William and Victoria waited for 30 minutes before Jhen and Teresa stopped talking.
"So, why did you ask to reallocate to this region? I thought you said you would never co here," Teresa asked.
Jhen and Teresa had worked together in the sa region before. While Teresa changed regions to work elsewhere, Jhen did not. Now, Jhen had suddenly shown up, piquing Teresa's curiosity.
"There are a few reasons," Jhen replied, "but I want to keep it a secret for now. Can you help us get so flying mounts?"
Teresa glanced at William and Victoria. "I can help you, no problem. But who are these people?"
"They ca from the outside world through the portal," Jhen explained. "Another guy ca in recently, soone nad Kier."
"I've heard of him. Why is everyone suddenly finding the portal? Why is the guardian letting them through?"
It was uncommon for soone to co through the portal, yet now three people had arrived in less than 20 days, raising curiosity among many.
Jhen shared that Kier and William had an ancient book that once belonged to demons, which was why they were granted entrance. Victoria, being William's disciple, was given passage as well.
After Jhen's explanation, Teresa stopped asking questions. "You can sleep here tonight. I'll have to go get the flying mounts for you, and that will take so ti," she stated.
They were already expecting to spend the night there. It was better that way; they wanted to rest before continuing their journey, and Teresa needed ti to acquire the flying mounts.
None of them had a bad ti sleeping that night. Teresa's house was luxurious, and the fireplace made their night cozy. She had several rooms available, so they didn't need to share.
The following day, they woke up to a breakfast already waiting for them. Teresa had risen early to prepare the al and to search for the mounts.
She spoke with a few contacts in the region and managed to secure one mount for them. "It's big enough to fit all of you," Teresa said. "I tried to get more than one, but flying mounts are difficult to find here."
This was one of the aspects of the demonic kingdom that differed from the other parts of the world William had visited.
He found it strange; Asura had the power to ta beasts, so he assud other demons had similar abilities. Apparently, that was not the case.
"Maybe I can make so money by selling beasts," he thought. A man was always looking for a way to earn more money, it seed.
After finishing breakfast, they left town and headed toward the nearby forest.
"My contact lives in the wilderness," Teresa explained.
The entire situation made it seem like acquiring flying mounts was illegal. William wanted to ask Jhen if that was the case but refrained from doing so.
It took them about 20 minutes to reach the house Teresa ntioned. The place looked like a farm but had high security with tall walls, guards patrolling, and even magical formations.
"This looks like a fortress," William remarked.
Teresa nodded. "It is. My contact has a lot of money and sells many items. A well-known rchant needs high security, especially in this region."
The guards recognized Teresa when she arrived, which made sense since she had communicated with her contact beforehand. They opened the gate, and Teresa led the way toward the mansion where she would et him.
The owner of the mansion was a tall man in his thirties, clean-shaven with slicked-back hair. "Welco," he said with a smile. "Co with . I don't have much ti, so we need to get this done quickly." He didn't introduce himself and didn't say much more, which didn't bother William. All he wanted was to leave that place as soon as possible.
At the back of the mansion, there was another building filled with various beasts, only a few of which were flying types. "Here, this is for you," the man said, presenting them with the cheapest mount available.
The flying mount was a massive bird with bluish feathers and four wings. William was impressed by its beauty. While it didn't compare to the majestic dragon they had ridden previously, it was certainly better than traveling by carriage.
The best part was that Teresa was the one paying for the mount—William had no idea how Jhen managed to arrange it for free. Perhaps Teresa owed Jhen a favor; that was the only explanation he could think of.
After acquiring the mount, they left the mansion. Teresa bid them farewell just as they exited the periter. "Take care, and co back when you can so we can talk more," she said. They hugged, and William waited for them to mount the flying bird.
"The only problem is the supplies," Jhen noted. "We only have our backpacks and tents. We'll have to find food constantly." While the bird was faster, it couldn't carry supplies like a carriage could; still, the increased travel speed made up for it. With this arrangent, they would reach their destination in about three to four days—much quicker than before.
A few days later, they arrived at their destination. During the journey, William finally got a better view of the island thanks to the flying mount.
The island was enormous; it was so large that it was impossible to see the ocean from where they were. There were many villages and cities, and traveling through it, it hardly felt like they were on an island at all.
However, the region they reached was quite different. The number of towns was noticeably lower, and the area was perpetually shrouded in fog, making it an undesirable place to live. Most of the residents only stayed there because they lacked the resources to relocate.
Jhen would be staying in a remote village rather than one of the larger towns in the region, and the reason for this was straightforward: a strange cave near the village.
The demon kingdom had nurous caves that descended deep into the earth, resembling a labyrinth filled with monsters. The village needed assistance from the demon army specifically because of one of those caves.
Beasts erged from the cave, destroying villages and killing people, which prompted the army to intervene. This situation had been ongoing for the past twenty years. At present, the beasts were only found in the deeper levels of the cave, as the army had conquered the earlier levels.
William was excited when he heard about this. Jhen ntioned that these caves had turned into leveling spots because, for so reason, the beasts inside were endless. According to her, the deeper levels resembled an entirely different realm, and it was common for adventurers to live down there.
"This is known as a haven for leveling up," she explained. "It's perfect for you if you're training and want to get stronger, but it's also dangerous."
What William really wanted was to level up. It had been so long since he had done that, and the cave presented itself as the best opportunity for him.
Once they arrived in the village, a few soldiers welcod them. Jhen was now their superior, and they treated her with respect.
The soldiers guided them to a larger house near the village. William could tell just by looking at it that the army had built this house, as it differed from the simpler structures in the rest of the village. The villagers didn't complain about it being better; they were happy that the army was there to protect them from the monsters, so they felt no envy.
"This is the place you'll be staying, Captain Jhen," one of the guards said, saluting her. "And who are these people?"
He was referring to William and Victoria. "They are friends of mine, hired to help us here. You should treat them with respect as well; consider them your captains too."
"Understood," the guard replied.
William appreciated the respectful treatnt he received, but what he really wanted was to explore the mysterious cave Jhen had ntioned. So, after settling in, Jhen decided to show him the place.
They walked for about ten minutes before reaching the entrance of the cave. A guard outpost was stationed there to ensure the beasts remained inside.
"The first ten floors are all clear," Jhen said, "so we can explore without any problems."
Once they entered, William felt a strange and unique aura about the cave. It reminded him of an MMORPG scenario where players climb down a labyrinth to earn items, gain experience points, and discover fantastic locations.
"How does a place like this exist? It feels as if a higher being placed it here…" William thought.
The cave didn't appear natural at all; instead, it resembled a labyrinth made entirely of stone, as if soone had constructed it. William noticed guards patrolling and spotted a few areas with supplies and beds.
"They really do live down here," he remarked.
Jhen chuckled, "You thought I was joking? They prefer to stay here to gain as much experience as possible."
William was really excited. It was finally ti to level up!
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