Are You Not a Local?

The wilderness was vast and empty, offering no place to hide.

Anse felt a slight sense of relief when he saw that no one from the city had followed them. From the moment he left the battlefield until now, he had felt as though countless eyes were fixed upon his back.

The Flaming Fist might not have harbored malicious intent—perhaps they were even looking forward to his recruitment—but he did not like the word "compulsory."

"What happened?" Brat caught up to Anse in a few strides, his tone laced with concern.

"Soradin said the Grand Duke issued a mandatory conscription order to form a battle group..." Anse briefly explained the reason.

"Wouldn't that offend a lot of people?" Brat looked puzzled. "Do they even dare to conscript paladins?"

"Elite professionals and members of the clergy are naturally exempt; they can only be hired at a high price. Land could protect us, but if we hid in the church and never came out, wouldn't that mean burning bridges with the Flaming Fist and the Grand Duke? It's better not to meet at all," Anse explained.

The Flaming Fist had elite barbarians, but commoners and ordinary professionals likely lacked the capital to refuse, especially since the compensation offered was quite generous.

"That makes sense." Brat nodded slightly. "Joining the battle group doesn't necessarily mean there's danger, but not going definitely means there isn't."

"It's a pity about that loot. Not processing it myself, I feel like something is missing."

Anse laughed. "We only killed the small fry. Those Kuo-Toa came empty-handed and left empty-handed; there probably wasn't anything good on them, at most just some bounty money."

"The bounty isn't small, though." Brat seemed to recall something. "The scepter in that priest's hand was nice. It seemed to be broken by Land, but it was in that pile of stuff. And those Giant Crabs—I've asked around, they're edible and taste great, a delicacy reserved for nobles..."

Finn, standing to the side, looked down at the crab legs and meat in his hands, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

"The Kuo-Toa High Priest was killed by Land, so the loot doesn't belong to us," Anse clarified. He was already satisfied that a single immobilization spell had netted him 385 Combat Experience.

He hadn't expected to gain so much experience without dealing any direct damage. A solo kill would likely only yield a little over two thousand experience; it seemed the harder the battle, the more experience it awarded.

They walked for a while until the sun climbed higher, making the heat unbearable. A layer of sweat beaded on their foreheads.

Brat looked back; the city was shrinking, becoming nearly impossible to see.

"It's better to leave." His expression was wistful. "If those fish-men launched a surprise attack in the middle of the night, we wouldn't even be able to sleep."

"The fish-men probably won't come back," Anse deduced.

"Why? They can jump into the water whenever they want; they come and go as they please," Brat said, confused.

"You have to think from the perspective of the Kuo-Toa. They don't live in your houses, they don't eat your grain—what would they gain? Is human meat tastier than sea fish? Everything has to have a motive, right?"

"Then why did they come in the first place?"

"It should be that the Gray Dwarves and the Kuo-Toa formed an alliance. The Kuo-Toa dream of returning to the surface world, so an alliance is natural. The invasion was just to coordinate with the Gray Dwarves' actions. The Kuo-Toa are amphibious, living mainly in shallows, rivers, and the ocean. Now that their goal is achieved, they're probably enjoying themselves. The Flying Dragon Bridge is broken, the Gray Dwarves can't cross, and it's unlikely the Kuo-Toa will risk their lives again..."

These were all guesses by Anse, but they were likely close to the truth.

If the Kuo-Toa truly blockaded the Chongsa River, it would soon invite a catastrophe.

The Chongsa River stretched eastward all the way to Dragon Lake, spanning nearly two thousand kilometers and flowing through numerous cities and kingdoms. It was an economic lifeline; if it were blocked, countless people would be up in arms.

"I hope your deduction is correct." Brat's mood improved significantly.

Finn suddenly leaned in. "Too hot."

Anse thought he wanted to find a place to rest. Before he could speak, he saw Finn holding a pile of crab legs and meat in front of him.

"I never realized you were such a foodie."

Complaints aside, he cast two Freezing Rays to chill the giant crab meat.

If it spoiled, it couldn't be eaten.

"Let's walk a bit further," Anse said, waving his hand.

"Okay..."

After the heavy rain, the ground was muddy and exceptionally difficult to traverse.

There were many refugees on the road, moving in twos, threes, or larger groups.

However, everyone kept a wide distance, hurrying away upon meeting others for fear of ill intent.

In times of great disaster, there is great chaos. Driven by hunger, greed, and despair, what wouldn't people do?

After walking for a while, the group found a dry patch of woodland to rest.

Anse took out his map and climbed a tree to compare it for a long time, only to find that the wilderness ahead was barren; the pastures marked on the map did not exist.

"An old map?" Finn communicated with his Gray Hawk for a long time before confirming there was an issue with the map. They had only left the city two or three hours ago; it was impossible for their positioning to be wrong.

Brat looked at Anse, his eyes full of doubt. "Aren't you a local?"

"Well..." Anse gave an awkward laugh. "You know, I've been focused on studying magic and haven't left the city in years. I haven't even been to Rivington many times."

In reality, the Baldur's Gate of this world was quite different from the one he knew from books or games in his past life. Many memories could not be directly applied, let alone to the wilderness.

A single instance of magical pollution or the migration of abnormal creatures could cause the ecology of a place to undergo earth-shattering changes.

Brat decided to use his ultimate technique from his adventuring days: "Follow the sun. Keep heading west, and you'll eventually reach the sea."

"That makes sense." Anse gave him a thumbs-up.

"Heh." Finn remained expressionless, likely in agreement.

"Let's eat."

Brat and his companion gathered firewood, while Anse used Prestidigitation to ignite it.

Finn took charge of the cooking; having lived in the wild often, he was accustomed to preparing his own meals.

Breakfast consisted of crab legs. Without the need for any seasoning, a simple roasting made them fragrant and mouth-watering. The meat was firm and springy, carrying a hint of sweetness amidst the savory saltiness—truly a top-tier ingredient.

The Giant Crab was a medium-sized amphibious creature, roughly the same size as a human. While it could carry a Kuo-Toa at a sprint, its combat prowess was not particularly high, and it was generally trained by the Kuo-Toa to serve as a mount.

Finn had only brought back a few legs, along with some meat and shells, totaling about thirty or forty pounds. The shells could be used as shields with a bit of polishing; they were light and sturdy, proving more effective than standard shields.

After a hearty meal, Anse leaned against his backpack and quietly pulled up his Character Sheet.

The third symbol on the Silver Die was just a fraction away from fully illuminating, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

His experience stood at 2067/2700. He had gained nearly a thousand experience points from a single skirmish without even casting many spells; the entire encounter had been completely devoid of danger and incredibly easy.

Paladins really are gold-standard laborers.

His equipment slot now featured a new magic item called the Amulet of Cooperation, which glowed with a soft, lustrous white light.

The holy symbol Land gave me.

He understood now. As his mind gently touched the amulet, the die immediately displayed its detailed description.

[Magic Item: Amulet of Cooperation]

"Category": Wondrous Item

"Rarity": Rare

This is a holy symbol crafted from platinum, the sacred emblem of Tyr, the God of Justice. It was once worn and used by a paladin; creatures of an evil alignment cannot use it.

"Evil Warning": When you are approached or closely watched by a creature of an evil alignment, the amulet will alert you.

"Planar Mount": You summon an extraplanar entity to serve as a loyal mount, forging a soul contract to fight or adventure together.

You may dismiss or recall it at any time. If the mount dies, you may summon a new one, though the likelihood of being refused increases.