Chapter Chonglu City
"Get out of the way for count Silza!" A voice yelled.
People hurriedly moved out of the way, Erik and Rugrat moves as well, they looked as a group of ten armored knights giving off a dangerous pressure charged forwards, they were riding what looked to be horses, but they were much stronger, their hooves like thunder as small dents were seen in the road.
Behind the guards there was a carriage pulled by two horses. It was covered with ornate metal work and had an emblem on it.
There were four more knights on horses following the carriage as it thundered towards the gates, the city guards moved out of the way with a dark expression on their faces as the carriage rushed through. They didn't do or say anything as they moved back into place after the last horse had passed.
"That must be the young master of the Silaz house. I heard that they are a great trading family dealing in monster cores and metals!" One of the people in the line said.
"Monster cores, aren't those things only too rare? One must kill a beast that is level three or higher to get even a chance of finding one." Another replied.
"The beast mountains are only four days travel," The first person said.
The second person scoffed.
"Beast Mountain? That place is better to be called a burial mound of experts. Many people go there looking for fortune only to be turned to bones!"
A third person interjected.
"The Beast Mountain might be a place of great danger, but it's also a place where one can find many natural treasures. Not only Monster cores, there are the different ingredients that they might be watching over, the stronger beasts can have their skin turned into armor, their bones refined into alchemy concoctions and weapons. Even eating high level beast meat can increase one's experience!"
"Do you think that it would be easy as just walking into the beast mountain? There is a reason that the Silaz family and not the people who go to beast mountain are one of the strongest families in Chonglu city." The second person spoke up again, halting his words, clearly not willing to waste them on these two fools.
Erik cleared his throat turning to one of the people beside him.
"Are the Silaz family that powerful?" He asked, his stomach tight as he readied himself to run.
The woman frowned and let out a snort.
They are one of the three dragons, other than Lord Chonglu himself, only the other two families Xun and Chung can keep them in check."
Erik nodded as if in agreement, inside that tension was dissipating, it looked like to only did everyone speak English, he might have a different accent, but people didn't find it too unfamiliar.
They moved with the line to the front of the gates where there was a guard waiting for them.
"Three coppers," The man said lazily.
"We don't have the coppers unfortunately, but we were hoping that these meats and nuts would be enough?" Erik said as Rugrat held out a few bags of bags and nuts.
The guard looked over the bags, he frowned and then grabbed one of the nuts, chewing on it.
His eyes went wide.
He looked around to see fi anyone was listening in as he asked in a low voice.
"Is this covered in salt?" Some of them are," Erik said slowly. Remembering that back in history, salt was worth more than gold for it's usefulness.
The guard quickly waved his hand the bag of jerky and nuts disappearing as six coppers appeared in his hand and went into the collection box next to him.
"Erik and Rugrat's eyes were focused on the man's hand where a simple ring was, they could swear that the bag had disappeared into that ring.
"Please have a good visit to Chonglu City," the guard said respectfully, cupping his hands and bowing slightly.
Erik and Rugrat and gave him the same gesture back.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Erik said, leading Rugrat pas the guards and through the city gates into Chonglu City, they had finally arrived.
People were moving all over the place, past the entrance square there were stalls running through the two main gates of the city.
The smells of food being cooked, sounds of metal being hammered out and the chatter and liveliness of the city greeted them both as people bartered for better prices or looked to sell what they had, or simply just talked to those that they knew.
Should we go and see if we can find where that Silaz family does business? We'll be able to trade our mana core in there," Rugrat said.
"Sure," Erik said.
They moved through the city, they got some weird stares as they were in odd looking clothes. In the city, there were everyone from nobles to farmers and others from countries close and far. They might laugh and joke about their clothes, but they didn't stand out too much.
After some enquiries they learned about where the Silaz did their business out and the storefront they ran.
They used their markers to put a marker on the location they had been given.
They walked through the streets, reaching the store without much trouble. They were just moving to a counter when there was a commotion at the front of the store, Rugrat glanced over it as Erik moved to the man at the counter.
"Hello, I was wondering if I could sell this," Erik said, holding out the monster core that they had gained from the ape.
The man took the core from them, looking at them both before he pulled out a monocle and looked at the monster core closer. There was lettering around the monocle and a faint blue crystal that glowed slightly.
"Earth Rank low grade, Earth attribute, from a Silver Rendall Ape. I can give you Two Silver," The man said.
"Young Master Silaz is so dominating, I heard that you went to the beast mountain yourself to collect monster cores!" A woman said in flattering voice.
A young man laughed down her comment, clearly enjoying it but wishing to appear more mature. The other ladies around him thinned their eyes at the one that had spoken.
"It was a tough trip, but I have found I am interested in settling down more," Silaz said, hinting to the ladies whose eyes turned red.
"You must be tired young Master Silaz, I know a few massage techniques to help you relax," Another one of the women flirted.
"Massages? I know the perfect place to have a private meal, without so many voices," Another shot back.
"I'll take it," Erik said to the man behind the counter, seeing it all and not caring about it.
The man quickly pulled out two silver coins and passed it to Erik, the monster core disappearing behind the counter.
"Thank you for doing business with Silaz's materials," The man said with a warm smile.
"Have a good day," Erik said with a quick smile as he and Erik moved towards the door.
A guard moved towards them, looking at them with fierce eyes, as if warning not to get close to the young master who was only slowly walking into the store, blocking the entrance.
