The rest of the journey passed without incident. Perhaps the monsters in this area were holed up in their lairs for the winter; perhaps they were busy enjoying family happiness; or perhaps they were all enthusiastically fighting among themselves, sending brains flying.
In any case, whether they were being lazy, enjoying themselves, or busy, the local troublemakers simply had no spare energy to welcome guests from afar.
The Fist soldiers, who had remained cautiously on guard the entire way, realized that their efforts had been unnecessary. Still, peace was always something to celebrate—especially when it had been achieved in a remote wilderness crawling with goblins, wolves, and ogres. Such peace was truly precious.
After crossing the hills and cliffs and passing over fields and streams, they finally spotted cooking smoke in the distance before the sun had yet begun to sink.
After traveling just a few miles, the wilderness on both sides of the road gave way to farmland. Dry grass left behind by the harvest replaced the sand blowing in the wind. They had entered Nashkel, the southern hub of resources.
As soon as they entered Nashkel, a group of soldiers dressed in red shirts and iron armor, with blue helmets atop their heads, came over to question them.
The one who stepped forward to deal with them was not Skar, but Lawrence, that old lecher. The Fist squad was still flying the flag of the Seven Suns Merchant Alliance, and with Skar's soldierly bearing, he might reveal a flaw and cause unnecessary trouble.
People really did have their own specialties. Lawrence's negotiation skill had probably been maxed out. Relying on his slippery methods, honeyed tongue, and several extremely persuasive gold coins, he got the guards to wave them through without even bothering to come over and inspect them.
Zhang Yuan was not surprised in the slightest. These guards came from Amn, a kingdom of commerce. Honor and responsibility were all bullshit to them; money alone was the truth. They were the exact opposite of the Fist.
Fortunately, they had not let Skar deal with them. Feeling secretly relieved, Zhang Yuan looked toward Skar.
Sure enough, although the man did not say anything, his disdain and contempt were written all over his face. Even his lowered hands kept clenching and relaxing from time to time.
Zhang Yuan coughed and walked in front of Skar, hiding the overly expressive man a little deeper within the group.
After taking just two more steps, they reached the riverside. A golden river flowed before their eyes, its clear water running over a bed of cobblestones. The tranquil surface embraced the sun's fading radiance. From time to time, a whirlpool or a leaping fish broke the silence, splashing up a spray of golden light.
Nashkel was embraced by this river. Whether it was farming and irrigation or mining and smelting iron, all these demands—some taken for granted, others insatiable—were accepted and accommodated by her one after another.
Crossing a stone bridge over the river brought them into Nashkel's main district, but what met their eyes was an entirely different scene.
Unlike the bustle and prosperity of Baldur's Gate as a major city, and distinct as well from Beregost's common street life, the small town of Nashkel, surrounded by rivers and farmland, possessed a charm of its own.
Along the river lay vast fields and farmhouses sending smoke into the sky. At the center of the bend stood the town center, where there were only sparse houses and a few simple inns. The sole building that could be called magnificent was the towering Temple of Helm.
Farther away from the town, several trails of black smoke rose into the air. They were exhaust fumes from the furnaces of smithies or smelting plants, adding a few jarring strokes to this pastoral painting.
Although the inns in Nashkel were so simple they were almost absurd, they were still better than camping in the wilderness. After three whole days without proper rest, everyone practically charged toward the entrance of the inn.
Unfortunately, there were not enough rooms, so the group had no choice but to squeeze three or four people into each room. They were essentially sharing rooms.
As a spellcaster, Zhang Yuan received special treatment—a room of his own. He had no intention of refusing the kindness. After all, if even a great mage did not have this little privilege, could he still call himself a great mage?
The preparation of spells required avoiding disturbances from others as much as possible. That was also why few mages shared rooms with other people. Of course, the main reason was that the great mage community was wealthy. Someone as poor as Zhang Yuan was ultimately an exception.
Alone in his room, Zhang Yuan was just about to prepare the spells he would memorize for the next day when he thought of the chess pieces and glanced at the day's refresh.
"Crystal Maiden, Anti-Mage, Mars, Luna, Winter Wyvern."
Five chess pieces were displayed above the chessboard. Among them was the Crystal Maiden he had been hoping for.
"Whoa, I got her!" He immediately spent ten energy to purchase the beautiful Ice Maiden.
"Witness the calamity from the Glacial Remnants!" Accompanied by an entrance announcement, Rylai, wrapped in a biting wind, stepped onto the chessboard in the void.
At that moment, Zhang Yuan's feelings were somewhat complicated. When he had summoned the Stone Golem, he had felt nothing but excitement and exhilaration. But unlike that stone golem, the Crystal Maiden before him was a living, breathing beauty. Even if one took the most conservative view, she was still a lifelike real person of the highest caliber.
At this thought, he could no longer suppress his restless heart. He immediately called the system and entered the Void Chessboard.
It was still the familiar toilet-flush-style teleportation. As the world spun around him, he consoled himself that he could just treat it as preparation for future teleportation spells.
Pfft~ Accompanied by a wonderful sound, Zhang Yuan was expelled onto the chessboard. He shook his head, climbed to his feet, and immediately saw the chess pieces lined up in a row.
He decisively ignored the three round Stone Golems and headed straight for his target, the Ice Maiden.
Looking at the Crystal Maiden standing prettily before him, Zhang Yuan felt an indescribable sensation in his heart. He was not unfamiliar with the girl across from him. Whether in Dota or Auto Chess, she had served him many times. Yet seeing her appear as a "real person" still left him somewhat at a loss.
He carefully looked the Crystal Maiden up and down. The real person seemed even more beautiful than her in-game counterpart. Unfortunately, those beautiful, long legs were wrapped tightly in snow boots.
It seemed he would have to upgrade the Ice Maiden with all his might. Only a three-star Ice Maiden equipped with an Arcana would show people the beauty beneath her skirt. Well, he meant her legs.
Why? Wasn't it common knowledge that the higher the level, the less one wore?
Mustering his courage, he poked the Ice Maiden's arm with a finger. It felt soft, cold, and resilient. At the same time, he looked into her eyes, but those beautiful pupils, clear as lake water, contained not the slightest ripple.
Zhang Yuan sighed. Although he was extremely disappointed, he also felt somewhat relieved. Perhaps I haven't even figured out how to face this myself, he thought.
After leaving the chessboard space, Zhang Yuan directly chose Sleep, Mage Armor, and two copies of Summon Monster I as the spells he would prepare. Then, listening to the sounds of teeth grinding and snoring gradually coming from the other rooms, he drifted into a dream.
The next day, Zhang Yuan lay in bed and stubbornly refused to get up. He closed his eyes, trying to hold on to the dream that had already faded away. That had been such a good dream, he thought regretfully.
While its aftertaste had yet to fade, he stared intently at a certain figure in the chessboard space. Only when the racket around him grew louder and louder did he reluctantly get out of bed.
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