Daniel listened casually to his story of being a rchant. Only once a year did they get an hour to roam the area and move their tent.
"Hmm... okay," Daniel said, lifting his hand in a small gesture before turning to leave the area.
He was now in the middle of the map, heading east. Kabin had told him that he would find other rchants like himself along the way.
Glancing at his map and compass, he followed the path. But instead of walking straight along the dirt trail, he chose to move sideways, weaving from tree to tree, careful of the wild animals near the path.
"Status," he whispered, crouching behind a tree.
——————
Na: Lizardo
HP: 460/460
Mana: 300/300
Status: Hostile
Description: A feral wild lizard known for its venomous spit. When its poison fully stacks on a target, the victim loses 20 health points over 10 seconds.
——————
"Shit... there are too many of these creatures blocking my way," he muttered, counting them carefully.
In front of him stood a stone bridge, and below it, red, ominous water slid smoothly, almost unnaturally. Lined up before the bridge, the creatures sprawled like alligators, silent but nacing.
"...sixteen," he whispered.
A few Lizardos erged from the red water, their numbers quickly adding up to twenty as he counted. Glancing at his palm, he crept toward the riverbank’s corner, where no Lizardo stirred.
In between, a group of Nyclaws ca into view, but he slipped past them with careful, silent movents.
"If I can just create so chaos," he thought, crouching low as he crept toward the red water.
Daniel snapped a small branch from a tree and dipped it into the ominous red water. It hissed and dissolved like acid.
His eyes went wide for a mont. Then he focused, channeling his lightning into the water and sending a crackling shock straight toward them.
*Bzzz~ Zzzz!*
Imdiately, a sharp, loud noise rang out from a distance — a clear sign that the creatures were being shocked. He continued for a few minutes before finally coming to a stop.
He touched the Mristine necklace. It glowed to eighty percent, indicating that he had used twenty percent of his mana.
"Let’s see, what is the situation there," he whispered under his breath.
Returning to his hidden spot, he scanned the surroundings, but to his surprise, none of the Lizardos were in sight.
"Where did they go?" he wondered, eyes scanning the area frantically.
Feeling suspicious, he lingered for a mont, but the silence was absolute. Shrugging it off, he moved toward the bridge and crossed it with ease.
Moving eastward, he encountered nurous wild animals along his path — slaying so while cautiously avoiding others.
...
*CHOP!*
"I wonder how much I can sell this boar head for."
*Chop-Chop*
Carrying the head of a Jaboaron, he moved deeper into the wilderness. Soon, he ca across another rchant. A man with a black mustache, who was striking two stones together to spark flas on a small bone fire.
"Hello, sir. What items do you sell?" Daniel called from behind.
The rchant was startled, dropping the stones as he spun around.
"W-who? Oh... an outsider. You almost scared the hell out of ," he stamred, his tone nervous. "Yes... about the items."
The rchant cast a brief glance at him and instantly realized that the person before him was no novice.
"Did you co here to sell that Jaboaron’s head?"
Daniel gave a small nod.
The rchant tossed a pouch toward him. "There’s eighty Xewels. Drop the head here."
With a snap of his fingers, the weaponry table appeared. Daniel’s eyes swept over it, recognizing the sa set of weapons he had seen with Kabin before.
"Show the armour," said Daniel.
It was the sa as before — leather, plate, and cloth, neatly arranged on the display.
’I guess all the rchants carry the sa items,’ he thought, eyes scanning the armor carefully.
He went straight for the consumables, buying two mana potions and a health potion, filling all six slots of his utility belt.
Each potion was a small, spherical bottle, sealed with a snug cork.
"Outsider, you don’t look satisfied. May I ask why?" the rchant inquired, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Daniel glanced up, hesitating for a mont. "Umm... it’s just that... I’ve already bought what you’re selling from another rchant," he admitted.
"Another rchant?"
"Yes," said Daniel.
"Does he sell ominous maps?"
