The next part of our journey to Azureas took us through a wooded area dotted with lumberjack towns. In contrast to the plains’ folk, who were open and friendly, the people here were less friendly and welcoming to outsiders. I couldn’t figure it out. Every one of them was at least a head taller than , with shoulders as wide as a fridge. What exactly did they have to fear from ? But that’s how it was.
The first town ca into view, surrounded by a tall log wall. As we got closer, a couple of guards stepped forward, looking like they could bench press a horse. One of them tightened his grip on his spear, giving a look that said, What are you up to?
“What’s your business in Treefell?” the taller one barked.
I held up my hands, trying to look as harmless as possible. “Just a rchant. And a healer.”
The second guard, a big guy with a scruffy red beard, squinted at . “rchant, huh? That checks out,” he muttered, his eyes losing focus. “But healer? Yeah, sure.”
“Plenty of so-called healers roll through here,” the first one said, crossing his arms. “Prove it.”
Before I could ask how, red-beard shoved his arm at . “Fix this,” he grunted, daring to fail.
His arm was swollen, and a nasty bruise spread from his wrist to his elbow. I diagnosed him and discovered that he had a broken arm. I cast Heal Bone, and the bone fused. red-beard flexed his arm, testing it out.
“Hmph. Good enough,” he grunted.
They stepped aside, but I could still feel their eyes on , full of suspicion.
“Welco to Treefell,” the taller one muttered, though he didn’t sound thrilled about it.
“What about paynt for the treatnt?” I asked.
The tall one glared at and said, “You can go in and forget about the paynt, or continue on your way.”
I shrugged and rolled into town. Using the trees they chopped, they built sturdy, low-to-the-ground log lodges. The place had a rugged vibe, with big piles of logs everywhere. Looking around, I located the general store to offer my goods. The owner was even ruder than the guards were. Shaking my head, I decided to hell with them and just left.
Three days later, we arrived in Riverwood. This town didn’t have a wall around it, but many more guards eyed suspiciously. They didn’t interrogate , but kept a close watch on . Next to the river, there was a marshy land where the town was located, and stilts supported all the buildings. The whole town seed to float between the trees and the water, with bridges connecting to the only dry, solid road. The river was bustling here; logs flowed downstream, and rafts constantly moved in and out. The vibe was more relaxed, but the residents and guards were not.
I rembered the warning I’d read in the World Information about the flying serpents in our next world. I knew if I bought ready-made potions, Al would never forgive , which ant I had to collect ingredients. From my experience in the previous swamp, I knew there should be plenty of snakes here. But there was the logistical question of what to do with the horses. I had no intention of leaving the core unguarded.
We left the town after less than an hour—I didn’t like the guards’ looks. We moved a few hundred ters away, and I made sure no one saw us, closed the wagon, and saddled one horse.
I said to Rue, “Wait for here. I’ll be back soon.”
Changing my glamour and class into a Bard, I rode the horses back into town. This ti, the security guards were less hostile.
Don’t like rchants?
Like almost everywhere, there was an area at the town’s entrance for horses and carts. I paid to house the horses for a few days and returned to Rue.
This marsh was different from Al’s swamp. No trees were growing out of the water in this marsh. There was more water near the river, where the houses were, but the rest was just thick mud. The trees here were also different; they were tall with wide trunks, not gnarled or twisted.
We couldn’t use the jet skis here, so we turned invisible and flew.
“Find us so snakes,” I told Rue.
“Yummy snakes!” Rue exclaid happily.
“Yes. But poisonous yummy snakes. We need them for potions.”
“Poison yummy snakes!” The poison didn’t seem to dampen his enthusiasm.
Rue led from one snake to another. I was right—quite a few were not too far from town. They were much smaller than the ones in the other swamp—maybe two or three ters long, not twenty—but they were very colorful in greens, reds, and yellows. I recalled reading sowhere that poisonous snakes are usually colorful, so I hoped I was collecting the “right” snakes. I didn’t use lightning, not knowing what it would do to the poison sack, but being invisible, it was a piece of cake to shoot them with a crossbow and store them. In five hours, I collected twelve snakes and facepald. I rembered the poison I had given Al that I collected in Tuonela.
I returned to town, collected my horses, and we continued on our way. The following three towns were the sa. They looked different, but the guards were suspicious. The town’s folk eyed wearily. The general store owner was rude, and nobody wanted a healer—their loss.
Finally, after two weeks of annoying lumberjacks, we exited the forested area and arrived at the north most city in Crystalholm, Famaris. Or in translation, Crystaledge—not very inventive. Two kiloters from the city, I found a trail leading into the trees, closed the wagon into a backpack configuration, and rode into the city on a horse.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Crystaledge shared so architectural features with Crystalspire, but was much more modest. The spires were still there, rising into the sky, but they didn’t have the sa imposing grandeur. Where Crystalspire had intricate carvings and futuristic flourishes, Crystaledge’s designs were more straightforward and practical, almost like it wasn’t trying as hard to impress. The towers were less clustered, giving the city a more spacious, airy feel. There were still gleaming roofs and reflective surfaces, but they didn’t catch the sunlight quite as dramatically. The design of Crystaledge made it seem like it was built for living, not just for show, which added a little more grounded feeling to everything about it.
