Chapter 168: The Breaths Next Door
2015-01-02
Author: Floating Tower (诸生浮屠)
A night passed quickly.
When Soren saw Gloria again, he noticed another silver strand in her hair, which made him feel a twinge of guilt. Prophecy spells always come at a cost, especially regarding predicting Vivian’s whereabouts, which was even greater. After all, Vivian’s identity is the Demon Son of Fear, and the price of prophesying for her might be equivalent to divining the fate of a king. Soren felt immense gratitude; this was the first time he felt he owed someone so much.
“The south. The mountains. Near the sea,”
Gloria’s expression remained serene and calm as she quietly gazed at Soren and slowly said, “The last card is a snake. I don’t know what it means, but it is definitely related to Vivian’s whereabouts.”
The snake represents many things.
The complex meanings are hard to deduce quickly; in some beliefs, the snake symbolizes wisdom, while it may also represent other meanings. Even though Gloria is an adept Northern Witch in divination, it is difficult for her to make a precise prediction. Legendary prophecy techniques can only provide a rough prediction; even a deity casting a prophecy spell can only do so much. Otherwise, the followers of Fear would have found Vivian long ago and would not have to wait for Soren to take her away from Amber City.
Soren bowed slightly again and turned to walk out of the Wizard Tower.
Since he now had a clue, it would be much easier than searching aimlessly; at least it wouldn’t be as difficult as finding a needle in the ocean. Besides, he had traveled across the continent, even visiting the Overseas Islands a few times. From his memory, there aren’t many places where the south, mountains, and sea connect, likely close to a city near the sea. The last card representing ‘snake’ is the key to finding Vivian. Soren didn’t know what its meaning was.
Soren left like that.
He wasn’t someone who was good at communicating with words; he didn’t know what he should say.
He was grateful to Gloria and wanted to repay her, but he was still too weak.
Even though he had reached Third Tier within a month, he still felt insignificant in front of Gloria. He could not match her wealth, nor did he possess strength surpassing hers, so repayment was, for now, out of the question. All Soren could do was remember all this in his heart. When he became truly powerful someday, he would repay her for today’s help.
Gloria did not join him.
She stood on the tower, silently watching Soren walk away, then reached out to touch her heart, where the wound had yet to heal. The emergence of the Hand of Despair had strengthened her determination to challenge the Legendary Domain; she was stepping into the realm of the Legendary Witch. In fact, she hadn’t just performed a prophecy once last night; she had also divined another matter. The prophecy told her that Soren would find Vivian because their fates were intertwined.
The silver hair of the Northern Witch danced in the wind, her beauty still breathtaking. She gazed into the distance and murmured, “Soren! … You might also be a God Son! … But whose bloodline have you inherited? …”
Leveling up to Third Tier within a month.
This was something Gloria wouldn’t dare to imagine; she could be certain that Soren possessed some kind of power.
The Enchant stood by the window, already sensing when Soren left. She stared at his gradually receding figure and quietly said, “Who is he really? Half-siblings are both God Sons! … Could it be that his mother is also a Bloodline of the Divine Offspring?! …”
She couldn’t help but fall into thought, seemingly contemplating something.
………………
City of Wealth.
Endless merchant caravans came in and out of the city, where merchants with round faces could be seen haggling everywhere, occasionally saying, “By the Goddess of Wealth!” and spitting as they tried to drive prices even lower. This place is the center of coastal trade in the south, with canals connecting to the inland, and its geographical location near the Soros Archipelago facilitates maritime transport. It is the most developed trade city, and also a focal point for the Goddess of Wealth, with the largest Temple of Wealth located here. Each transaction is worth thousands of Gind.
The merchants are the general followers of the Goddess of Wealth.
This city is so wealthy that even the buildings are painted in gold color. Of course, it isn’t real gold-leafed; it’s just a paint that looks golden after being applied. Overly developed trade has also stimulated various dark corruption and the pursuit of pleasure, making this a place where the Goddess of Pleasure cultivates her followers. Whether it’s luxurious banquets or various unique delights, as long as you can afford it, there will be a priestess of the Goddess of Pleasure ready for you; they can even invite the priests of the Goddess of Love to join personally.
While this city maintains its flourishing nature, it also suffers from a variety of sins, and countless eyes seeking wealth are drawn here.
Even with the power of the temple maintaining balance, the sewers are never short of bodies.
Copper Kettle Tavern.
The bustling atmosphere here nearly disturbed the guards outside, as a large group of drunken revelers, travelers, and adventurers laughed heartily, watching the halfling standing on the table; they occasionally shouted for him to perform again. Nearby, a depressed Bard could be seen, his pathetic songs barely drawing requests anymore, as everyone was captivated by the drunken halfling swaying back and forth. Despite appearing completely intoxicated, just a moment ago, someone attempting to lift his coin pouch was instantly taken down by him.
This skill amazed many, and nearby adventurers exchanged glances, calculating his strength.
A skilled Wanderer is always welcomed everywhere; such people are indispensable on an adventure.
Aladdin held a mug bigger than his face, lifted it high, took a sip, and burped, saying, “At that time, the situation was really dangerous! … We were surrounded by five ten-foot tall earth elementals! … Their arms were thicker than that pillar! … A punch would create a pit in the ground! … Just a slight mistake and a touch from them! … could mean a direct meeting with the God of d*ath! …”
“But luckily, I had a companion with good skills! … Although his skills were still a bit lacking compared to mine! … Nevertheless, he managed to restrain two enemies! … The situation was truly perilous! … I alone was counterattacking amidst three earth elementals! … If it weren’t for my short stature and natural agility! … It would’ve been impossible to dodge their attacks! …”
“But I also had to take care of that companion who’s slightly less skillful than me! … By the Goddess of Wealth! … I almost thought I was going to d*e here! …”
Next came a thrilling account of how the heroic halfling Aladdin defeated five earth elementals under absolute disadvantage and rescued that slightly less skilled companion. The other tavern guests knew he was exaggerating, but they couldn’t help but be drawn in by his eloquence; his storytelling was full of suspense, with occasional mimicking of the situation, which made it very immersive.
After being treated to three rounds of drinks in a row, Aladdin finally finished his exciting adventure tale.
He heroically defeated a large group of earth elementals and, at a critical moment, led his slightly less skilled companion through the gaps in the valley to avoid the awakening earth giant.
After completing his daily routine of boasting at the tavern, Aladdin staggered out of the Copper Kettle Tavern.
At this moment, he was somewhat different from before; his clothing was much more refined, with several small accessories, suggesting he had become quite wealthy after selling a gem. Exiting the tavern, he took a detour down a small alley to relieve himself, and in his hand appeared a coin pouch. Despite appearing intoxicated, he had a grin on his face as he weighed the pouch and chuckled, “Today’s harvest is quite good! Didn’t spend a penny on drinks and even made a profit off a sucker.”
“Ah! … The south is indeed better! … The weather is warm and sunny! … Making money is much easier! …”
Aladdin shook, tucked the coin pouch away, and turned to head home.
He still looked intoxicated, and occasionally someone greeted him, suggesting he was doing quite well during this time and had gained a bit of a reputation nearby.
Suddenly.
He seemed to have seen something, his eyes widened, and he shook his head, raising his hand to rub his eyes, then murmured, “Did I just hallucinate?”
“Why did it seem like I just saw Vivian?! … It must be an illusion! … She went north with Soren! …”
“It seems I really am drunk! Hahaha!”
………………(To be continued ~^~)
