Chapter 230: Arriving in the Outskirts
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 230: Arriving in the Outskirts
In a flash, our surroundings changed. Erani, Ainash, and I were all suddenly standing in a completely new areaa massive building constructed around the Teleportation Circle. We were no longer in the town of Salvation, but rather in the capital city of the Barinruth EmpirePrecipice.
The building was a massive cube, probably almost a hundred paces in each direction, all made around the Circle. I had to imagine a place like this was expensive to build; Salvation just had its Teleportation Circle set up in the middle of the woods outside the town. And more than that, this whole place was fitted with countless defense measures. There were armed guards crawling the floor, massive weapons set up on balconies lining the walls armed and ready to fire, and by the looks of it, it even seemed like the support pillars keeping the roof up were rigged to be easily knocked down, so they could collapse the entire building if need be.
Halt! a voice said the moment I tried to take a step forward. It was an armored guard standing off to the side of the circle, hand already on her sword. Do not move until we finish questioning you. What are your names?
Gods, paranoid much? I muttered. Then, in a louder voice, I answered, Annor Ton.
Eita Niin, Erani called out as well.
The woman, looking at a paper, nodded. Then she pointed at Ainash. And the monster?
Shes unlicensed, I responded. But officially shes currently under our responsibility.
Mhm. She nodded. Okay, we will put you under Truth Stone to verify your identity and intentions in coming here. Please stay where you are.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.
I sighed and mentally asked Index to prepare to help me get past the Truth Stones once again. This whole process seemed like it was gonna take a while.
The process did, in fact, take a while. Several hours later, we were through the many security checks necessary to leave the building, and collecting our gear from a large tabletheyd confiscated pretty much everything not attached to our bodies and thoroughly examined that, too.
Is that everything you brought with you? another woman asked. Shed been the one to throw everythingquite roughly, I might addonto the wooden table for us to sort through.
Uhyeah, I think so, I said, sifting through my backpack, all its contents having been rearranged by the examiners. Oh, actually, theres one thing missing. It should look like a small puck of shaped metal, about as wide as an arm.
Lemme check in the back for you, she said, ducking into a side room. Eventually she came back out, with a noticeable lack of my missing item. It was Enchanted, right?
Yeah.
Theyre still looking over it. Its apparently got a weird configuration, or something; I dunno anything about that stuff. Anyway, itll be another few minutes.
I fought the urge to groan in frustration. I understood why they were cautious of that itemit was one of those prosthetic arms thatd been attached to the enemy soldiers Jon brought in, and those things had even confused Index when it examined thembut Id still spent more than enough time going through these rigorous security checks, and was not happy to hear itd be yet more time before Id get out of here.
Er, were here for the capital city, Erani said, making conversation with the woman while we waited. Which road should we take to get there fastest? Or are we close enough that it doesnt matter?
Theres only one road heading out of here, so youll just walk down there for about a days worth of travel before you get to the outer walls, she said.
Wait, a days worth of travel? I asked. Were really that far away?
She nodded, face betraying no emotion. Just be glad youre not at the eastern arriving circle; that ones three days away from the city.
Are there any places we can stock up before the journey?
Nope. Youre pretty much in the middle of nowhere, right now.
Well. Good to know, I guess.
Yeah, yeah, she said, smiling. You have my sincerest apologies.
Unfortunately, my pride has been wounded too severely. I can only accept your apology if you give me a compliment equal to your grave insults.
Erani gave me an unamused look. Except, there was still a hint of amusement there, it was just well-hidden.
I just called you the love of my life, I said. Surely thats earned something in return.
I Erani suddenly looked extremely flustered. You said that as a joke. You dont get to retroactively decide it was serious.
What if I say it again, but totally seriously this time?
Well now, youve ruined the moment anyway. Its too late.
