---Third POV---
As the clouds on the horizon were tinged with orange, the scenery along the road began to change dramatically. Orderly farmlands stretched out, dotted with various rustic cottages, uneven dirt roads, and farmers working in the fields or by the ridges.
Lux excitedly pointed to a middle-aged couple dining under a tree.
"Look! So many NPCs!"
The aura of human society!
"Shh!" Garble signaled for silence. "These people aren't simple."
"Huh?" Lux looked confused.
NeverShowOff explained, "Look at those amnesiac captives ahead."
In the distance, a group of about a dozen people had unconsciously huddled closer together. Their movements were stiff and unnatural. The belongings they carried when they left were now piled in the center of the group.
Child suddenly understood. "They're wary of those farmers."
Garble added, "Viktor mentioned this before. Outside towns, there aren't just farmers who can't afford to enter the city. There are also…"
Clang!
The sharp sound of metal interrupted him.
Unnoticed, the peaceful farmers had crept closer to the group of captives. Suddenly, one of them launched an attack, only to be countered by someone who was prepared.
It was like a signal.
Both sides quickly plunged into chaos, the sounds of clashing weapons and cries of combat filling the air.
Garble calmly finished his sentence. "…there are also wanderers of questionable identity, migrating across the wilderness."
Clearly, the people ahead fell into the latter category. The fight was a one-sided massacre. The weakened mages with suppressed abilities were no match for these bloodthirsty hyenas.
Even with some preparation, they couldn't escape being injured and losing their belongings.
Lux hesitated, her heart heavy. "Are we just going to stand by and watch?"
"Our job is only to ensure their safety until they wake up. This isn't part of the mission," Child replied nonchalantly.
NeverShowOff agreed. "If they chose to leave, they must've been mentally prepared. It's not our problem."
Garble glanced at the sky. "Let's go. It's even more dangerous at night."
Lux hesitated briefly but then shook her head. "Fair enough."
After all, no matter how realistic it felt, these were just game NPCs. There was no point delaying their mission.
As they got closer to Nary Town, the path became more defined, and finding their way without a guide wasn't difficult. The players' luggage was stored in their in-game backpacks. Despite their odd but clean attire, they walked openly along the road, untouched by the wanderers on the roadside.
As for the unlucky captives stripped of their valuables and injured? Who knew what would happen to them? Perhaps they wouldn't last long. Maybe they'd set out again tomorrow and reach Nary Town. Or perhaps they'd become the next wave of wanderers…
The town wasn't hard to find.
The closer they got, the more buildings appeared. However, the structures grew increasingly dilapidated. While the outskirts had stone houses with thatched roofs, the imposing black city wall, towering at least thirty meters high, was a stark contrast, standing proudly over the surrounding area.
"Whoa... wow..." Child tilted his head so far back it hurt, his mouth agape. "This is what human society feels like?"
Lux took a deep breath. "It's the smell of life!"
Garble's lips twitched. "Are you saying Honeyvale Town had no one alive?"
"That's different! NPC towns and player villages are totally different!" the two retorted confidently.
NeverShowOff looked at the wall with envy. "What a wall. If only we could take it back home."
The black bricks glimmered faintly, giving off a metallic sheen that contrasted starkly with the wooden carts in the vicinity, as if centuries of civilization separated them.
Just looking at it screamed power.
Finally, the town guards noticed the four awkward players and approached impatiently.
"No money? Then scram! Don't block the caravans!"
Lux curiously eyed the sword hanging from the guard's waist. "A town guard without armor? Seems kind of poor."
Child smugly raised his chin. "Dummy! Armor's too heavy for everyday use. It's only for battle. A sword is enough to scare people!"
"…You two." Garble sighed.
Didn't they notice the guard's eyes nearly shooting fire?
Fortunately, NPCs couldn't understand the players' comments. They had no idea the two were ridiculing the guard's sword as a glorified dagger.
Before the guard could explode, NeverShowOff handed over four identification papers that Viktor had prepared. Following the game's translation system, he repeated, "How much Sol to enter the town?"
