Not far away, beneath the corner of a wall, stood two men dressed as mercenaries. Leaning against the weathered wall, they spoke quietly about their lives, their faces weary and their words full of life's bitterness and helplessness.
"I'm already in my twenties, and I'm still only a third-level warrior. Every day, I risk my neck taking escort jobs and seeing them through, out in the wind and rain, risking my life to earn money. In the end, it's barely enough to keep my family fed and clothed. I can't even save a little extra. Living is so hard." The older mercenary sighed, his eyes full of uncertainty and bitterness. "Who knows when I'll finally break through to the fourth level and become an intermediate warrior? Then the pay and conditions for escort work would be much better, and my family could have an easier life. If I really do break through, I'll use my first paycheck to buy my wife the food and pretty dresses she's been talking about for so long. But breaking through is just so hard..."
Hearing this, the mercenary beside him also sighed helplessly, his voice growing even more downcast. "You're already much better off than I am. You have your parents at home to help look after things. Your wife might like making a fuss, but that's because she cares about you and worries about you. Having someone fuss over you is better than being all alone like me. My wife complains every day that I'm useless and can't earn any money. The moment I get home, all I hear is her grumbling and nagging. I almost don't want to go home anymore. I wish I could hurry up and break through to intermediate warrior, or even advanced warrior. Once I have strength and