I didn't even feel that tired yet – there was no way I’ve been here for over 4 hours!
…and yet the dark sky had reaffirmed the correctness of my new watch. In fact, had I not noticed the soft yellow light coming from the glowing orbs around the guild's perimeter, which had smoothly replaced the natural sunlight at some point, who knows when I might have stopped?
‘Am I becoming a musclehead? Or… wait, there was the wound thing, too.’
Early on during the training, I was reminded of the injury I received yesterday – a long, ragged cut to my right arm, courtesy of that one gang member.
The first strange thing was that I only noticed it back then, due to the strenuous sword training.
The second strange thing was its state – while the wound was still visible, the once-deep cut seemed to have been healing at an abnormal pace, with the scab already close to falling off.
It wasn't like this was something standard in this world, either – during my harvesting missions in Pine Harbor, I fought goblins more than once, sustaining a similar injury one of those times.
Back then, since it happened at the end of the run, I endured until returning to town. While I could still function, the constant pain, especially when using the arm, definitely wasn't something I could ignore, nor could I even fall asleep properly.
Only the next morning, after I realized I could ask Amelia for healing, did the constant discomfort finally stop.
However, this wound seemed to have been healing way too quickly and smoothly on its own.
‘No, actually, everything about my physical condition felt different after yesterday.’
I opened the panel again, swiftly ensuring everything remained as it was before (beside the minor Technique proficiency advancement), and I haven't missed something like “Natural regeneration increased by 400%” somewhere amongst the core Trait lines.
“Hmm…”
A theory started forming in my mind.
‘I already have a superhuman ability like this.’
Even though it wasn't just limited to physical senses, my hearing had become much sharper, and my eyes could see better in the dark than regular folks should be able to, albeit not at the level of [Darkvision].
‘Could it be related to the Attributes?’
Now that I thought of it, there were a few people with a similar level of superhuman perception as me – all of them were regular humans, apart from one half-elf, and Thomas had a Path that likely increased Awareness, while Amelia had been close to reaching a Path, perhaps already having received a relevant ‘blessing’.
‘If I had to guess, I'd say Attributes give special bonuses after certain cutoffs. Given how Path Realms also span across 5 levels, and that the baseline for each Attribute is 10, and that all my physical attributes became 15 or higher, I can only guess it acts as a similar cutoff.’
This would explain my body feeling so light – maybe, like Awareness that greatly sharpened the senses, Strength simply did the same with my muscles.
However, Endurance likely increased not just my ability to endure wounds, but also their healing rate.
‘Come to think of it, perhaps it has something to do with how the body works, like metabolism and shit, since my stamina recovered much faster as well.’
I decided to conduct a small experiment.
I picked a bunch of pebbles off the ground, and launched them into the air, clearing my mind and focusing my full attention on the tiny stones.
I was met with the familiar sensation of the gears in my head turning rapidly, causing the world to slow down. Only that now, it was a bit slower than before, and the strain on my mind felt less heavy.
‘This must be Intelligence.’
I even had time for a few coherent thoughts, before the small stones started descending, spreading above my head like raindrops on a stormy winter day.
‘Lets see if this works as expected, too.’
I raised my hand. Just as the first pebbles entered my reach, I swatted those which were right above my head, while twisting my body to avoid the rest of the stones.
As the last tiny rock hit the ground, I tallied my score.
‘9 pebbles deflected, 2 hits, at least 20 dodged.’
It seemed Agility significantly increased my reflexes, while also giving a nice boost to elasticity and speed.
‘I'm starting to get curious – what would 1 more point in Awareness give me?’
Regardless, this was a significant gain – it turned out that the Path advancement pushed all three of my physical Attributes over the threshold.
‘Now I'm even more relieved I never got on the bad side of Thomas, or other high-level Path-bearers like … Wait, actually, scrap that.’
With a sigh, upon remembering my current predicament, I swiftly exited the guild campus, walked down the eastern street, hoping to make it back on time for dinner.
‘The first thing I do tomorrow is buy a god damned horse.’
***
thock
A short, hiltless throwing knife embedded itself into a thick wooden beam, which was leaning against the rough stone wall.
Not even a second later, the blade dislodged itself from the wood, floating back towards the delicate hand that launched it, with another knife already flashing past it.
The hand belonged to a woman, her skin fair, and her hair red as the summer sunset.
Her thin figure and seemingly gentle features could make many men in the city fall at first glance. However, the frosty, uncanny look in her eyes would make even more men break in cold sweat and quietly withdraw in dread.
