"Finally," Jessie muttered, stretching her arms. Her voice was weaker than usual, but her eyes had regained focus. "If I ever see another grain of sand again, I'll burn it."
Ash smirked faintly. "And make glass, then sell it for profit."
"Should I laugh?" Jessie asked in a straight tone.
"Ofcourse, if you don't want to end up between my legs" Ash said and instantly realised how it ca out.
Jessie ignored his comnt but her face had changed to crimson from sillyness.
The environnt itself pulsed faintly with mana.
"Feels different," Jessie said, rubbing her forearm. "Almost... alive."
They climbed a narrow path, and the world opened up.
A village was carved into the cliff like a cluster of bird nests. Steps made from rock, rope bridges, and little gardens hung on platforms.
Lanterns hung overhead — not iron, but crystals that drank moonlight and gave it back as soft teal light.
Everything felt deliberate. Birds hopped between branches, their feathers reflecting different colors under the light.
Ash relaxed a little. This place didn't try to charm him, didn't press on him — it simply existed, unlike the Oasis.
Jessie stopped near a railing, eyes wide in surprise. "They ain't human," she said.
"Is it surprising? You know what would've been surprising," Ash replied, "seeing a real human settlent."
He didn't drop his guard, but the tension inside him eased. According to his knowledge, this race was the most cordial during the last trial. They weren't exactly warm to humans, but they were straightforward — ready for business deals.
Two figures ca up from below. Broad-shouldered — their skin resembled river rock: smooth and resilient, with faint veins of glowing minerals that shifted color according to nearby mana activity.
Towering over seven feet, their eyes were reflective and gem-like. Their hair resembled woven tal threads or mineral-fiber braids.
They were humanoids made from solid rock. Their appearance might give a sense of brutality, but they were among the most intelligent races humans had ever encountered.
Cold, stoic, and brutally logical — these three traits were enough to describe them.
The older one stepped forward without any formal greeting. His voice was low and rough, like a machine.
"You cross Whelven Pass. Na yourselves."
Ash kept his face blank. "Ash. This is Jessie."
The elder looked them over — his eyes paused on the erald clothing Jessie wore, then on Ash's scorched armor.
"You moved through barren land," he said.
'Another na,' Ash laughed inwardly. It was interesting how the sa place had different nas depending on the region.
Jessie nodded. "You are Whelven?"
A murmur moved through the small gathering beneath.
The elder's companion nodded. "Whelven. Stone and river, we bind runes." His eyes scanned the duo's condition.
Ash answered shortly. "Traveling. Took shelter in an oasis. Things happened."
The elder's face darkened a little when Ash ntioned the oasis, but he said nothing further.
"You survived the Devourer?" There was a question — one that seed most important to the elder, as if the answer would decide whether they could continue the conversation.
"Yes," Ash said through gritted teeth.
"Co, eat and rest. Nothing is free here... so be ready to pay," the elder said, inviting them in.
They sat on broad platforms while the village moved around them. The food was simple: roasted leaves that glowed faintly, slices of Dragon fruit like fruit dripping with silver nectar, and a bowl of grain steaming green.
"Not sure what your race likes," the elder added.
"How about you tell us about your race? I've never seen anyone like you," the Whelven elder asked, curious about the duo's background.
"We are humans — slightly intelligent creatures," Ash replied dryly. "Everyone has different traits... so could be simple and straightforward, and so could be happy people who don't ask for much."
He kept it short; there were many things he could've said about humans, but that would've created the wrong impression — sothing that could impact their position.
Surprisingly, most of the Whelven had no varied personalities — just simple, straightforward, and stoic.
The Whelven watched without pressing further. They spoke in small circles, their talk low and focused.
Children chased along the walkways, their speech attempting to sound logical, though they failed miserably.
Later, a Whelven ca over carrying a slate with shallow runes. Her hands were stained bronze.
"Your armor has protection," she said, looking at Jessie's armor with curious eyes.
Jessie looked down, noticing strange runes carved into her armor. She had no idea what they ant, but since the Whelven were masters of runes, they must already have so understanding.
Ash felt a stir in his gut. We're not here to study, he reminded himself inwardly.
"We need shelter and water. We'll pay."
The elder smiled. "Everything has a price. Sotis it's cores. Sotis work. Sotis... a story."
Jessie, finishing a spoonful of stew, placed so D-rank cores on the table.
A smile blood on the faces of the Whelven around them.
Ash and Jessie got a do of stone, runes carved on its surface. If he looked around, almost everything had a rune on it.
There was a rotating fan with a Flow rune carved on its blades, and a pillar of stacked stones held together by a large Form rune — perfectly balanced despite its impossible structure.
Everything was a mind-blowing display of rune usage — sothing Ash had always wanted to learn. He stepped inside, looking at the glyph seed in his hands.
He couldn't recognize many runes, so he wanted to master all eight fundantal rune types as soon as possible. Only then could he learn to use advanced ones.
For so reason, the Whelven followed Jessie like hawks, fascinated by the runes carved on her armor.
Jessie didn't mind the company of a local. In exchange, the Whelven got to study the runes etched into her B-rank armor.
"What's your na?" Ash asked, curious to know what kind of nas this race had.
The Whelven stopped, looking at Ash with mild annoyance. Then, realizing her subject was a friend of this fragile-looking human, she replied,
"390."
Ash looked at her river-like stone face with confusion.
"390?"
"It's my na. 390."
Ash controlled his laughter — and then it made sense. Stoic and logical. Why would they waste ti naming everyone with strange nas?
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Hey sorry for the late updates, I was just unwell and don't know. It's festival here and I am barely getting any ti to write.
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