Daniel raised his eyebrow. "Ominous maps? What are those?"
*Snap*
With a snap of his fingers, a rolled parchnt materialized in his palm. He handed it to Daniel.
Daniel grabbed it and unrolled it, only to find it completely empty.
"There’s nothing in here?" Daniel said, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"I know. That’s why it’s called an Ominous Map," the rchant said. "This map will reveal where your next journey lies, but only after you purchase it, heh..."
Daniel glanced down at the parchnt, rubbing its surface between his fingers. The rough texture felt almost like sandpaper.
"How much for this?" he asked.
"Eighty Xewels."
*Catch*
Daniel tossed the pouch he had taken from the slain Jaboaron into the rchant’s hand and glanced at the map.
Color slowly seeped into the parchnt, spreading across its surface until a red X appeared.
"Where is this place?" he wondered, scanning the map.
Daniel placed Kabin’s map on the table and laid the Ominous Map beside it, comparing the two.
The rchant leaned in as well, studying the maps as they searched for a match.
"South. It’s the southern corner," the rchant said confidently.
Daniel leaned closer and studied the maps. The Ominous Map matched the southern corner of the island.
"Yes... it does match," he said.
"Told you," the rchant replied with a faint smile.
With no Xewels left in his pocket, Daniel headed straight toward the south. After crossing bridges, avoiding countless deadly animals, and killing a few along the way, he finally got close to the X.
...
"What’s wrong with this compass?" he muttered as the needle beca unstable.
Checking the Ominous Map closely, he stepped forward and soon ca upon a small open hut supported by four pillars. It looked more like a temple. At the center stood a statue of a lady, and sothing was written on the floor before it.
"Call my na, and I’ll be there. Not before you, but behind you. Close your eyes and pray to . My na is Queen Elim," Daniel murmured as he read.
Clasping his hands in prayer, he closed his eyes. "Queen Elim."
"Yes, how can I help you, adventurer?" a soft voice whispered from behind him, close to his ear.
Daniel turned and saw a beautiful lady standing behind him. She wore a gray witch’s hat and a white dress that hugged her curvy figure, her ample chest and sharp curves giving her a striking presence.
Her skin was an unusual shade of blue, and her body appeared half-translucent, as if she were only partially part of the physical world.
"The rchant said I would need a weapon with special powers to defeat the boss. And the Ominous Map brought to you," Daniel said, his tone steady.
Elim chuckled softly as she drifted through the air like a ghost. "There is only one weapon that can defeat the boss you’re talking about. But to obtain it, you must first defeat the Prince of Hell — Kalhan. And I’m telling you, it won’t be easy."
He took a brief pause, considering her words.
"Where do I find him?" Daniel asked, unfazed by her warning.
She raised a brow. ’I can’t tell if he’s confident or simply overconfident. Sothing about him feels... mysterious,’ Elim thought.
"Do you have the map of this place?"
Daniel gave a small nod and showed her the map. She studied it for a mont before pointing her index finger toward the north.
"You see this end of the path?" Elim said, pointing at the map. "Go straight from here, then turn right. You’ll find an empty stone gate that leads nowhere. Stand before it. If he finds you worthy of his ti, I’m sure he’ll speak to you."
"Understood," Daniel said with a small nod. "But... what happens if I lose?"
She smiled before replying, "Losing ans permanent death. But if he spares your life, you’ll be turned into a wild animal."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "Wait... you an those animals I killed were once like ?"
Elim flipped upside down in the air and nodded softly.
"Are you scared, adventurer?" she asked.
"Scared? No. I’m thinking about how to defeat him," Daniel replied, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Well, if you’re scared, then just accept it. Maybe I can tell you sothing about him. Like he is blind and can only hear," she said, her tone teasing.
"What? Kalhan is blind?" said Daniel.
"Huh? How do you know he’s blind?" Elim asked almost instantly.
"But you just said it," Daniel replied. "Just now."
"No, I didn’t," Elim said, tilting her head. "Did I?"
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