“God damn it, woman! If I hear another damn knife hit this beam, my mace is going to hit your face!”
The shout, overflowing with irritation, came from a dwarf, his short hair displaying a noticeably darker shade of red color compared to the woman, and his long beard arranged into dozens of braids.
He wore a full set of plate armor, its metal somewhat dark, barely reflecting the faint light of the single oil lamp illuminating the large underground room.
On his back hung a tower shield made of similar metal, shorter and wider than usual, matching its owner’s dimensions.
The mace on his waist, however, was made of a different alloy, its silvery surface displaying a faint green hue.
The woman, whose gaze was focused on her knives, threw a cold glance towards the dwarf. The latest knife floated back into her grasp, with none of its kin flying to take its place.
After a few seconds, the left corner of the woman's mouth curled upwards, ever so faintly, and the knives flew towards a different wooden beam on the opposite side of the room, passing over the large round table in the middle.
“You!..”
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The dwarf was fuming, but his hand never reached for the weapon.
“I swear, had the boss- no, even that pretentious bastard would be enough to teach you some manners!”
“Why don't you teach me some manners, Redbeard?”
The woman's eyes shone with amusement.
“Tsk.”
The dwarf spat on the decrepit stone tiles serving as the floor in this underground hideout.
“I won't sully my mace with your rancid blood. Bah! Even the name ‘Ruby’ is wasted on you! They should have called you ‘Red Rat’, rather than insult such a noble gem.”
“You know this is my real name, right?”
The woman’s shrill, ear piercing laugh only served to further stroke the embers of irritation, as the dwarf mumbled a few curses under his breath.
“Why not go to a tavern? Have a few mugs of ale. Maybe find someone to keep you company for the night. I'm su~re that'll help you get better results this month.”
The mockery in her tone was lacking in subtlety.
Just as it seemed the dwarf nicknamed Redbeard was about to explode, two quick knocks, followed by a second pair, came from one of the two doors leading into the room.
The dwarf took a deep breath, quickly calming down.
“Co~ome in!”
The woman, Ruby, was still in a good mood, evident by her playful voice.
The one who entered the room was a slender half elf with green eves and black hair – he wore a pitch-black set of custom leather armor, with two daggers visible at his waist. Behind his belt, a peculiar cotton headmask was tucked away.
“My lady. I have a report.”
His solemn expression was not unusual, but the slight fluctuations of his voice, coupled with a grim look in his eyes, made the woman instantly turn serious.
“Speak.”
Her voice became cold, with not a hint of its previous playfulness remaining.
“The Mad Dogs – a promising gang we picked up two months ago. Yesterday, they were culled, down to the last man.”
The man, clearly possessing nerves of steel, continued looking into the woman's eyes with an even, unchanging gaze, as her expression gradually twisted.
On the other side of the table, the dwarf's flat lips curved up in a devious smile, only adding fuel to the rising flame.
“Why?”
“My lady?”
“Why are you still standing here?”
If looks could affect reality, the man would have turned into a solid block of ice by now.
“Go. Find those responsible. And unless it's any of the gray bastards, those blasphemous freaks, or some petulant high-Silver rank, I expect you to bring me more than a report next time.”
“It will be done, my lady.”
With a curt bow, the half-elf swiftly departed. If one had exceptionally sharp perception, they would notice the tiny droplets on the back of his neck.
“Ahahaha, ha ha ha!”
The woman looked at the dwarf with growing disdain, which only served to fuel his laughter.
“Haaaa. Perhaps- ha ha, perhaps you'd like to come to that tavern with me. Seems like you could use some forgettin’ yourself, ahahahaha!”
If looks could affect reality, the worst torments on the deepest Hell might have been preferable to the dwarf's fate.
***
In the end, I barely made it to dinner – and only thanks to my watch, which showed that I'd still make it within a safe margin if I sprinted half-way through.
However, my worries were for nothing – an establishment of this level wouldn't serve scraps, even if it was the last minute of service.
I was given a small wine menu, and the waitress - a different girl from the afternoon receptionist - introduced me to the three meal sets available today.
I chose the one that had a baked chicken thigh, served with some greasy, milky mushroom sauce, with a side of steamy baked potatoes, and some green salad, the contents of which were unknown to me.
The price was high compared to the Blue Mushroom, but it was nothing compared to what I had to spend on lunch.
After having my meal, I went to my room, to have something I desperately wanted – a proper shower.
