Five days had passed since my battle with the goblins, and I was now so close to my destination. When last I climbed up a tree to check my bearings, the city was now so close that I finally had a good glimpse of its appearance.
By Earth's standards, the city was not that big, though I guess that it was a bit of an unfair comparison when Earth didn't have dog-sized spiders or other similar creatures that kept the human population in check. Then again, I haven't been to Australia.
Also, this city had a huge fucking wall surrounding it in its entirety, which I approved of immensely after meeting the local wildlife. It did kind of worry me though why they had to build it so high. I don't know if it was just the mayor compensating for something or if there really was something out there that required such a wall to stop it.
With my destination so close, I doubled my pace through the forest. I didn't worry that much anymore about the local predators. Yesterday, I had detected almost no presence of maneating beasts or goblins, which I took as them staying away from the city. It was very good news, not just because of the reduced risks, but also because it finally told me that the city probably wasn't run by goblins if they stayed so far from it.
However, in the previous four days before yesterday, there was a lot of forest activity that led to a lot of hostile encounters. I ran into three more goblin camps, a group of wolves, and another goddamn bear. I managed to kill the goblins and the wolves, netting me two levels, but the bear I had to run away from. It was just too terrifying to face.
Throughout my travel, I also confirmed an important facet of my levels: my physical attributes improved for every level I gained. At first, I hadn't been so sure because I'd always been strong due to my physique and previous line of work. But when I shattered a wolf's skull with a single punch to the head, I finally became sure that I had turned from strong to strong as fuck.
Aside from my strength, I also noted my agility and stamina improving, though my agility seemed to improve so little, unlike my strength. Still, it made me happy all the same.
I also found out that I could access a log of my past notifications, and I did so now to see everything I gained during the past five days.
[You have slain a Goblin x8. Experience gained.]
[You have slain a Goblin x7. Experience gained.]
[Congratulationsblin! You are now Level 6.]
[You have slain a Go x9. Experience gained.]
[You have slain an Eluvian Wolf x4. Experience gained.]
[Congratulations! You are now Level 6.]
[Minor Regeneration has leveled up to Lv.7]
[Unarmed Mastery has leveled up to Lv.2]
[Minor Physical Resistance has leveled up to Lv.3]
I couldn't help but grin at all the gains. If Earth also showed me the improvements in my life like this, I would have been much more motivated. I have to say, I liked this world better than Earth, even with the nasty wildlife.
The sun eventually set before I could reach the city today, so I slept in the forest for one more night before waking up early the next day to continue traveling.
And finally, a few hours after the sun had risen, the end of the forest was finally in sight.
Doubling my already fast pace, I quickly reached the edge of the forest and gained a good view of the city walls. The white walls of the city almost shone under the light of the morning sun, and the area leading up to the city was flat and bereft of any obstacle or tree, probably to provide a clear view of any intruder approaching the city.
But what really caught my attention were the guards manning the walls. They were humans! That alone was enough to give me massive relief, but the next thing I noticed made me pause. The guards were wearing metal armor and held spears like this was a Monty Python skit. Not only that, the wall was also equipped with large ballistas straight out of a medieval movie.
You have got to be shitting me. If I had known this world was this primitive, I wouldn't have said that I preferred this place to Earth. Who would've thought that I'd never be able to watch television again?!
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I sighed in resignation as I approached the city. No sense in lamenting my situation. As usual, the only thing I could say is “It is what it is.”
I entered the dirt road that led to the city gates, and as I neared, I could spot the two guards standing by the gate standing alert. They looked badass in their polished bronze armor, and through the narrow slits of their closed-face helmets, I could see their wary eyes as they watched me approach. I'd be wary too if a mostly naked dude approached. I said mostly naked because I managed to make myself a skirt made of leaves a few days ago. It looked ridiculous, but it actually felt comfy. The openness meant my Little Bobby felt like floating in the clouds.
When I came into hearing range, the guard on the right slammed the butt of his spear on the ground as he shouted “Halt! You approach the city of Shieldhold. State your business, traveler.”
The moment the guard spoke, a notification appeared.
[You have encountered a foreign language. As a God's Champion, you automatically learn any language you encounter.]
[You have learned ‘Arcadian.’]
And just like that, I suddenly knew of an entirely new language as if I'd grown up speaking it. These perks as a Champion were pretty damn neat.
