In the outer region, there were three towns similar to the Falland Pass, where adventurers gathered for the expedition. Once a month, on a scheduled date and when enough people had joined, third tiers belonging to either major guilds or the Adventurer's Guild led the expedition into the inner region towards the town of Wolford. There, the parties were free to move independently and take on a variety of hunting contracts, with vampire subjugation and monster hunting being the most sought after.
The new information made Bones question the need to form an expedition in the first place. From his understanding, the expedition consisted of numerous parties that, once they reached Wolford, would be free to move independently. After taking a moment to ponder the whole procedure, he realized why the procedure was most likely necessary. The reason for the expedition was to control the number of adventurers entering the inner region in order to reduce the dangers of high-leveled individuals potentially turning into vampires and bolstering enemy forces further.
Bones stayed in the tavern long after the last patrons left, and only left in the morning, to the owner of the establishment's displeasure. The adventurer’s guild office opened early, and he was among the first adventurers to join the queue at the reception. He waited and observed the people around him. By everyone’s attire and the conversations that ensued, he concluded they were solo adventurers, as clueless as him and waiting in line for the same reason. The members of major guilds had representatives that handled all the paperwork through different, more private channels; the difference in treatment was obvious.
When it was Bones’ turn, the clerk at the reception briefly raised his head from the desk, gracing Bones with a glance before asking if he was the leader of his group. After Bones confirmed he was the leader, the clerk asked him for a name. Misunderstanding the clerk's question, Bones introduced himself, opting not to use his adventurer's name Jones, but an alias, Bones. He then gestured to the rest of his party members standing to the side and said, “These two thugs are Skully and Murdok, and the last one is the mage Harmony.”
The clerk paused for a second, scrutinizing the golems, then proceeded to jot something on the paper before slamming the guild’s stamp on it. He handed the paper to Bones and motioned for the next person in line to step up to the desk. Bones excused himself, wanting to ask the clerk a few questions, but the clerk simply pointed at the staff standing at the far end of the hall without giving an explanation.
Grumbling under his breath, Bones walked over and joined his golems, turning his attention to the paper in hand. It was the guild’s official expedition registration form, detailing the information, time, and date of the start of the expedition. More importantly, the paper served as proof of identity that Bones’ party entered the inner region through proper channels. In the optional field, Bones was listed as the party leader, with Skully, Murdok, and Harmony as party members. In the only required field, the name of the party, ‘Bones, Thugs & Harmony’ was written.
“Bones, Thugs, and Harmony?” Bones read aloud, a slight groan escaping as he continued through the document. It detailed the dangers they would face and included a disclaimer stating that no other party but his own would be held accountable for any injuries or deaths the party might suffer.
Storing the document safely in his inventory, Bones approached a staff member, who was more than willing to answer his questions; it was what he was there for, after all.
Bones first inquired about the reason for registering the party and using aliases. The clerk explained that registering the party was required to limit and properly estimate the number of adventurers currently in the inner region. The reason for aliases was to protect individuals such as Bones.
Once in the inner region and out in the wild, adventurers were on their own. Tensions between adventurers of major guilds and others always existed. Simply being part of a private guild, let alone one of the major guilds, signified talent and high potential. With the preferential treatment they received, its members often looked down on others. In a lawless zone like the inner region, if someone bore ill intent toward another, it would be easy to track the person down through the Adventurer's Guild records. There was a limit to the protection the guild could offer against major guilds, and that was why aliases were a mandatory precaution.
Bones nodded, understanding the necessity of the precaution. "Thank you for the explanation," he said. "What about the dangers mentioned in the document? Anything specific we should be aware of?"
The clerk's expression grew serious. "The inner region is filled with high-level monsters and rogue adventurers. Vampires are a significant threat, and the terrain itself can be treacherous. Make sure your party is well-prepared for anything. Also, be wary of other parties; not everyone is out there for the same reasons."
The brief explanation confirmed what Bones already thought. His next set of questions was regarding their destination. Bones learned that half a day's travel awaited them until they reached Wolford, the town that had become the central area where expeditions from different towns in the outer region converged.
What separated Wolford from the other towns in the inner region was its ability to successfully fight off the vampires. Surviving countless battles throughout the ages, the citizens were determined, hardened veterans with the unique ability to transform into wolf-like humanoid monsters, also classified as werewolves. To maintain their status as a safe haven from dark forces, the town had been cooperating with the Adventurer's Guild and major guilds for centuries, funding expeditions to slowly liberate occupied areas and reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
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Shortly after, adventurers began flooding through the entrance to register their parties, and more adventurers joined Bones, bombarding the staff member with questions. Bones excused himself, regrouped with his golems and headed toward the exit. By the time he left, the guild was crowded.
The journey to the inner region was scheduled for the next morning, with the meeting place set in front of the guild. Bones searched for an available room to spend the night, and after an hour of searching, he finally found one. He spent the rest of the day and throughout the night in his room, finding entertainment in research papers he borrowed from Hugo.
