bookbashuk Page 188
Page 188
"Look! Mountains! Mountains stretch as far as the horizon!"
Latis and Jennifer jumped out of the spatial turbulence and immediately turned their gazes into the distance upon hearing this.
Amidst the endless undulations, a dark streak occasionally drifted across the sky, seemingly some intriguing magical spectacle, but Latis knew it was the so-called seasonal tornado.
"Boss Lingling, wait for us!" Jennifer didn't pay much attention to the view she had seen hundreds of times. With the excitement of a shared adventure, she patted Latis on the shoulder and then strode down the stairs.
"The Wilderness Territory..."
Latis squinted and looked out at the distant landscape.
The entire desolate mountain territory lies dormant in the vast shadows cast by the distant floating islands. The continuous mountain ranges, like earth dragons, intersect and merge on the land where light and shadow alternate, forming an extremely complex landscape.
"While the terrain of this other world may not possess the grandeur and breathtaking beauty of my previous life's Eastern Kingdom, it has a slight advantage in terms of mystery, eeriness, and complexity. Indeed, in a world filled with the power of magic, the forces of nature have taken a backseat..."
As he descended the old wooden staircase from the teleportation array, he glanced at the city he was visiting for the first time.
As the only main city in Senhai Territory not named after a plant, Mayan City's character is quite different from the towns in the central and southern regions.
Compared to the towns in the central and southern regions, which were almost entirely covered with trees and flowers, the interior of Mayan City was only dotted with a few withered trees. Their slender and ancient roots were exposed on the ground, like large claw marks left by monsters, adding a touch of grimness to the atmosphere.
Because of the sparse vegetation, the land of Mayan City also shows a slight desertification trend. The different soil conditions and scattered grass and trees make the color of the land of the whole town appear as dark and light patches.
Two or three merchants wearing sand-proof coats gathered near the teleportation array and slowly walked towards the city gate. Latis and his teammates followed behind, their ears twitching as they overheard them chatting openly.
"The exchange rate of gold has risen again, making the export business a bit difficult."
"There's some new activity in the Norard magical world. I heard that some 'Father of Dragons' appeared recently, which boosted the market here. Once this period passes, the exchange rate will stabilize."
"Not necessarily. The new nobles assessment ceremony in the capital is coming up soon. If any outstanding individuals emerge then, Kim White's value will continue to rise."
"There's nothing to look forward to in the newly promoted nobles. It's obvious that they're just a bunch of aristocratic scions mixed with one or two commoners to make up the numbers. They won't make any waves."
"Talented people are hard to find! But I've heard that some members of the floating island nobles are planning to join the Norard noble faction. Maybe they'll bring something new?"
"...The son of the Dragonhorn Territory lord who died unexpectedly some time ago said he had been preparing to move to the floating island, right? What is this, a home swap?"
"Whether to exchange wives or husbands depends on the Janium. It's said that the Janium people exchange wives or husbands on average every six months... In that case, the exchange rate of the Kinghouse can't be predicted by common sense. After all, it's the free Janium. What if a batch of gods die next month and they announce that they're starting to sell their divine status? The value of the Kinghouse will probably skyrocket!"
"...Are you out of your mind? Why not just be a proper mage? Why buy that pile of dung..."
"You fucking don't understand at all. Just think about it, during the off-season, when we're bored and go fishing, we use divine essence as a float. How cool would that be?"
"...makes sense."
"That makes no sense at all!"
Hearing the merchants' conversation veer off-topic, Latis couldn't help but mentally complain, shake his head, and slow his pace.
As he slowed his pace, the merchants ahead quickly disappeared into the winding streets.
"Lazi, what's wrong?"
Jennifer disconnected the beacon communication she was secretly having with Ateliers to track their movements and asked curiously.
Latis looked up at the rather complicated street and stroked his chin.
Because Mayan City is almost adjacent to the Mountain Wasteland, the town is constantly subjected to strong winds due to the different vegetation coverage and the resulting temperature and humidity.
As a result, Mayan City has almost no main north-south roads. The residential and commercial buildings, like uneven puzzle pieces, cut off the airflow into the city, leaving only wider streets for people to linger in front of the main taverns and inns.
