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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 393:
"Exotic creatures?" Freya raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Is hiring them a problem?"
"Of course not," Bill explained with a smile. "A small number of exotic creatures possess considerable intelligence, and due to environmental factors, their strength is comparable to our average Knight Level. If we provide them with something they find interesting, they will be more than willing to assist us."
"I see," Freya nodded, indicating her understanding.
"In fact, while the Crimson Forest Trace is fraught with danger, there are also many safe areas. Many creatures living there have established decent safe zones. As long as we avoid actively approaching those strange forbidden zones, we should be fine," Bill continued. "Moreover, most of those safe areas contain valuable items that I believe you would appreciate."
"Oh, really? I hope so."
Hearing his introduction, Freya spoke in a calm tone.
"Yes, last time I found something very suitable from there..."
Listening quietly to Bill's description, Freya realized that the area of the Crimson Forest Trace seemed much larger than she had imagined and was filled with various dangers. She just wondered if her strength and preparations would be sufficient to successfully find the legacy of the King Cobra.
'Bang!!'
While the two were conversing, a sudden cacophony of crashing sounds and shouts from the guarding knights erupted outside the tent.
The two stood up and looked out the window.
Outside, a massive black deer was attacking the newly established camp.
Several armored knights were trying to fend it off with their weapons. The deer's defenses appeared impressive; heavy swords and blades struck its hide but only left white marks without breaking through its skin.
The Gray Robed Apprentice was just now whispering incantations in a concealed spot, with strands of gray light continuously emerging from his hands.
Suddenly, he pointed, and the gray strands swiftly floated toward the Deer, binding tightly around its forelegs.
This immediately disrupted its balance, causing it to fall awkwardly to the ground.
Seeing this, two strong knights quickly pounced in front of the Deer's head to restrain its struggles, while the Cross Sword aimed at the Deer's eyes.
"Thud!"
A mixture of red and white liquid gushed out, quickly washed away by the rain.
After being struck in a vital area, the Deer twitched a few times before becoming completely still.
Watching the unexpected situation resolved swiftly, Bill smiled.
"Look at the weight of this Deer. We can have a simple bonfire party tonight. Lady Freya, would you like to join?"
"Me? Forget it." She shook her head slightly. "I still have some things to take care of."
"Oh, that's a pity," Bill said with some regret. "But I think that roasted venison will be delicious. Also, I have some questions I would like to ask you."
"The journey is still long. You have plenty of opportunities," Freya replied calmly.
After discussing some issues regarding sorcery for a while longer, Bill left the tent, leaving Freya alone.
Sitting quietly in her chair, Freya pulled out an azure crystal from her waist. In the center of the crystal was a translucent object resembling a finger.
As she shook it lightly, a ripple reminiscent of waves emerged.
This was a crystal containing the body part of a Spirit Knight that she had taken with her when leaving the Blood Eagle Territory for research purposes.
With Freya's studies on spirits, some previously vague concepts became clearer, and she learned more about the qualitative changes in souls at the Dawn Level.
However, because she belonged to the Ancient Inheritance, her soul still belonged to humanity but seemed to be slowly changing in a certain direction due to the Royal Serpent Bloodline.
This change was considered benign, yet it subtly made her originally cool demeanor even more tranquil, embodying the unique calmness of a King Cobra.
Gently stroking the crystal in her hand and sensing the special Spirit power within it, Freya let out a soft sigh.
"Once I thoroughly research this type of soul life, I should be able to condense the fourth Spiritual Crystal and achieve a qualitative change in my soul. However, as a fellow inheritor of the Royal Serpent Bloodline, I wonder if I can still be considered a true human."
The Ancient Inheritance was originally a path that involved sacrificing one's own Bloodline to gain immense power.
This was entirely different from the Modern Wizard's slow pursuit of the truth of life.
In the materials Freya obtained from Klyent's library, there were also descriptions by Modern Wizards about Ancient Wizards.
