Chapter 44: Lonely City! First Update
2015-09-14
Author: Floating Tower
The warm autumn wind blew through the Urleser Mountains, brushing past the Zanglaga Marsh and Lonely City.
This is a city with a sorrowful history, and the name “Lonely City” seems to tell people everything it has experienced. It’s an ancient city that has existed for hundreds of years, not as prosperous as White Horse City, but it has never fallen into ruin. Here is the missionary district of the God of Knowledge, whose doctrine believes that scholars should be accustomed to enduring solitude, and that this solitude is to preserve knowledge, preserving everything valuable from any race and civilization throughout the long river of time.
The city is far from the flames of war.
Not only is there reverence for knowledge, but also because many strong scholars from neutral factions reside here.
Knowledge is power.
Countless books are stored inside the tower of Lonely City, encompassing poetry, literature, history, chronicles, and many other fields of study, including spells, alchemy, mysteries, etc. Any knowledge that these scholars can collect and preserve, they will transcribe, repair, and complete as much as possible, ultimately storing them one by one in the tower of Lonely City. No one knows how many books and documents are preserved here; all that is known is that this work has existed for hundreds of years, and scholars can even earn rewards from the God of Knowledge after submitting new books.
This place used to be a favorite spot for adventurers.
Though the God of Knowledge is not powerful, He is a generous deity who seems to care little for anything other than knowledge. Ancient documents from underground ruins could be sold for a high price here, and even broken and simple inscriptions might yield a nice profit.
This is the city with the highest literacy rate in the Material Plane.
The God of Knowledge once wanted to promote enlightenment literature, but due to the overall productivity of the plane, all plans eventually failed.
Lonely City seems like a secluded scholar living away from the world.
There are no bustling trades, nor convenient transportation. People have always lived peaceful lives, busy with their own missions like a group of reclusive hermits.
However.
Recently, some events have disrupted the tranquility of Lonely City.
With floods ravaging the southern regions, the lizardmen have expanded their territory along the rivers, and it is said that their deity has taken action. During this time, many lizardman tribes have united.
Lonely City has been affected as well.
Flooded rivers have submerged farmlands, and displaced civilians have gathered outside the city. The appearance of these refugees has provided opportunities for some evil-doers. Besides the shadow of the fear cult, there are also subtle traces of demonic activity here.
The boundaries of the planes have become increasingly fragile.
It seems demons always find ways to appear in the Material Plane; the followers of the Lord of Radiance are already feeling overwhelmed.
“Is this the God of Knowledge’s district?”
A young wizard arrived at the city gate and looked at everything before him, seemingly a bit disappointed, murmuring, “I thought this would be another city of wizards, but unexpectedly… it’s so plain and unremarkable!…”
Having grown accustomed to the prosperity of the Southern Coast, he felt somewhat let down by this city.
“The mystery of knowledge lies not in preservation but in creation and discovery.”
A middle-aged nun standing nearby smiled; it was evident that she carried an arcane aura. This high-level professionist was a wizard who also served as a priest. She shook her head gently and said, “This place always lacks a bit of vibrancy.”
“Anlina.”
“What are you looking at? Come over quickly!”
A caravan passed by them. The coachman cautiously glanced at the badge on their chest and carefully maneuvered past them, avoiding bumping into these distinguished figures.
Among them were some wearing the badge of the Silver Moon Church, including priests serving Lady Silver Moon.
“Ah!?”
A clear, youthful voice was heard. Then a delicate young girl, somewhat flustered, walked over, muttering, “It’s nothing!… Nothing!… I just felt a bit dazed for a moment.”
The middle-aged nun smiled and gently stroked her long hair, saying softly, “Silly child! It’s all in the past now.”
“You are a favored one of Lady Silver Moon.”
“Lady Silver Moon has been quietly watching over you; no one can harm you!…”
The girl seemed a bit shy, nodded slightly, and fell silent, glancing back at the alley before leaving. She could vaguely feel something.
Inside the alley.
A gloomy-faced man was observing them; his brows furrowed as he murmured, “Found the Demon Son of Fear!”
“But the target is actually a follower of Lady Silver Moon.”
“No way.”
“This matter must be reported to the High Priest first!…”
On the other side.
A team was also advancing towards Lonely City, led by a middle-aged man with a cold face and an aura of killing intent, looking much like a butcher.
He frowned as he looked at the nearby river, whispering, “Miss.”
“There’s a lizardman scout following us from behind; should we send someone to deal with it?…”
After a moment.
A clear child’s voice emanated from the center of the caravan, calmly saying, “No need to mind it. These lizardmen are not worth our time.”
The middle-aged man replied, “Understood.”
The team quickly continued moving forward; it was evident that they were well-equipped, with skilled defenders on either side, and even included experienced high-level professionists.
Lonely City was now in sight.
Suddenly.
An unusual energy fluctuation emerged from within the caravan, followed by the clear voice of the girl saying, “Stop.”
“We are not entering the city today.”
“Order everyone to camp outside, on guard.”
The team quickly sprang into action.
It was evident that their cooperation was seamless, with efficient execution of orders. The dispatched wanderers quickly found a suitable spot for camping that was not easily ambushed, and scouts began setting up warning traps around.
“There’s a Demon Son of Fear here!”
Inside the caravan, Vivian, dressed in an exquisite black princess dress, wore an excited smile and seemed to be talking to herself, “Vivian! Let’s go k*ll him!”
After a brief silence.
The little girl continued to mutter to herself, “Lilian. The struggle between the Demon Sons of Fear is over.”
“I can sense that the other party holds no hostility.”
Seemingly displeased, the little girl pouted, feeling somewhat disinterested, and said, “Between the Demon Sons of Fear, there are only enemies, no friends! If we don’t k*ll him, he might want to k*ll us, right?”
“Never mind.”
“Let’s finish the important stuff first. This Demon Son of Fear is weak; he shouldn’t pose a threat to us.”
………………(To be continued ~^~)