After a short inquiry, I found a quality skyrest and took a room there. It even had a balcony! Admittedly, the balcony wasn’t as cozy and inviting as my one at Crystalspire, but it was nice enough. The skyrest also had a stable, so I didn’t have to find a solution for the horses.
After a very enjoyable visit to the bathhouse and a delicious dinner that our butler served in the room, I checked the archive to see if Mahya had responded to the ssages I sent through it, and I was taken aback. Well, actually, I was in shock.
Tr. JR
“Clueless, Versailles, Alchemist”
I found our next world to travel, and it’s AWESO!!
Listen to this—it’s from the world info:
“Why is this world worth visiting?
They have done nothing to make the world safe, including not clearing the dungeons that popped up everywhere during the integration.
There are a lot of dungeons here!
In one ruined city, I cleared over forty dungeons and took the cores. I didn’t even clean them all, just the weaker ones. I travel alone, and I saw no reason to endanger myself. A stronger group could collect an incredible number of cores here.”
Tr. BU
Would you mind giving the Gate chain?
Tr. NN
Do you think you could pass the Gate chain?
Tr. WM
Could you please share the Gate chain?
Tr. OM
Just give us the Gate chain already.
Tr. JH
Stop ssing around and share the Gate chain.
Tr. VO
The asshole isn’t answering. I hate this kind of Travelers.
Tr. OR
He’s a friend of the other bastard that isn’t answering. The one with the dragons.
Tr. JH
How do you know they’re friends?
Tr. OR
Check the Archive moniker. Now, they also have a code. I’m dying to crack it.
Tr. PC
Any luck?
Tr. OR
No. Tried everything. Without the book, there’s no way.
Tr. CT
Quit dragging your feet and give us the Gate chain.
Tr. NC
Hello dear JR,
We are a stable group of three Travelers—two fighters and a mage. We have an offer for you:
Don’t share the chain with those idiots. Tell us what world to get to and where to wait for you. Let’s et and head to that world together.
We can clear all those dungeons together, and we’re offering you three cores out of every five dungeons as a finder’s fee.
Tr. YB
Shut up NC. You are an idiot and a thief. He should share the chain with all of us if he shares the chain.
Tr. NC
Who are you telling to shut up? Your brain is the size of a pilik, and your dick is even smaller.
Tr. YB
I will not dignify that with a response.
Tr. IR
Shut up, all of you. You are acting like children. If you continue like this, he’ll never share the chain.
Tr. OV
He learned from the dragon voidspawn. That one isn’t answering also.
Tr. SS
Don’t call the dragon guy voidspawn; have so respect. It’s Lissarom Munyon. He is a legend and deserves your respect.
This one doesn’t. He is an infidel and thinks too highly of himself because Munyon is his friend.
His na is John Rue, and he was in the world of Gaia or Dirt. I don’t know where he found that Gate. They were leaving Gaia, but I don’t know through which Gate.
Tr. RM
SS, how do you know this?
Tr. SS
I was with them in Dirt.
Tr. YB
Great, give us the chain to Dirt and we’ll find it.
Tr. SS
You won’t. It’s heading to integration, and there are a lot of Gates, and more are popping up every day.
Tr. KL
Carpalshit. I hate integrating worlds. Was in one by accident and left as quickly as possible.
Tr. JH
I read about it in the Archive. Isn’t it extra great because of all the Ability Points and stuff?
Tr. KL
It’s not worth it. Trust —volcanos, storms, earthquakes, and waves of mana that leave monsters behind. Don’t go there.
Tr. JH
Sounds nasty. I prefer low mana. All those peasant girls love rich guys.
Tr. PN
Can we get a Gate chain? You can’t clear all those dungeons alone. Let us in on the party, and we’ll make that world safe.
Tr. MO
PN, don’t pretend to be an altruist—you just want to make a lot of money from the cores.
Tr. PN
Like you lot aren’t after the money from the cores or a chance to get an apprenticeship in a Magitech guild as paynt for the core.
Tr. JH
What’s wrong with an apprenticeship? It’s a once-in-a-lifeti chance. Those skullgnats guard their secrets tighter than a priestess closes her legs.
Tr. SS
Don’t speak like that about priestesses.
Tr. VB
Shut up SS. Nobody asked you.
Tr. XXR
All of you are idiots. It’s not like dungeons are hard to find. Go to Mana 50 and above, and you can swim in dungeons.
Tr. TP
XXR, you’re an idiot. Dungeons at those levels are crazy dangerous, and the final guardians are almost unbeatable.
Tr. XXR
TP, do you think the dungeons in the ssage above will be easier? They’ll be at the sa level or higher if they’re sitting there and accumulating strength.
Tr. VM
Just give us the damn Gate chain already.
Tr. SS
He won’t give you anything. He’s an asshole.
Tr. SO
SS, you sound like a jilted lover or a jealous prick.
Tr. SS
All of you are idiots. I’m out of this ssage chain.
Tr. VG
What will it cost to get the Gate chain? I’m willing to pay. I’ve been trying to get the Magicaneer class for decades.
The thread continued for a few more pages, but I stopped reading. I completely understood Lis. The only thought running through my head while reading was, “OOPS!”
Well, at least they smacked down Sonak. One day, I’ll punch that asshole in the nose and then electrocute his balls.
Reviews
All reviews (0)