Ah, damn. Unfortunate. Though, to be fair, it wouldnt be as meaningful a phrase coming from me, considering how many lives I have. So saying youre the love of my current life doesnt hold much commitment to it. Id have to say something like, I looked over to her with as serious an expression as I could muster, Erani, you hold more importance to me than anything in the worldin my current life, in any futures I may live, and in all the pasts Ive experienced. In all of those times and all times to come, you will never stop meaning everything to me. So please, stay by my side forever, and I will do everything in my power to ensure you never regret that decision. Id have to say something like that.
Erani stared back at me, red in the face, then shut her eyes and shook her head, lightly slapping my chest. You seriously cant joke around saying things like that!
I laughed, wrapping an arm around her. What if I said Im just practicing for our wedding day? Would that be too much?
She looked at me. Yes. That would be too much.
Fine, fine. Then Im just practicing for some nonspecific day that may or may not come in the future when I say that seriously.
She sighed. Thats only a little bit better.
An hour of walking later, we came across a group of travelers going in the same direction as us. Id been periodically using Expedite to speed us up, so it seemed like we caught up with the people going at normal speeds. They were traveling in a caravan, three lined up wooden carts wobbling along as best as they could on the thin road. Though, these carts didnt seem to be drawn by anything at all, instead turning their own wheels through some sort of surely complex system of Enchantments.
Ho there! I called out with a wave, having swapped into Dark Plate as soon as we saw their silhouettes ahead of us. Dont mind us, just coming up from behind!
A middle-aged woman poked her head out from the middle cart, looking back at us and squinting. Our forms were assuredly startling to anyone who saw uswith me and Erani looking somewhat monstrous in our disguised forms, and Ainash literally being a monsterbut thanks to my warning, she at least knew we were friendly. Eventually she called back, Are you three adventurers? Headed for Precipice?
Pretty much, I replied. And yes, were going to the capital.
Come then, sit with me! Id like some company with a few Levels under their belts, especially now that were headed for Sand Hive territory.
Sand Hive? I asked, slightly speeding up in my walking so I could catch up with the carts.
Ah, are you new to Precipices surrounding deserts? Yes, this place is crawling with the Sand Hive monsters. Terrifying, deadly beasts that get aggressive if you dont respect their territory.
Are you planning on doing that?
I surely dont plan on getting attacked, but Id like some insurance in case I do. Ive got some hired guards, but thats more for any roving bandits trying to intimidate the coin out of me. If youre a group of dedicated monster hunters, Im sure youd be happy to sit in one of my shaded carts in exchange for some help in the case that a disaster does strike?
Shaded? I glanced at Erani, who also perked up at the mention of respite from the sweltering sun. And all weve gotta do is solve a disaster or two? Yeah, youve got a deal.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 230: Arriving in the Outskirts
In a flash, our surroundings changed. Erani, Ainash, and I were all suddenly standing in a completely new areaa massive building constructed around the Teleportation Circle. We were no longer in the town of Salvation, but rather in the capital city of the Barinruth EmpirePrecipice.
The building was a massive cube, probably almost a hundred paces in each direction, all made around the Circle. I had to imagine a place like this was expensive to build; Salvation just had its Teleportation Circle set up in the middle of the woods outside the town. And more than that, this whole place was fitted with countless defense measures. There were armed guards crawling the floor, massive weapons set up on balconies lining the walls armed and ready to fire, and by the looks of it, it even seemed like the support pillars keeping the roof up were rigged to be easily knocked down, so they could collapse the entire building if need be.
Halt! a voice said the moment I tried to take a step forward. It was an armored guard standing off to the side of the circle, hand already on her sword. Do not move until we finish questioning you. What are your names?
Gods, paranoid much? I muttered. Then, in a louder voice, I answered, Annor Ton.
Eita Niin, Erani called out as well.
The woman, looking at a paper, nodded. Then she pointed at Ainash. And the monster?
Shes unlicensed, I responded. But officially shes currently under our responsibility.
