinths had already spread far and wide.
And his fame was rising just as fast.
Daniel knew perfectly well that efficiency was key at the moment.
Without hesitation, he went to a general store and bought himself a mask, pulling it over his face to avoid unnecessary attention.
What he didn't know, however, was that his unbelievable clear times had already caught the attention of multiple major powers—some of which were already preparing to extend their olive branches.
Castle Mington.
Daniel boarded an airship bound for a faraway land: the Whitewild Expanse.
The name "Whitewild Expanse" came from the area's peculiar flora—the grass wasn't green like elsewhere, but a soft, shimmering white.
From afar, the endless pale plains seemed otherworldly—both majestic and eerie.
No one knew just how vast the Whitewild Expanse truly was.
Even demigod-ranked multi-racial exploration squads had failed to map it out completely.
According to those demigod-level experts, the Whitewild Expanse was constantly expanding.
Every year, especially around the Awakening Day, it would undergo mysterious changes—new zones, new phenomena, and most notably, new Labyrinths would spontaneously emerge.
As for the reason behind this... not even the demigod scholars had answers.
In the end, they attributed it all to Supreme Forces Beyond Understanding.
As the airship gradually descended, Daniel finally arrived at a border settlement known as the Eldor Tribe.
Despite being traditionally elven territory, the Eldor Tribe was home to merchants from many different races.
It was one of the rare few elven communities that openly welcomed outsiders.
Daniel even spotted several half-elf hybrids in the streets.
Unfortunately, these hybrids weren't well-received by their full-blooded kin and often lived at the very bottom of society.
Some of the female hybrids had no choice but to make a living in pleasure houses.
Everything he saw filled Daniel with endless curiosity.
According to human laws, anyone who had not yet awakened a talent was forbidden from leaving their territory—humans were simply too weak before awakening.
Even though Daniel was a prince, he had never been allowed to leave the capital of the Tin-Silver Empire before this.
Now, for the first time, he had stepped into elven lands.
As he walked through the bustling streets, Daniel couldn't help but stare a little longer at the stunning elves.
Their flawless beauty made them look like they had walked straight out of a fantasy painting.
"This... this is what a real fantasy world should look like."
"Maps! Who needs a Whitewild Expanse map? Only 10 gold coins—save yourself from getting lost!"
"Hey, you really have no shame. A tier-7 adventurer, scamming newcomers with overpriced maps? You think they're all fools? The Adventurers' Guild sells them for just 1 gold coin!"
"Hey, don't judge me. You know how hard it is to advance at my tier? Without gold coins, I can't do anything."
"Exactly. Gold coins are the only real value here. If we weren't locked out of lower-level Labyrinths due to tier restrictions, do you think we'd waste time trying to sell maps for a measly 10 gold?"
…
Starting from Tier 6, adventurers would be eligible for their second Talent Star Upgrade.
For Daniel, this meant that when he reached level 60, he'd undergo his second class change.
Unlike the first upgrade, the second one came with a massive increase in difficulty.
Leveling up from 60 to 100 was considered a gaping chasm—a monumental leap.
For most adventurers with mediocre talents and no special luck, reaching level 100 was something they might never achieve in their entire lives.
The third Talent Star Upgrade, in particular, was known for being brutally difficult.
It was said that the success rate was less than 1%.
Across all races, including humans, Tier-10 (Level 100) was the recognized gateway to true power.
"Young man, need a map? Mine is way more detailed than the ones from the guild. Just 10 gold coins, and it'll save you hours!"
"I've got a secret strategy guide for the Whitewild Expanse—1,000 gold coins!
What? Too expensive? Do you have any idea how many of our team died to get this information?!"
Soon enough, several younger adventurers gave in to temptation and began pulling out their savings.
For rookies, knowledge meant safety, and safety was worth spending money on.
There were even middle-class families who brought their children to the Whitewild Expanse for training.
These parents were the main customers for expensive strategy guides.
"Madam, are you also here to train your child? I run a premium chat group—interested? The kids can team up and look after each other!"
"No, no! Come join our group! We've got an S-rank talent mentor available for coaching!
Yes, there's a fee, but it's perfectly fair and follows market rates!"
"Dear lady, surely you don't want your child to fall behind at the starting line?"
The noise around him grew increasingly chaotic, causing Daniel to frown.
He quickened his pace.
After pushing through the noisy marketplace, Daniel headed straight for the entrance to the Whitewild Expanse.
The Whitewild Expanse was a vast region of pale grasslands stretching endlessly into the distance.
Scattered throughout its terrain were teleportation gates, as well as countless monsters.
As with any dangerous place, the risk came hand-in-hand with immense reward.
According to the books Daniel had read, the Expanse contained numerous treasure chests, rare crafting materials, and even entire mana stone mines in certain corners.
In short, if Labyrinths were dungeons, then the Whitewild Expanse was the open-world wilderness.
Daniel's main goal here was to track down the newly spawned World Rank Bosses that had appeared after the latest expansion.
But before that… he needed a proper mount.
"Shopkeeper! What's your fastest mount?"
"Swiftwind Horses? Got anything faster?"
The owner of the stables—a chubby elf—gave Daniel a curious look.
After a brief silence, he spoke:
"Well… there are faster ones. But they're expensive."
Then, the elf reached into his robe and pulled out a secret mount list, handing it to Daniel.
[Lightning Warhorse – 9,999 gold coins/day – Speed: 800 mph]
[Flying Cloud Chocobo – 19,999 gold coins/day – Speed: 1,200 mph]
[Shadow Leopard – 29,999 gold coins/day – Speed: 1,500 mph]