However, the corresponding consequence is that the flow of people and the carts in the city are easily blocked. Just like at this moment, not far from the tavern, two carts going in opposite directions got stuck at a street bend, and the commoners pushing the carts began to argue impatiently.
"Commoners start working much earlier than mages."
Latis scratched his head helplessly and said to Jennifer:
"Jie, go to the city gate and rent some horses first. I'll see what's going on so that nothing bad can happen."
"Huh?" Jennifer glanced at the increasingly crowded people in front of her, her brows furrowing slightly. "Should I use divine magic to separate them?"
“Not for now.” Latis glanced at Jennifer’s golden armor, a symbol of her status, then at his own hooded coat, and the priest’s robe he wore underneath, just in case, and shook his head.
"Your actions symbolize the Church of Light. Let me handle this."
“Okay, contact Beacon if anything comes up.” Jennifer didn’t hesitate any longer, jumped onto the roof, and quickly left the street.
"Is it because of the priest's abilities? I sense some unsettling signals within the magic element."
Latis pulled up his hood and whispered to Bell, who was dressed in a cloth coat and a tall hat, "You stay here, I'll go check it out."
"Wait a minute." Lingling curiously grabbed Latis's hem, stood on tiptoe, and whispered:
"I'll go as well."
……
……
"...Besides, I have the Dawn and Dusk Wood, a specialty of Senhai Territory, on this cart. It's a magical item that can tell time by the angle and speed of rotation... It's about to be sold to Andora and Yanium! If you delay things, can you, a greenhorn like you, afford to compensate me!"
The middle-aged man with a fierce look crossed his arms and said in a hoarse, phlegmy voice:
"Brother, make way for me, please?"
The young man opposite him scoffed, shook his head, and said:
"So you're just a country bumpkin speculator after all. The export season for Dawnwood is long over. Where did you come from, smuggler? If that's the case, my cart is full of magical materials being shipped from the capital to various lords' mansions! You know what's more important, even if you're from the countryside, as a merchant you should know a thing or two, right?"
The middle-aged man's fierce expression froze for a moment. He glanced around at the murmuring crowd, his face turning pale for a instant before flushing red. He spat towards the corner of the wall, rolled up his sleeves, and began to curse:
"So you're the lackeys of the nobility! It's you who have cut off our path as commoners. There's a magic network in the villages and towns, yet you don't give us any chance to come into contact with magic!"
He grew angrier and angrier, forgetting all his previous unease. He leaped over his cart, practically shoving his face in the young man's forehead, and shouted:
"It's because you nobles are coming to the village and bullying us with your magic that we're forced to send our children and grandchildren on a perilous apprenticeship to the Green Vine Academy for any chance of turning our lives around!"
"There are far too many mages already!" The young man showed no fear; a cold glint flashed in his eyes. Before the middle-aged man could react, magic began to gather in his hands, and he said in a chilling voice:
"This is not something you should be fantasizing about!"
"You son of a bitch!" The middle-aged man didn't waste any more words and suddenly punched the young man in the chin.
"Scatter! Scatter!" The people around immediately retreated in fear, afraid of being caught in the crossfire of these two impulsive men.
boom!
Amid the uproar of the onlookers, the middle-aged man's fist, which he had poured all his strength into, slammed into a hammer the size of a head that had suddenly appeared. The hammer did not vibrate at all; instead, the middle-aged man's hand made a crisp cracking sound due to the reaction force.
"Die!" At the same time, the young man's face turned fierce. He suddenly raised his hand, wanting to release the spell he had been preparing for a long time, but he also slammed his palm onto the hammer. In an instant, even the spell that was about to take shape dissipated.
Both men gasped in unison, but to everyone's surprise, neither of them immediately started cursing. Instead, they tensed up, their faces instantly covered in cold sweat, and they knelt stiffly on the ground, clutching their groins.
"Damn, we're late. I just wanted to block them..."
Latis also felt a phantom pain and subconsciously clenched his legs, making the same gasp as the two of them. Remembering what Lingling had said, "The hammer's effect has been amplified tenfold," he couldn't help but mourn for the two of them for a few seconds.