"A powerful body with a fragile soul; if one cannot control their instincts, then even the strongest creature is merely a beast that knows only reproduction and slaughter."
Even without any discontinuity, the path of Ancient Wizards seemed to belong to an obsolete power in today's world.
However, regardless of how one puts it, that powerful force is undeniably real.
"As the Rain God and King Cobra, my personality is inherently quiet and not inclined towards killing. This is a relatively good outcome for me. Moreover, the path I am currently walking is a combination of both; a powerful soul paired with a physical body. I might be the first wizard daring enough to take this route."
Freya does not know what consequences this combination will bring, nor whether those consequences will be good or bad.
A small amount of Spirit power flowed through her fingertips as she touched the crystal, then slowly dissipated.
Freya walked to the entrance of the tent and looked at the busy convoy still working in the rain.
The air was filled with a light dampness and the unique scent of rainwater. At this moment, Freya felt as if she could lightly raise her hand and control the downpour.
‘Crack.’
Not far away, under a rain shelter, a burst of yellow fire ignited and landed on black charcoal, producing a crackling sound.
A large Deer, already skinned and cleaned, was placed on the campfire, rotating slowly. The yellow fat soon began to drip onto the burning charcoal, releasing a faint aroma of meat.
The faces of the convoy were filled with joy, and some people began to prepare long tables and drinks under the shelter.
Watching this happiness belonging to mortals quietly, Freya seemed to feel her mood lighten a bit...
Two months later.
In the dense forest sea, the convoy slowly drove into a dark and gloomy city.
The center of the city features a tall Tower, topped with a statue of a Humanoid Scorpion Tail. Through the circular windows of the tower, faint silhouettes of floating figures can be seen.
The streets of the city are paved with dark gray stone slabs, and strange figures walk along them.
The entire human caravan feels inconspicuous here.
After more than ten minutes, the carriage arrives at the entrance of a building resembling an inn.
Bill jumps down from the front carriage and negotiates with a green-scaled Humanoid resembling a Lizard inside the inn.
Freya, who has been walking behind the caravan, opens the carriage window to look outside.
In the dark gray sky, shadows of large creatures occasionally fly by, while armored figures carrying weapons from various Humanoid Races surround the area. A faint scent of blood lingers in the air.
Freya notices that every silhouette here carries an air of vigilance, maintaining a relatively safe distance from one another.
The entire city gives her a gloomy and somewhat strange feeling.
Over there, Bill seems to have finished negotiating with the inn's Boss. After instructing several knights in the caravan to unload the goods, he quickly walks to Freya's carriage and respectfully says,
"Lady Freya, this city is already on the border of Crimson Forest Trace. Although there are some troubles, it is safe. The caravan has reached its destination. Do you have any plans? Do you need our assistance?"
After thinking for a moment, Freya replies,
"Please give me a rough map of Crimson Forest Trace; I have no other requests."
"Alright! I'll bring it to you right away," Bill said immediately.
After two months of interaction, Freya's knowledge had already brought him numerous benefits. It had helped him avoid many detours on his future path, something even his teacher had not provided.
Although he had spent a considerable amount of Magic Stones for this, he understood that this was the Equivalent Exchange among wizards, which did not diminish his respect for Freya.
Soon, a piece of red parchment was handed to Freya.
She opened the parchment and quietly examined the area, while Bill stood silently beside her. The nearby caravan had finished unloading its goods, and most people were heading towards the inn to rest.
After a long while, Freya put away the map and glanced at Bill, who was still standing nearby.
"Is there anything else?"
"Yes, Lady Freya," Bill said with a slightly awkward expression. "Our caravan will be staying here for at least three months. If possible, I would like us to travel back together."
"Well," Freya pondered for a moment before speaking. "If we're lucky, perhaps we can."
Hearing Freya's words, Bill's face lit up with joy.
"Oh, that's wonderful! If you return, please come to Scorpion Street, Cave Number Four; our shop is located there."