Mhm. She nodded. Okay, we will put you under Truth Stone to verify your identity and intentions in coming here. Please stay where you are.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.
I sighed and mentally asked Index to prepare to help me get past the Truth Stones once again. This whole process seemed like it was gonna take a while.
The process did, in fact, take a while. Several hours later, we were through the many security checks necessary to leave the building, and collecting our gear from a large tabletheyd confiscated pretty much everything not attached to our bodies and thoroughly examined that, too.
Is that everything you brought with you? another woman asked. Shed been the one to throw everythingquite roughly, I might addonto the wooden table for us to sort through.
Uhyeah, I think so, I said, sifting through my backpack, all its contents having been rearranged by the examiners. Oh, actually, theres one thing missing. It should look like a small puck of shaped metal, about as wide as an arm.
Lemme check in the back for you, she said, ducking into a side room. Eventually she came back out, with a noticeable lack of my missing item. It was Enchanted, right?
Yeah.
Theyre still looking over it. Its apparently got a weird configuration, or something; I dunno anything about that stuff. Anyway, itll be another few minutes.
I fought the urge to groan in frustration. I understood why they were cautious of that itemit was one of those prosthetic arms thatd been attached to the enemy soldiers Jon brought in, and those things had even confused Index when it examined thembut Id still spent more than enough time going through these rigorous security checks, and was not happy to hear itd be yet more time before Id get out of here.
Er, were here for the capital city, Erani said, making conversation with the woman while we waited. Which road should we take to get there fastest? Or are we close enough that it doesnt matter?
Theres only one road heading out of here, so youll just walk down there for about a days worth of travel before you get to the outer walls, she said.
Wait, a days worth of travel? I asked. Were really that far away?
She nodded, face betraying no emotion. Just be glad youre not at the eastern arriving circle; that ones three days away from the city.
Are there any places we can stock up before the journey?
Nope. Youre pretty much in the middle of nowhere, right now.
Well. Good to know, I guess.
Yeah, yeah, she said, smiling. You have my sincerest apologies.
Unfortunately, my pride has been wounded too severely. I can only accept your apology if you give me a compliment equal to your grave insults.
Erani gave me an unamused look. Except, there was still a hint of amusement there, it was just well-hidden.
I just called you the love of my life, I said. Surely thats earned something in return.
I Erani suddenly looked extremely flustered. You said that as a joke. You dont get to retroactively decide it was serious.
What if I say it again, but totally seriously this time?
Well now, youve ruined the moment anyway. Its too late.
Ah, damn. Unfortunate. Though, to be fair, it wouldnt be as meaningful a phrase coming from me, considering how many lives I have. So saying youre the love of my current life doesnt hold much commitment to it. Id have to say something like, I looked over to her with as serious an expression as I could muster, Erani, you hold more importance to me than anything in the worldin my current life, in any futures I may live, and in all the pasts Ive experienced. In all of those times and all times to come, you will never stop meaning everything to me. So please, stay by my side forever, and I will do everything in my power to ensure you never regret that decision. Id have to say something like that.
Erani stared back at me, red in the face, then shut her eyes and shook her head, lightly slapping my chest. You seriously cant joke around saying things like that!
I laughed, wrapping an arm around her. What if I said Im just practicing for our wedding day? Would that be too much?
She looked at me. Yes. That would be too much.
Fine, fine. Then Im just practicing for some nonspecific day that may or may not come in the future when I say that seriously.
She sighed. Thats only a little bit better.
An hour of walking later, we came across a group of travelers going in the same direction as us. Id been periodically using Expedite to speed us up, so it seemed like we caught up with the people going at normal speeds. They were traveling in a caravan, three lined up wooden carts wobbling along as best as they could on the thin road. Though, these carts didnt seem to be drawn by anything at all, instead turning their own wheels through some sort of surely complex system of Enchantments.