The guard who spoke first cleared his throat, and I was brought out of my reverie. “Right, I'm here to find some shelter and get some good food.”
There was a moment of awkward silence as the guards and I engaged in a staring contest. When they realized I was done speaking, the guard on the right, who I'm gonna start calling Righty, spoke again. “Do you have any form of identification?”
I looked down at my august self and shrugged. “Sorry 'bout that, but I lost everything I had in the mountain.”
Righty and the guard on the left, who shall now be called Lefty, glanced at each other. “Which mountain are you referring to?” Righty asked.
“That over there,” I said as I pointed at the snow-covered mountain in the distance. “It was crawling with spiders. They stole my bag and everything.”
Righty looked me up and down. “Including your clothing?”
“Oh, nah, I had to leave my clothes behind when a goddamn bear chased me away while I was taking a bath in a river,” I said.
Righty and Lefty glanced at each other again, which was really starting to get annoying. “Hold on a moment. I'll be right back.”
Righty left, leaving me alone with Lefty. Lefty looked more like an older guy who gave zero fucks about anything, and when he met my gaze, he shrugged. “Don't worry, the boy's just checking the records if you're wanted for some crime. I'll be honest with you, you look like a deranged serial killer terrorizing the countryside.”
“I get it. I didn't know you guys were strict around here.”
“Only when naked men covered in mud approach the city without any sort of identification.”
“You're pretty straightforward, eh? I like it.”
Lefty snorted. “Why do you think I'm posted at the gate with little traffic?”
“So, care to give me any directions on where I could find some good food once I enter the city?”
Lefty looked me over once more. “You got any money?”
“I'm working on that problem.”
“Then I suggest you go to the City Hall. They give out free food for the destitute at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And if you need some quick work, you can apply at the Laborer's Guild. Pay is abysmal, but at least it's less risky than being a slayer.”
His last word caught my interest. “What's a Slayer do?”
That's when I realized that I probably made a mistake. Lefty looked at me very weirdly, and I worried that he might arrest me or something. Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. “Mighty weird for someone to not know what a slayer is, but I'm not gonna pry. Slayers accept requests to kill monsters or gather rare materials out in the wilds, and they have their own Guild like the laborers. Being a slayer is lucrative, but if you've got a good head on your shoulders, you'll stay away from the Slayer's Guild.”
“Yeah, killing monsters is fun and all, but getting your ass bitten by giant spiders ain't my kind of thing.”
Lefty gave me a weird look, but before he could speak, Righty came back. “Alright, you're all good, traveler. But before I let you into the city, go use the baths inside the guardhouse. The Governor would skin our hides if we let you in looking like that. There's spare clothing in the locker beside the showers that you can take for yourself.”
“Wow, thanks a lot, man. If I meet the Governor, I'll put in a good word for you,” I said as I patted Righty on the shoulder. He frowned at the mud I left on his formerly shiny pauldron.
“I appreciate the thought, traveler. Good luck.”
The guardhouse was a small building located beside the gate inside the city. I initially thought that it'd be filled with lounging guards playing cards or something, but it was completely empty. Maybe Righty and Lefty were the only ones using this building.
When I found the bathroom, I had a bit of a cognitive dissonance when I saw the amenities. My image of the city was that of a primitive society with crude technology, but I was proven wrong when I was greeted by functioning showers. The pressure was strong, and it even had hot or cold options.
This damn guardhouse was even better than the one I had at home.
But all dissonance disappeared when I finally began showering. The familiarity of being under the shower soothed my weary soul, and it washed away both dirt and stress as I stood there for a while.
I spent a good thirty minutes in the shower, and when I emerged, I felt like a new man. When I looked at myself in the whole body mirror, though, I realized that I actually looked like an entirely different dude. My hair and beard were long and unruly, my skin was a darker shade than before, and my body had lost a lot of muscle. I still looked ripped, but far from what I formerly had. Dammit, I knew the quick regeneration was too good to be true, it used my own body as fuel.
After wiping myself dry and putting on the roughspun tunic and trousers given to me, I exited the guardhouse feeling fresh and ready to take on the world.
My next destination was now the City Hall so I could get some decent food in my belly. I asked Righty for directions, and he told me to just follow the yellow brick road. That sounded suspiciously familiar for some reason.
With that, I bid them goodbye and set off.