After paying 400 Sol as a toll, the group successfully entered Nary Town. They spent another 100 Sol on a lodge that included meals and accommodations.
However, after choking down the dark green soup served for dinner, any illusion they had about NPC food being decent was completely shattered.
Returning to their room, they began planning their next steps.
NeverShowOff took the lead in accounting. "Viktor only gave us 1,000 Sol. At this rate, we won't last two days."
"Our priority is to complete the letter delivery task. The reward is immediate and in Sol currency," Garble suggested thoughtfully.
"Entry fees and lodging are high, but other expenses might be cheaper. Still, I agree we should focus on the delivery task first."
Tracking Edgar's whereabouts had too few leads and could take days. Securing funds first was the smart move.
Child proposed, "Only one of us needs to deliver the letter. I can scout the town in the meantime!"
Lux eagerly added, "I can too!"
NeverShowOff shook his head helplessly. He knew the two were enthralled by the outside world, but he refused. "Given it's a special mission, there might be unexpected challenges. It's better if two or three of us go. Here's the plan…"
After much discussion, they decided Child would investigate Edgar's whereabouts, while the other three delivered the letter.
Lux protested but couldn't argue against the fact that, as a light-type player, she lacked the ability to act solo.
The next morning, at the lodge entrance, Child received 200 Sol in crisp coins.
"Here, try using this to bribe townsfolk."
"Relax! I've done this in plenty of other games, piece of cake!" Child stashed the coins confidently, waving as he left. "Wait for my good news!"
Garble watched him leave, feeling uneasy. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
Lux grimaced, still distracted by the lodge's blue-colored bean juice. She had been nursing it for half an hour but couldn't bring herself to drink it.
"No big deal. If he screws up, we'll just check out and leave. No shared suffering."
"Great idea!" NeverShowOff nodded in agreement.
Lux braced herself, closed her eyes, and downed the bean juice in one gulp.
Bang!
"Yuck, cough, cough! I'm done! Let's go!"
---
The inn or rather, most of the shops in Nary Town, only offered two meals a day: breakfast and dinner.
To avoid spending a fortune on overpriced snacks along the way,
they had no choice but to grit their teeth and finish the strange breakfast prepared by the inn. The delivery location was clearly marked in the mission instructions, so they didn't have to waste time searching for it.
As NeverShowOff and the others left the street by the city gate, the surroundings burst into a lively commotion.
"Fresh herbs, cure-all remedies, come and see!"
"Karoo beast pelts, essential for protection, special price today only!"
"Stone-Bristle Boars leg meat, delicious and perfect for adventurers to replenish energy!"
"Ores from Kolchi Mine, with a chance to reveal attribute gems! Don't miss out!"
Narrow streets were lined with a variety of stalls selling all sorts of wares. Fabrics, clothing, spices, mysterious stones, dried leaves, you name it, they had it.
The sheer abundance dazzled Lux's eyes. "Wow, wow, wow..."
Having never strolled through such a bustling market in real life, she was so amazed she was at a loss for words. Noticing her gaze glued to the roadside vendors, NeverShowOff suggested, "Want to take a look?"
Lux's eyes sparkled with joy. "Really?!"
Garble nodded. "Morning markets are usually the most vibrant. We can delay the delivery a bit."
The delivery destination was a shop that was likely packed with people at this hour. Better to wander around for now.
"Yay!" Lux cheered and skipped with excitement, immediately switching to shopping mode.
"Sonyakxi? How much is this?" she asked clumsily, relying on the game's newly updated translation feature.
Sensing potential business, the vendor enthusiastically engaged with her. In no time, Lux had browsed two roadside stalls. She asked for the price of every slightly attractive item on display.
As she became more fluent in conversing with the vendors, her enthusiasm only grew.
Watching her energy skyrocket, NeverShowOff was stunned. "Is this the legendary shopping instinct of women?"
He'd thought she had her eye on something specific. So, he encouraged her to browse freely. But judging by the way things were going, it seemed she was interested in the entire street!