Ho there! I called out with a wave, having swapped into Dark Plate as soon as we saw their silhouettes ahead of us. Dont mind us, just coming up from behind!
A middle-aged woman poked her head out from the middle cart, looking back at us and squinting. Our forms were assuredly startling to anyone who saw uswith me and Erani looking somewhat monstrous in our disguised forms, and Ainash literally being a monsterbut thanks to my warning, she at least knew we were friendly. Eventually she called back, Are you three adventurers? Headed for Precipice?
Pretty much, I replied. And yes, were going to the capital.
Come then, sit with me! Id like some company with a few Levels under their belts, especially now that were headed for Sand Hive territory.
Sand Hive? I asked, slightly speeding up in my walking so I could catch up with the carts.
Ah, are you new to Precipices surrounding deserts? Yes, this place is crawling with the Sand Hive monsters. Terrifying, deadly beasts that get aggressive if you dont respect their territory.
Are you planning on doing that?
I surely dont plan on getting attacked, but Id like some insurance in case I do. Ive got some hired guards, but thats more for any roving bandits trying to intimidate the coin out of me. If youre a group of dedicated monster hunters, Im sure youd be happy to sit in one of my shaded carts in exchange for some help in the case that a disaster does strike?
Shaded? I glanced at Erani, who also perked up at the mention of respite from the sweltering sun. And all weve gotta do is solve a disaster or two? Yeah, youve got a deal.
Chapter 230: Arriving in the OutskirtsIn a flash, our surroundings changed. Erani, Ainash, and I were all suddenly standing in a completely new areaa massive building constructed around the Teleportation Circle. We were no longer in the town of Salvation, but rather in the capital city of the Barinruth EmpirePrecipice.The building was a massive cube, probably almost a hundred paces in each direction, all made around the Circle. I had to imagine a place like this was expensive to build; Salvation just had its Teleportation Circle set up in the middle of the woods outside the town. And more than that, this whole place was fitted with countless defense measures. There were armed guards crawling the floor, massive weapons set up on balconies lining the walls armed and ready to fire, and by the looks of it, it even seemed like the support pillars keeping the roof up were rigged to be easily knocked down, so they could collapse the entire building if need be.Halt! a voice said the moment I tried to take a step forward. It was an armored guard standing off to the side of the circle, hand already on her sword. Do not move until we finish questioning you. What are your names?Gods, paranoid much? I muttered. Then, in a louder voice, I answered, Annor Ton.Eita Niin, Erani called out as well.The woman, looking at a paper, nodded. Then she pointed at Ainash. And the monster?Shes unlicensed, I responded. But officially shes currently under our responsibility.Mhm. She nodded. Okay, we will put you under Truth Stone to verify your identity and intentions in coming here. Please stay where you are.The debut release of this chapter happened at Nvl-B1n.I sighed and mentally asked Index to prepare to help me get past the Truth Stones once again. This whole process seemed like it was gonna take a while.The process did, in fact, take a while. Several hours later, we were through the many security checks necessary to leave the building, and collecting our gear from a large tabletheyd confiscated pretty much everything not attached to our bodies and thoroughly examined that, too.Is that everything you brought with you? another woman asked. Shed been the one to throw everythingquite roughly, I might addonto the wooden table for us to sort through.Uhyeah, I think so, I said, sifting through my backpack, all its contents having been rearranged by the examiners. Oh, actually, theres one thing missing. It should look like a small puck of shaped metal, about as wide as an arm.Lemme check in the back for you, she said, ducking into a side room. Eventually she came back out, with a noticeable lack of my missing item. It was Enchanted, right?Yeah.Theyre still looking over it. Its apparently got a weird configuration, or something; I dunno anything about that stuff. Anyway, itll be another few minutes.I fought the urge to groan in frustration. I understood why they were cautious of that itemit was one of those prosthetic arms thatd been attached to the enemy soldiers Jon brought in, and those things had even confused Index when it examined thembut Id still spent more than enough time going