When dawn broke, Bones packed his belongings and headed for the meeting place. In front of the guild, he was met with a crowd of people, eagerly awaiting the expedition to begin. The sight of over a hundred adventurers assembled in one place made Bones pause in his tracks. After a moment of consideration, he decided to distance himself from the crowd while he waited.
The meeting place grew loud with laughter and overall excitement. With the arrival of three third-tier adventurers on horses, the chatter died down. One of the three spoke up, introducing himself and the two beside him as the leaders who would guide the expedition. Each leader would take one group of adventurers, and they would all travel in a single line. The first two leaders took parties formed by major guilds under them, approximately sixty people per group, while the rest were pushed into the third group at the rear of the line. Bones, of course, belonged to the third group, among the merry bunch severely lacking in discipline.
After making an observation and comparing the differences in equipment, style, and behavior between the groups, he exhaled in exasperation. It was hard not to notice the condescending looks his group was given, and he couldn't blame anyone for looking down on them. The adventurers in the first two groups looked like the definition of what adventurers should look and act like, while his group looked like a ragtag bunch of misfits. Riding horses, the first two groups sped ahead, while the third group slowly made their way on foot.
Past the wooden blockade separating the regions, vast dense woods extended as far as the eye could see. Clouds covered the sun, barely letting any rays of light pass through. Immediately after entering, the atmosphere shifted and the temperature dropped, as if announcing the imminent danger that awaited.
Bones glanced around at his companions, noting their unease. He couldn't blame them; the shift in the environment was palpable. The forest seemed to close in around them, the trees whispering secrets only they could hear.
Relying on his Omnipresent Perception to detect objects and movements around him, Bones struggled to get a clear sense of his surroundings. The group was too crowded, and most adventurers were unrestrained, unable to keep their mana under control. Despite the interference, a few adventurers stood out. These second-tier individuals, clad in equipment crafted from monster parts, moved expertly, constantly observing their surroundings.
After observing for a while, Bones noticed these particular adventurers gravitating toward the leader of the party. It was a smart decision, he thought, and he picked up his speed to stay close to them. An hour after entering the inner region, the first howls were heard in the distance. The murmurs and chatter disappeared, replaced by nervous glances exchanged among party members and toward the surrounding woods.
“Don’t stop moving and don’t break ranks if you don’t want to be singled out,” the leader shouted, unfazed by the howls that caused most to lose their composure. The group's pace quickened, almost turning into a light jog. Soon, new howls reached the ears of the adventurers, much closer this time. Those at the rear drew their weapons and adopted defensive stances, a minor mistake that caused them to slow down and detach from the others.
Multiple shadows burst out of the woods and into the open. Their figures were blurs to most, and their targets were the nearest adventurers. The leader, a third tier, reacted before everyone else did. Dismounting his horse, he disappeared from sight and reappeared at the rear of the group, catching one of the shadows mid-pounce. The others did enough damage before scurrying off and disappearing into the woods. Bones turned just in time to see the leader casually snapping the neck of the captured werewolf. It was an impressive sight if not for the mutilated bodies of two unfortunate adventurers that lay beside the man.
“What happened?” Bones murmured.
“I said not to break ranks!“ the leader admonished. In just a few seconds, four werewolves had pounced on two parties of nine adventurers and caused five casualties. Two adventurers were killed, one was seriously injured, and two received light injuries. Bones made his way to the back of the group, where he saw deep claw marks across the chest of one of the fallen adventurers. The claws had ripped through the iron chest plate, while the other fallen had his throat bitten open.
Claws as hard as steel, and given how fast they moved, I estimate werewolves are as fast as Skully and maybe even stronger than Murdok. They will pose quite a challenge! Bones analyzed.
“We've wasted too much time here. We are being hunted and need to move before the pack catches up to us,” the leader said before making his way back to his horse. Before mounting it, he turned to the group. “You’re running the rest of the way. Don’t fall behind lest you end up like them.” He warned, his eyes briefly passing over the bodies of the dead adventurers.
The group hurried to comply, the leader’s words a grim reminder of the peril they were in. Bones urged his golems to stay close, ensuring they kept pace with the rest of the group. The atmosphere was tense, the weight of the recent attack pressing down on everyone. The once light-hearted banter was now replaced with a grim silence as they picked up the pace.
Bones kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, his Omnipresent Perception straining to pick up any sign of movement. The forest seemed even more ominous now, every shadow a potential threat. The group moved in a tight formation, each adventurer keenly aware that their survival depended on staying together.
As they continued their journey, the howls of the werewolves echoed in the distance, a constant reminder of the danger that lurked just beyond the treeline. The leader’s presence, though reassuring, did little to ease the tension. Bones knew that they were far from safe and that the werewolves would likely strike again.