"I understand."
She nodded lightly, snapped her fingers, and the two Black Stallions in front of the carriage immediately turned and headed down another road.
Bill stood still, waiting until the carriage completely disappeared into the crowd before walking into the inn...
Controlling the horses on the street, Freya recalled the information about this city that she had received from Bill and the location from her memory of King Cobra Legacy.
Due to the passage of a thousand years, Crimson Forest Trace and the original Stardust Prairie had changed too much; even she was unsure if the location of King Cobra Legacy still remained there.
After some thought, Freya decided to follow what Bill had suggested earlier.
"Maybe I should find a guide; wandering aimlessly could lead me into some forbidden areas, which wouldn't be good."
Her strength was not invincible, and there were strange things that she might not be able to understand. It was better to be cautious.
Ten minutes later, after turning a few corners, Freya arrived in front of a Black Building.
Two knights clad in Jet Black Armor stood at attention on either side of the entrance, holding long spears covered in spikes.
Freya dismounted from the carriage and looked up at the building, noticing a crouching Demon Sculpture perched atop it. Its bat-like wings were slightly spread, and its crimson eyes were fixed on her below.
As if sensing Freya's gaze, the previously motionless sculpture suddenly turned its head, its red eyes locking onto her.
"Wow? It's actually alive?"
Feeling the stare of the Demon Sculpture, Freya raised an eyebrow and then walked towards the building.
This place resembled a Mercenary hall, filled with various bizarre creatures mingling within.
Dressed in a black robe and hood, Freya squeezed past a creature with the head of a chicken and the body of a human, arriving at the counter.
Behind the counter stood a slender girl, her beautiful face appearing to be only around fifteen or sixteen years old. However, she had more than ten eyes scattered irregularly across her cheeks, making her look quite strange.
The Multi-Eyed Girl was sorting through some documents without lifting her head.
"Are you here to accept a mission or to post one?"
Ignoring the girl's unusual appearance, Freya pulled out a bag of Magic Stones from her waist and tossed it onto the counter with a thud.
"Here are fifty Magic Stones. I need a savvy guide to take me to the Toxic Fog Swamp in the Crimson Forest Trace."
"Ah?" Perhaps hearing the amount of Magic Stones Freya mentioned, the girl lifted her head, all her numerous eyes focusing on Freya as she confirmed, "Did you say fifty Magic Stones?"
"Of course. Is there a problem?" Freya slightly frowned under the hood as she felt the weight of those many eyes on her.
"No, of course not." The girl happily put away the bag and counted the Magic Stones before placing them in a drawer behind the counter. "Alright, I'll post your mission right away. Please leave your contact information here."
The girl pulled over a form from the side and placed it in front of Freya.
After a moment, she extended her finger and lightly tapped on the bottom of the form, leaving a Secret Mark imprinted on it.
"Good." Seeing the mark left behind, the girl's tone became extremely respectful. "If anyone comes to claim the mission, we will notify you immediately. Please keep your card safe."
A black card was handed to Freya.
On the back of the card was a beautiful woman's head with curved ram horns, and a line of text was engraved behind it.
“Lady of Suffering production. For any rule violations, please contact Thirteenth Layer of the Dark Tower.”
“Dark Tower?” Upon seeing this name, Freya immediately thought of the black Tower she had seen when entering the city. This Lady of Suffering seemed to be one of the high-ranking figures in this city.
After posting the mission, Freya took another stroll around the hall before leaving.
However, not long after she left, the card she had put away began to emit a faint vibration.
Freya took out the card and held it in her hand, noticing that a line of information was rapidly scrolling on the front of the card. It contained data about individuals who had received missions at the same time.
In just a short while, there were already over fifty entries.
Looking at this information in silence, Freya seemed to have guessed the strange appearance of the previous Multi-Eyed Girl.
Although she learned from Bill that in this place, Magic Stone could still be used as universal currency, she did not expect its purchasing power to be so strong. (To be continued...)
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