Erik and Rugrat paid little attention to him.
"Does he need fifty feet to walk in the door," Rugrat sighed as they were just about out of the store.
"You two there," Young Master Silaz's voice cut through the store as Erik and Rugrat were about to step out of the store.
The guards at the entrance closed their halberds, stopping Erik and Rugrat from exiting.
Erik and Rugrat looked at one another.
Rugrat had a big smile on his face as she moved towards the two with halberds.
"Hello boys, how's it going. I hope you don't mind if I stand here, some lovely weather we're having here, you know blue skies, clouds, sense of bloodshed in the air," Rugrat laughed a little bit.
Erik looked back into the store, his hand on his personal weapon hidden underneath his woobie.
"I have never seen people like you before, you must not be from around here," Silaz said lazily looking at the rings on his hand indifferently.
Erik didn't say anything, instead his eyes were bored, he had been yelled at by some of the hardest men he knew, he'd lived in life and death scenarios, having some rich kid posing and trying to seem powerful in front of him.
I've heard that red with a side of brains is really in this season for interior decorating. Erik even started to imagine how he wold paint the area behind the little upstart.
The little idiot didn't have any idea of what was going on in Erik's mind.
"Those clothes, I've taken an interest in them," the boy said, waving at Erik and Rugrat's woobies.
"That's nice, don't swing that way though, thought you liked women?" Erik asked with a confused face, his eyes looking g at the women around him as if he was confused.
Rugrat laughed as the guards faces darkened and the young master Silaz's expression stilled before a dense smile appeared on his lips.
"I've never met someone as daring as you two, here I was merely wanting to gain some souvenirs from foreign trash but looks like trash doesn't know it's position!"
With his words the guards moved forwards slightly, ready to attack.
Erik looked to Rugrat with a questioning look.
"Don't look at me, looks like his head's so far up his ass he came full circle," Rugrat shrugged.
"Didn't think of that," Erik nodded as if the world's secrets had been revealed to him.
"You!" young master Silaz said, his face twisting in fury.
Just as he opened his mouth again there was a deep laugh from the street as the two guards that were blocking the gate opened their halberds.
A man wearing well maintained armor entered the store with a smile on his face, but his eyes held none of the warmth on his face.
"Young Master Silaz, it is a surprise seeing you back so soon from your expedition. I hear that it was a rather, wet trip," The man said with a friendly smile.
"Lieutenant Hoste," young Master Silaz said, squeezing out a forced smile, the murderous intent in his smile clear.
"Ah, hello there travelers, you must be tired after coming to our great Chonglu City, there is plenty of food and drink to be had!" Lieutenant Hoste said with a smile.
"We will thank Lieutenant Hoste for his hospitality," Erik said. He didn't really want to get into a fight. With it being inside a city, if there was bloodshed then it was likely that they would have to run from the city guard. Erik wasn't looking forward to that if things turned bad.
Erik bowed slightly and headed out of the store, Rugrat beside him.
Young Master Sila'zs eyes moved to some of the guards around him that pulled out devices talking into them as he opened his arms wide.
"What can my humble store do to help you today Lieutenant Hoste, I did not know that you had the budget for our wares,"
Erik and Rugrat didn't continue to care for the rest as they headed away from the store and moved through the streets.
They could both feel the eyes on them as they moved.
"I've got one on the roofs to our right, on top of the tailor shop.
There's another tailing us on the street, by that wooden post with the rat skewers.," Rugrat said.
"Mm lovely," Erik said sarcastically.
They continued to move away from the store.
"Break up and meet at the tailor shop at the south end of the totem square?" Rugrat said.
"Got it," Erik said, he diverted down an alleyway as Rugrat walked into a busy diner.
Erik broke out into a run, he moved through the alleyways quickly., then slowed down once he got back out to the main road, quickly and quietly blending in and sitting down in a group of people.
He watched as the tail on the rooftops rushed over, scanning the crowd quickly before heading off in another direction.
Erik got up and started moving towards the tailor shop, changing his directions a few times to make sure that there was no one else following him.
He entered the shop, finding a few people talking to the tailors in the shop.
A woman looked at his attire and moved towards him a smile on her face and a series of pins in her shirt with a tape measure around her neck.
"Hello, might I be able to help you?" She asked.
"Please. I am looking to get a big cloak against the elements," Erik said with a smile.
"Certainly," she said.
It wasn't two minutes later that Rugrat entered the store, he was larger and drew more eyes.
Erik waved him over as he found Erik looking over a rack of different looks.
The were made to drape over armor already so they were suitable for what Erik and Rugrat needed.
Twelve coppers later and they were outfitted in local cloaks, one couldn't see their vests, pants or weaponry. Their boots were the only things that were visible at the bottom of the cloaks.
After settling up, they headed out of the store.
Around the large totem that reached up into the heavens there was a defensive wall with guards manning it.
They seemed ready to receive people if they came through the totem.
Erik and Rugrat moved closer to the totem, the rough gravel road gave way to smooth and level stone that enclosed the Ten realms totem.
As they stepped on it a screen appeared.
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Quest Completed: Welcome to the Ten Realms
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Requirements: Reach Ten Realms Totem (Marked on map)
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Rewards: Guide to the Ten Realms
Minor ring of holding
Minor Mana recovery potion
Minor Stamina recovery potion
+1000 EXP
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8,700/23,000 EXP till you reach level 7
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