After passing through the overlapping buildings, a slight breeze stirred the hood that Latis had put on, and in those few silent seconds, he quickly established the image of a stern and unsmiling old warrior in the minds of the crowd.
Pop, pop, pop!
"Even in the taverns and marketplaces, surrounded by filth, heroes can be found."
Just as Latis was considering whether to cast a spell to save the two, a man in a loose robe stepped out from the crowd, clapping his hands. He wore a tattered black linen shawl, and his messy hair was tied up with black hemp rope, giving him a greasy look that suggested he hadn't washed it in a long time.
"Holy crap, a different color Yasuo?"
Latis paused, somewhat unsure of the man's purpose in coming out, then frowned, put down his hammer, and pondered for a moment, deciding to wait and see.
Two wisps of green magic emanated from the ring in the mysterious man's hand and poured into the two men on the ground. At the same time, the spell prompt for "Healing Mantra" appeared before Latis's eyes. He shook his head and let him lift the two men who were clutching their groins.
“You…” The young man stood up shakily, glanced at the badge on the mysterious man’s chest, his expression changed immediately, and he shut his mouth.
After standing up, the middle-aged man glanced at Latis, then at the mysterious man's face, and then shut his mouth.
Latis glanced at the silent, mysterious man, walked straight up to the middle-aged man, picked up his cart, and, with the crowd making way, moved it past the young man's cart, placing it on the empty road. Then, in a low voice, he said:
"Alright, that's enough of your farce. I'm leaving now."
He hung the hammer back on his waist, waved to Lingling, and then led her, who was looking excited, out of the crowd.
"Wait, brother!"
The mysterious man quickly caught up with Latis, glanced at Bellling wearing a tall woolen hat for a few moments, and then said with a slight smile:
“My name is Torso. I saw you stop the fight just now, and I felt that you were a good person worth befriending, so I came up to you to say hello.”
"So you really call it a daycare center? And is that your Level 6 dog tag you're wearing?"
Latis glanced at the badge on Torso's chest, finding it somewhat familiar, but after searching his memory, he couldn't find a matching design. He silently memorized the badge's shape, looked at Torso, thought for a moment, and politely offered a perfunctory explanation:
"I accidentally injured those two merchants just now. Thank you for your help."
Torso smiled and sized up Latis's figure, paused for two seconds, then shook his head and said:
“Those two deserved it. If you hadn’t stepped forward first, I would have chased them away. Those who act arrogantly in the bustling city are not to be trifled with!”
Latis felt a headache coming on when he heard the sentence mixed with Old Common, and quickly raised a hand to signal him to stop, asking helplessly:
"Lord Torso, I am not well-educated, could you please simplify your speech?"
Torso's eyebrows twitched slightly, then he sighed and said:
"Brother, the wind is howling, and we drink more wind than wine. This is the fate of many wanderers here. Please forgive us!"
"Oh? Is this how tourists talk near Mayan City?" Latis asked curiously.
Torso's eyes sharpened, he paused, then silently quickened his pace to catch up with Latis, and asked with a smile:
"Brother, are you new to Mayan City? Where are you from? Perhaps we're from the same hometown!"
"...Why don't you tell me what you want to say?" The magic around him froze slightly. Latis sensed something was wrong and immediately stopped talking, shaking his head and saying, "We're planning to hurry on our way."
Torso's gaze swept quickly over Latis's clothes, then he looked at Lingling again and asked, "Brother, where are you going? Who is this child...?"
Before Latis could speak, Lingling, pressing her woolen hat, said in a low voice:
"We're just going to wander around the nearby towns. Uncle, if you're bored, go have a drink at the tavern. Don't keep bothering my old man!"
"Dad?"
Latis raised an eyebrow, glanced at Lingling, and before their eyes met, he spoke:
"You...child, don't be so rude. Lord Torso, please excuse my rudeness, haha..."
"Oh? So you're already married, brother?" Torso glanced again at Lingling, who was covering her ears with her hat and seemed to be throwing a tantrum, and immediately laughed, exclaiming:
"Looking at your robust physique, I thought you were still young. I never expected you to be such a successful senior."