Chapter Seventeen: Madness City (Part 2)
At noon, the rain stopped.
I was trudging alone through the countless muddy alleyways in the north of Alectine City, swaying as I made my way west. The streets of Alectine City are like a giant spaghetti bowl—if you’re not careful, you’ll be lost faster than you can say “Where is Jasmine Street?” I tried to stop passersby for directions, but they mostly ignored me or shooed me away. Eventually, I bought a city map from a filthy little boy with a face full of spots, which finally put me on the right track.
The map cost me ten copper coins—not exactly a bank-breaking price, but it’s also not a steal. Ten copper coins could buy two palm-sized rye breads in the port city, which, in these post-crisis times, sounds like a deal; food has skyrocketed in price. But if you chew your way through a meager piece of bread, you might just stretch it enough to survive a day. In this place, though, ten copper coins barely gets you a sprinkle of crumbs.
That’s assuming someone’s actually willing to sell you those crumbs.
If that’s the going rate, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the townsfolk rose up in rebellion tomorrow.
But for me, it honestly wouldn’t make much of a difference; at most, I’d have to expend a bit more effort hunting beasts on my way to Silent Keep. No biggie.
I strolled along, map in hand, not in any rush—anyway, I wasn’t that hungry at the moment. In fact, I hadn’t really felt hunger in forever.
Ever since my “rebirth” in the Eastern Continent, that once all-consuming “hunger” influenced by Abyssal Power had vanished. Even after days without food, I didn’t feel any issues…
As for whether I can endure longer without eating, I haven’t tried, nor do I care to experiment. Why go through all that hassle?
When I see delicious food, I just eat as much as I can without worrying about feeling stuffed—thank goodness! However, that overwhelming joy and satisfaction I feel when chomping down on something tasty is still completely irresistible.
I suspect it’s due to the energy within me—ever since my “rebirth,” it’s gone from “meh” to “whoa!”
At first, I could “eat” to utilize the properties of Chaotic Power and draw nutrients wrapped in Dead Smoke from life forms—essentially that white smoke—to replenish my energy. Doing this helped gradually build up the abyssal energy inside me. But now? Those nutrients are as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Even if I gobbled an entire year’s worth of someone’s food or inhaled every living thing in an entire forest… which, let’s be honest, would never happen, but if it did, the effect on my massive energy vortex inside would be so negligible they might as well not exist.
So eating or skipping meals? Not really a concern.
I reckon…
If my powers have room for improvement, then I probably need to eat something different… something special.
Like, say, the Abyss.
Or maybe…
Those so-called deities!
Definitely not through consuming ordinary food or life.
Of course, this is all just a guess of mine. Whether it’s true or not requires further experimentation—it’s not something I’m currently in the mood to validate.
Regardless, the question of food has long ceased to be a dilemma for me. If I feel like eating, I eat; if not, I don’t—though typically when I catch a whiff of something delicious, I still have that desire to try it. But at least it’s not an uncontrollable urge anymore. Even if I really want to eat, I can choose not to. It’s something I can manage…
Right?
In any case, I never feel too hungry.
So even if I can’t buy anything in this city, I won’t be too bothered. Food has become a way to derive satisfaction in life, not a necessity… That’s pretty much been my vibe for the last six months.
But, if possible, I still want to buy some food here.
On my way west, I pulled out my coins again and counted them—only about twenty silver coins left! There’s also a gold coin lurking in there, but—especially in a city like this—there’s no way for me to exchange it at a Currency Exchange. Even if I wanted to, it wouldn’t just come out to play.
Twenty silver coins…
What can I buy with that?
I need to stay here a few more days, gather information, and then move on… I’ve got to factor in lodging costs too…
“Sigh—”
I sighed a bit, feeling a touch melancholic…
Just thinking about the hundreds of thousands of gold coins sitting back at the Currency Exchange, which I can no longer access. What if they’ve become worthless post-“d*ath”? Imagining future situations where money could be an issue didn’t exactly fill me with motivation…
Without money, I can’t go on a shopping spree at the food stalls and impulse buy whatever looks tasty.
…What’s stopping me from finding those bandits hiding in the mountains and taking their loot?
Working? Yeah, that’s not on my agenda…
I pondered these things while wandering, and before I knew it, I heard a commotion in the distance. Lifting my head, I followed the noise and spotted the grand dome of the cathedral where a crowd was gathering.
Alectine City’s parish…
I couldn’t recall if I’d been there before.
I tilted my head, realizing I had spaced out thinking about food and hadn’t followed the directions on my map properly. I probably shouldn’t just wander into the parish. Though it’s unlikely, what if someone recognizes me?
I really should just skedaddle…
Despite convincing myself to leave, curious brain took charge, and I instinctively moved closer.
So many people…
I crossed the street and entered the small circular square in front of the church. Moving forward was practically impossible—the square was packed with kneeling worshippers who looked like they hadn’t eaten in days—many of them were ragged and skeletal, all pressing against one another, nearly filling the entire square.
Still, people kept streaming in from all directions.
I wrapped my cloak tighter, hiding at the back of the crowd in an inconspicuous flowerbed corner, then stood on tiptoe to peek at the steps of the church.
There stood several clergy in white robes, including a bearded old man—probably a priest or a bishop—bathed in Holy Light, preaching loudly to the people praying below.
“…O Children of God, the love of the great Deity is eternal and everlasting. If anyone is lost in the abyss, the Deity will lead you to the right path. If anyone is lonely in the wilderness, the Deity will light your way… Thus, you shall be strong and unafraid, forget your sorrows. The days you spend in this world will shine brighter than noon; despite the darkness, they will be like dawn…”
His booming voice seemed to energize everyone listening, gradually bringing hope to the confused masses below. They believed everything was preordained, that as long as their hearts were sincere, the Deity would surely guide them along the right path towards redemption.
I listened for a bit but started to feel a wave of sleepiness.
Such grandiloquence…
“Fraud—!”
Suddenly, someone yelled out loudly.
“What the hell kind of redemption is this? My wife died! She starved to d*ath! I pray fervently every day, diligently do my work! They crushed my leg with stones, and now they don’t want me! I have nothing left—”
“And what about my redemption?!”
He started hurling stones at the old man on the steps, and at that moment, a group rushed out from the nearby street, quickly merging into the crowd, shouting, “Minions of the nobility, lackeys of power!” They began throwing all sorts of junk up at the old man on the steps. Someone even tried to dash up the steps with a bucket, only to be swiftly sent flying by a knight, drenching everyone with the bucket’s contents. The stench was overpowering.
Chaos erupted in an instant.