through these rigorous security checks, and was not happy to hear itd be yet more time before Id get out of here.Er, were here for the capital city, Erani said, making conversation with the woman while we waited. Which road should we take to get there fastest? Or are we close enough that it doesnt matter?Theres only one road heading out of here, so youll just walk down there for about a days worth of travel before you get to the outer walls, she said.Wait, a days worth of travel? I asked. Were really that far away?She nodded, face betraying no emotion. Just be glad youre not at the eastern arriving circle; that ones three days away from the city.Are there any places we can stock up before the journey?Nope. Youre pretty much in the middle of nowhere, right now.Well. Good to know, I guess.Yeah, yeah, she said, smiling. You have my sincerest apologies.Unfortunately, my pride has been wounded too severely. I can only accept your apology if you give me a compliment equal to your grave insults.Erani gave me an unamused look. Except, there was still a hint of amusement there, it was just well-hidden.I just called you the love of my life, I said. Surely thats earned something in return.I Erani suddenly looked extremely flustered. You said that as a joke. You dont get to retroactively decide it was serious.What if I say it again, but totally seriously this time?Well now, youve ruined the moment anyway. Its too late.Ah, damn. Unfortunate. Though, to be fair, it wouldnt be as meaningful a phrase coming from me, considering how many lives I have. So saying youre the love of my current life doesnt hold much commitment to it. Id have to say something like, I looked over to her with as serious an expression as I could muster, Erani, you hold more importance to me than anything in the worldin my current life, in any futures I may live, and in all the pasts Ive experienced. In all of those times and all times to come, you will never stop meaning everything to me. So please, stay by my side forever, and I will do everything in my power to ensure you never regret that decision. Id have to say something like that.Erani stared back at me, red in the face, then shut her eyes and shook her head, lightly slapping my chest. You seriously cant joke around saying things like that!I laughed, wrapping an arm around her. What if I said Im just practicing for our wedding day? Would that be too much?She looked at me. Yes. That would be too much.Fine, fine. Then Im just practicing for some nonspecific day that may or may not come in the future when I say that seriously.She sighed. Thats only a little bit better.An hour of walking later, we came across a group of travelers going in the same direction as us. Id been periodically using Expedite to speed us up, so it seemed like we caught up with the people going at normal speeds. They were traveling in a caravan, three lined up wooden carts wobbling along as best as they could on the thin road. Though, these carts didnt seem to be drawn by anything at all, instead turning their own wheels through some sort of surely complex system of Enchantments.Ho there! I called out with a wave, having swapped into Dark Plate as soon as we saw their silhouettes ahead of us. Dont mind us, just coming up from behind!A middle-aged woman poked her head out from the middle cart, looking back at us and squinting. Our forms were assuredly startling to anyone who saw uswith me and Erani looking somewhat monstrous in our disguised forms, and Ainash literally being a monsterbut thanks to my warning, she at least knew we were friendly. Eventually she called back, Are you three adventurers? Headed for Precipice?Pretty much, I replied. And yes, were going to the capital.Come then, sit with me! Id like some company with a few Levels under their belts, especially now that were headed for Sand Hive territory.Sand Hive? I asked, slightly speeding up in my walking so I could catch up with the carts.Ah, are you new to Precipices surrounding deserts? Yes, this place is crawling with the Sand Hive monsters. Terrifying, deadly beasts that get aggressive if you dont respect their territory.Are you planning on doing that?I surely dont plan on getting attacked, but Id like some insurance in case I do. Ive got some hired guards, but thats more for any roving bandits trying to intimidate the coin out of me. If youre a group of dedicated monster hunters, Im sure youd be happy to sit in one of my shaded carts in exchange for some help in the case that a disaster does strike?Shaded? I glanced at Erani, who also perked up at the mention of respite from the sweltering sun. And all weve gotta do is solve a disaster or two? Yeah, youve got a deal.