He counted the Sol coins in his pocket. Their total wealth amounted to only 300 Sol.
Garble glanced at the narrow, grimy street filled with trash and sewage in the corners, puzzled. "Isn't she a big spender? How could these primitive street stalls catch her interest?"
NeverShowOff shrugged. "Who knows?"
But they'd already agreed to let her explore. So, all they could do was follow and play along. Trailing behind Lux, the two witnessed her extraordinary ability to blend into the environment.
Although they were all walking the same street, somehow, she managed to gather market prices for all kinds of furs and jars. Every time she bargained, the vendor would shoot her a look of surprise. However, after bargaining, Lux never actually bought anything.
That was until she reached a stall selling ores. The vendor, dressed in a light-gray cloak fastened with an oversized pin, greeted them warmly as soon as he spotted them. "Miss, these are ores from Kolchi Mine, of exceptional quality! Care to buy a few?"
Garble asked, confused, "What's Kolchi Mine?"
"A mine known for producing attribute gems," Lux explained. "But it's ridiculously far from Nary Town, practically a world away. Even raw stones from Kolchi Mine are extremely expensive. There's no way they'd be sold in bulk in a small border town like this. He's probably exaggerating."
"Oh!" NeverShowOff caught on. "How do you know all this?"
"Just now, from the third vendor on the left," Lux said casually. She then reached out to pick up a gray-white stone about the size of a billiard ball. Compared to the other massive ores on the stall,
this one seemed insignificant, almost like leftover debris.
But she liked it. It caught her eye the moment she arrived at the stall.
"How much for this stone?" The vendor's face fell when he saw her pick up the smallest stone, but then a glint flashed in his eyes, and he forced a sincere smile.
"That stone isn't sold individually. But if you buy the one next to it, I'll throw this in for free!"
"Next to it?" Lux turned to look.
Wow! That stone was big enough to be used as a bench! Did he really think she was that gullible?
"Do you take me for a fool?" She angrily put her hands on her hips. "A bunch of rocks you probably dug up at the outskirts, I wouldn't even use them to prop up a table!
It's not even evening yet, and you're already dreaming?"
Garble whispered, "Did someone tell you this, too?"
"No, I guessed," Lux replied.
Judging by the vendor's pale face, her guess was spot on. Despite the lengthy translation, her anger helped her articulate the entire speech fluently. The figurative phrasing even drew the attention of passersby, who began to murmur and glance discreetly at the trio.
"What a sharp tongue! Such characters appear in the commoner's marketplace?"
"Look at those exquisite fabrics, are they mages?"
"Perhaps traveling minstrels?"
Feeling the increasing attention, NeverShowOff awkwardly smiled. It seemed they weren't exactly adhering to their low-profile plan.
As the commotion grew, Lux started to get nervous. "Uh, maybe I should just let it—"
"No need!" The vendor caved under pressure and quickly corrected himself. "My mistake earlier! This stone can be sold separately, 20 Sol, and it's yours!"
Lux froze, about to say something, when the sound of horse hooves echoed from the direction of the city gate, accompanied by a series of screams.
Clip-clop, clip-clop!
The narrow street wasn't suited for horse carriages, but the horse galloped recklessly, nearly trampling people underfoot. Everyone scrambled to make way, and chaos erupted in the market.
She only caught a glimpse of a lavish, round-canopied carriage hurtling toward her.
Shrill screams filled the air.
"Whoa..." The carriage stopped abruptly in front of her, or rather, in front of the vendor's stall.
A sudden force pushed Lux off balance, and the stone in her hand flew into the carriage.
A white copper token was tossed down from the curtain.
"The item is mine!"
Lux narrowly dodged the token aimed at her face, then glanced at the updated subtitles on her translator:
[Hmph, a fake mage.]
A surge of anger shot through her head. She charged forward, shouting, "Hey, I was buying that first!"
But after a few steps, Garble and NeverShowOff grabbed her.
"Don't be rash," Garble warned.
NeverShowOff added, "Anyone bold enough to ride a carriage here isn't someone to mess with."