Standing under the warm water sprays, scrabbling away the filth of the last two days, I couldn't help but exhale in relief – despite the looming danger, the city wasn't too bad after all.
***
The morning light gently spread through my room, seeping through the thin curtains.
‘So soft…’
Getting up and leaving behind the most comfortable bed I've had the pleasure of sleeping in wasn't easy, but there was still much to do, and little time to do it.
“God morning, sir. How can I help you?”
“Could you answer a few questions?..”
After breakfast, I went to the receptionist to gather more information. The three main topics happened to be interconnected.
“You should visit the Trusty Wheel company. Their headquarters happen to be in this district – here, let me show you on the map.”
I wanted to learn about caravans leaving for Valor's End, public transportation and schedules, as well as buying a horse.
As it turned out, there were three main companies that operated public transport within the city.
The largest one, Trusty Wheel, was responsible for most carriages within the eastern and northern districts. It also operated most caravans headed for Valor's End, although its main competitor from the other city wasn’t far behind, and there were a few private or small company caravans making that route as well.
And, finally, they also sold horses.
“They are bred for neither war nor competitions, but they tend to have good endurance and strength. You can use them for carriages and wagons, but I heard some of our guests praising their ability to make it through long and arduous journeys.”
Thankfully, the receptionist, a young man wearing plain but high quality black-and-white clothes with neatly groomed short hair, knew enough about the company and its services to point me in the right direction.
“However, a word of advice, sir – in the city, owning a horse is no cheaper than using public carriages.”
“Is that so?”
“I’m afraid it is, sir. There are only a few public stables in each district, and leaving a horse at one for a few hours is no cheaper than buying a one-way carriage ticket.”
“Hmm…”
“You'd also need to pay for its long-term stay - in the Stallion's Paradise, the closest one to this inn, charges 2 silver per day - and that's on the cheaper side in Eastern.”
“That’s fine.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“As for daily errands, can't I just tie it to a post?’
The youth looked to the side in hesitation.
“Well… you could. But in the decent parts of the city, if a passing guard sees the horse left unattended for too long, especially if it happened to.. defecate on the street, you could face massive fines. As for the less decent parts… you'd be lucky to see the horse at all upon your return.”
“I see. Thanks for the warnings.”
“No problem at all, sir! Best of luck in your purchase- ah, thank you very much, sir.”
Tossing a silver coin his way, I exited the inn, making my way to the address pointed by the young man.
“Welcome to the Trusty Wheel! How may I help you, sir?”
Just over 30 minutes later, and another 15 spent waiting in the queue, I was standing in front of an overly enthusiastic girl at the reception desk - one of the three such desks - on the ground floor of the large headquarters building.
“I’m looking for a few things. First, when is the next caravan leaving for Valor's End?”
“You are in luck, sir! There is a caravan right around the corner – 4 days from now.”
“That’s great. Can you give me the details?”
“The route takes 15 to 16 days – this caravan only stops in two towns and two villages on the way. The price for a basic ticket is 10 gold, with a 2 gold reservation fee. You'd also need to purchase the full ticket by noon the day before, at the latest.”
“10 gold?..”
I could pay this, in theory, but the price still seemed excessive.
The receptionist gave me an apologetic look.
“Long distance travel by carriage is not cheap, sir.. although..."
For a few seconds, she was deep in thought, then threw a quick glance at the sword behind my back.
“If you have your own horse and camping equipment, you can tag along the caravan for 5 gold, or simply keep sufficient distance and follow behind – although I wouldn’t recommend the latter.”
“Why not?”
“Sir, the biggest expanse for a caravan is security – and that money is not spent for nothing. Oftentimes, there are plenty of dangers on the road – and some of those dangers prefer hunting a lone struggler or two, rather than attacking a heavily protected procession.”
I nodded my head. With how relatively peaceful my journey with Thomas went - apart from the trouble we sought out ourselves - I almost forgot how dangerous long distance travel was in this world.
“You could check at the Adventurer's Guild if there is an open escort mission for this caravan – they are open for Bronze adventurers, but mostly taken on by Path-bearers. However, those are usually filled a week or so in advance, so chances of a slot still being open are pretty slim.”
“No, it's fine. Actually…”
After quickly asking for a copy of the carriage schedule, which turned out to include a route map spanning the two districts, costing 1 silver.
Then, I moved on to the other goal of my visit.
“A horse? Of course sir! Please, proceed to the large stables north of this building. We just so happened to put up a few new horses for sale recently – I promise you'll be satisfied with what we have to offer.”