City of Abundance

The insignificant interlude passed quickly. Once the caravan was reorganized, with the creaking of axles, the entire convoy began to crawl forward like a centipede slithering across the land.

Renard rode his horse at the tail of the caravan, while the drunkard Colliver sat swaying on the foremost wagon, looking as if he might fall off at any moment.

The caravan's progress was exceptionally slow. Renard glanced back at the wilderness manor, only to find with a sigh that they had traveled less than two miles.

Perhaps this is the true adventurer's life, he thought.

It wasn't until afternoon that the caravan finally reached Saint Brieuc Fortress. However, to avoid the exorbitant toll fees, the merchants collectively decided not to pass through the town.

Renard silently breathed a sigh of relief, gazing at the small town disappearing once again below the horizon, a touch of melancholy stirring within him.

Leaving like this, who knows when I'll return? Maybe when my studies are complete, or when Hamilton is on his deathbed, or perhaps I'll die out here and never come back.

If I could, someday when I'm tired, weary, and sick of this rootless wandering, I'd come back here and live out my days in peace.

Leaving Saint Brieuc Fortress, the caravan gradually picked up speed. The horses even began to trot. The pace wasn't fast, but it was much better than before.

However, without smooth stone roads, the elderly and children in the wagons nearly vomited their guts out. The smell of sausage, dried fruit, and smoked meat mixed with sweat and vomit made Renard, who was quite far away, feel incredibly nauseous.

The caravan arrived at an unknown, dilapidated village in the evening, preventing them from having to camp in the wilderness.

Camping in the wilderness was extremely dangerous, as you never knew when monsters might suddenly appear from anywhere and take your life.

The village was desolate. The only inhabitants were the elderly and children; any young, ambitious person wouldn't choose to grow old here.

Seeing the caravan arrive, the villagers showed no surprise or fear. Some women and the elderly even brought out what they considered valuable items to trade with the merchants.

Renard dismounted and stretched his arms, feeling an intense soreness, ten times worse than fighting goblins.

The caravan's laborers went about their tasks. Some organized goods, others set up pots to cook. The elderly and children who wanted to seek opportunities elsewhere sat by the wagons, gnawing on dry rye bread.

The adventurer Colliver was feasting on jerky and mead. In the distance, a few children with rye bread in hand and snot running down their noses stared intently at him, their saliva almost dripping onto his feet.

Perhaps feeling uncomfortable being stared at, he put on a fierce expression to scare them. The children buried their heads in their elders' arms, their thin bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Renard shook his head and chuckled. He took out a few pieces of jerky from his pack and tossed them to the children, then proceeded to groom his warhorse.

Colliver first looked at Renard's warhorse with envy, then scoffed, "The Barren Land has no need for pity."

Renard's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he didn't reply.

Pity? Perhaps!

If he had seen what Scum Renard did in Saint Brieuc Fortress, he wouldn't have said that.

The journey that followed was extremely monotonous. There were no unusual incidents on the road. Killing goblins and goblin bandits wasn't difficult for Renard. Instead, Colliver acted as if he had accomplished great feats, constantly seeking rewards from the merchants, which gave them headaches.

On the evening of the sixth day, Renard once again beheaded over ten goblins. By the time the last goblin fell, he had killed a total of one hundred and fifty-three goblins.

"Mission complete!" he said, sheathing his Longsword and taking a deep breath.

"Ding! Kill quest completed: Kill one hundred goblins. Reward: One Potential. Completion: 153%."

"Ding! Mission over-completed. Reward: One random attribute point."

This was Renard's first independently completed quest. It took a full six days, and the rewards were only so-so.

He opened the System interface.

"Host Attributes: Strength: 12 (+5), Agility: 17, Intelligence: 14, Charisma: 13, Potential: 1, Unallocated Skill Points: 2."

"Host Strength Skill Levels: Iron Bones: 4, Strong Attack: 4, Precision: 4."

"Host Agility Skill Levels: Riding Skill: 5, Martial Arts: 6, Control: 6."

"Host Intelligence Skill Levels: Battle Qi Usage: 0, Eidetic Memory: 14, Tactical Command: 0."

"Host Charisma Skill Levels: Command: 4, Valor: 4, Near Death: 4."

Evidently, the random attribute point had been added to the most useless stat, Charisma. Renard could only sigh in regret and add the Potential point to Strength, allocating the skill points to Iron Bones and Command.

"Host Attributes: Strength: 13 (+5), Agility: 17, Intelligence: 14, Charisma: 13, Potential: 0, Unallocated Skill Points: 0."

"Host Strength Skill Levels: Iron Bones: 5, Strong Attack: 4, Precision: 4."

"Host Agility Skill Levels: Riding Skill: 5, Martial Arts: 6, Control: 6."

"Host Intelligence Skill Levels: Battle Qi Usage: 0, Eidetic Memory: 14, Tactical Command: 0."

"Host Charisma Skill Levels: Command: 5, Valor: 4, Near Death: 4."

He then exited the System and began to clean up the battlefield.

On the twenty-fourth day after leaving Saint Brieuc Fortress, the City of Abundance was finally in sight, arriving four days later than expected.

On the wagon at the front of the caravan, Colliver was holding forth: "The City of Abundance is the third largest city in the Southern Great Wilderness, with over thirty-four thousand permanent residents. See the fertile fields around us? Only such fertile land can support so many people."

Just as people called Duke Duncan's Territory the Barren Land, the people of Southern Barren Commandery, which was equally lacking in resources, preferred to call it the Southern Great Wilderness.

In fact, during the Olehols Dynasty's rule, Southern Barren Commandery and the Barren Land had always been places for exiling criminals, and it was still the case now. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this place barren.

Due to the Kingdom of Arthur's lack of maritime trade, areas closer to the mainland's center were more developed.

This meant that the barrenness here was not accidental but a historical inevitability.

Colliver spoke eloquently, dazzling the poor folk who had never traveled far.

Renard curled his lip in disdain. He had been to cities with thirty million people and wasn't impressed. He remarked indifferently, "Other than being a bit bigger than Saint Brieuc Fortress, there's nothing special about it."

Colliver shrugged awkwardly and opened his mouth again: "If you could see the Kingdom's capital, you'd know what prosperity is."

The capital? Renard showed a rare flicker of curiosity. "Have you been to the capital, Mr. Colliver?"

"Of course, I have!" Colliver's spirits immediately lifted, looking decades younger. "I was still very young then..."