Chapter 15

Ash Forest was vast. Sui Xiong and Gerald traveled for several days before finally reaching the forest's edge.

Beyond it lay a desolate mountain range known as the Desolate Mountains. Located on the northwestern side of the world's main continent, it bordered Ash Forest on one side and Meteor Desert on the other, like an extremely high, thick wall separating the two. At either end, the range connected to the Northern Snowfields and the Western Sea.

The mountains were steep and received little rain, so vegetation was scarce. Such harsh terrain bred all manner of vicious magical beasts. The only people who could travel freely through this place were adventurers even fiercer than the beasts themselves.

Perhaps heaven always left a way out. There were several gaps in these towering, precipitous mountains. Though the roads through them were rugged and difficult, they at least did not completely cut off travel between the two sides. On the western side of these mountain paths stood several small towns bordering Ash Forest, the northwesternmost edge of the civilized world on the continent.

There were many rare local products here. They were scarce, but valuable, so adventurers who fancied themselves skilled often came to try their luck. Most never left alive, but those who did often gained enviable rewards. Quite a few became rich overnight.

Where there were adventurers making money, there were naturally merchants looking to put that money into their own pockets, followed by all sorts of related businesses. So although these towns were small, they had everything one could need. Even many luxurious goods could be found here. And because they were far beyond the reach of any nation, law and order were especially chaotic. Many wanted criminals fled here, making the place increasingly disorderly until it gradually became a haven for filth and corruption.

In a place like this, the churches of good gods could barely maintain themselves, while the churches of evil gods flourished. They even had the resources to gather displaced people from across the continent and organize them to develop Ash Forest, establishing a solid rear base for their churches.

White Leaf Village, for instance, was one of the settlements built under the direction of churches belonging to the Dark Night Pantheon. Otherwise, why would farmers not worship the Goddess of Earth, who blessed harvests, or the Goddess of Life, who blessed health, but instead worship the Gatekeeper of the Dark Night Divine Kingdom, who had nothing to do with farming?

"So that's how it is..." After hearing Gerald's explanation, Sui Xiong pondered it. "Then wouldn't it be rather inappropriate for us to go to those towns?"

"You can't put it that way. Those towns are like wooden cages. Whether a cat or a dog enters, it has no choice but to behave. But Your Majesty is a dragon! Wouldn't you crush a mere cage for cats and dogs with one step?" Gerald said with a smile. "Besides, given your character and position, you were bound to clash with those churches of evil gods anyway. Developing in places like these would also let us enlist the help of churches of good gods, or even churches of neutral deities. It's killing two birds with one stone!"

He made a great deal of sense, and Sui Xiong nodded repeatedly. His mountain-like body swayed, stirring waves of cool wind.

"However, Your Majesty, your true body is too large and powerful. Entering the town directly would cause some trouble. Why not find somewhere outside to rest while I go scout things out first?" As a loyal believer, Gerald eagerly wanted to do something for the deity he worshiped.

Seeing how enthusiastic he was, Sui Xiong could not bring himself to refuse. Yet he truly could not stop worrying about Gerald. He always felt that this bald man—oh, he was no longer bald now; his hair was thick and lush—was too weak. If he acted alone, he might somehow end up dead by the roadside tomorrow. As a loyal little companion and, more importantly, a good man, Sui Xiong felt it necessary to give Gerald another layer of protection.

After thinking carefully, he took out a piece of giant whale bone. With powerful magic, he compressed the bone fragment, originally a foot long and half a foot wide, until it was only as wide as a finger. He bent it into the shape of a bracelet, engraved several layers of magic arrays into it, and finally separated off a small portion of his soul power to reside within it, creating something that could more or less be considered a magical item.

"Wear this. It will be as though I am by your side. If the situation becomes urgent, I will act personally."

Gerald knelt and respectfully accepted Sui Xiong's gift. The small Bone Bracelet felt icy cold in his hand. Once he put it on his wrist, his mind became clear and focused. Even his eyesight and hearing grew much sharper. More than that, he could sense Sui Xiong's powerful will accompanying him, making him feel even more at ease.

"Your Majesty, what should this treasure be called?" he asked.

Sui Xiong thought for a moment. "Call it Void Gaze. After all, its fundamental purpose is to serve as an extension of my sight."

Gerald nodded, bowed again, then straightened the tattered homemade robe he wore. Carrying his bundle, he headed toward the distant town.

Sui Xiong watched him leave, then found a relatively level patch of ground. With a wave of his tentacles, he quickly dug a huge pit and lay down inside it. Once his entire body had burrowed into the pit, he used magic to reinforce the surrounding soil, then brought back the dirt he had dug out earlier and turned it into a solid layer of earth at least two meters thick above his head.

A giant jellyfish's body really was not very convenient to use on land. He might as well use this time to modify it some more.

Meanwhile, Gerald, wearing the Bone Bracelet known as Void Gaze, arrived at the town called Glintstone.

After bypassing the merchant caravans camped in the open land outside the town to avoid paying entrance taxes, he reached the busy town gate.

Several soldiers in leather armor stood at the gate. They were responsible for guarding it as well as collecting the entrance tax. They stared at Gerald, who was nearly as tall as the town wall, and hesitated for quite some time. In the end, they did not dare charge the giant a tax. They merely warned him not to cause trouble in town before letting him enter.

"This treatment is much better than when I passed through here years ago." Gerald could not help laughing. "I remember passing through here while I was fleeing. I was injured and sick at the time. They gave me trouble for ages, and I had to pay extra before they let me in."

"Oh? Do you want to get revenge and vent some anger?" Through the Bone Bracelet, Sui Xiong could sense the situation around Gerald and communicate with him through thought. Hearing that, he asked with a smile.

Gerald shook his head. "I used to think all the time about making them pay once I became successful, but now I don't think it's necessary. They're just ordinary people doing dangerous work for little pay. They were only trying to earn a bit extra to support their families. It isn't worth getting angry at them."

"You've risen to a higher state of mind."

"I now possess power I never would have dared dream of before, and I have even received the protection of a great deity. Why should I quibble with a group of ordinary people struggling to make a living?" Gerald scratched his head again and smiled honestly.

Neither he nor Sui Xiong noticed that a middle-aged man passing beside him narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw the Bone Bracelet on Gerald's wrist.

The man casually brushed past Gerald. Only after Gerald turned a street corner and disappeared from sight did he hurriedly turn around and rush to the gate of an inconspicuous little courtyard, knocking hard.

"Who is it?" A small hole that had been carved into the door opened, and the gatekeeper looked through it before hurriedly opening the gate. "Vice President? Weren't you going to Gold Rush Town on business?"

"There's something more important." The middle-aged man spoke briefly. "Call the best thieves in town. And summon the Quick Blade brothers too—no, don't call them. Just find the thieves."

The burly gatekeeper froze for a moment. Seeing the man's grave expression, he did not dare ask further questions. He hurriedly agreed and rushed off to deliver the orders.

After closing the gate, the middle-aged man went straight to the inner rooms. He walked around twice, then entered an unremarkable little chamber.

The room was quite simple and looked utterly ordinary, but he knew that at least twenty dangerous traps were hidden inside. Even a whole team of adventurers would never be able to break in.

An old man who looked utterly ordinary, like a roadside peddler, was sitting on the bed reading. When he saw the man rush in, he frowned and asked, "Grey Eyes, you should be in Gold Rush Town, working with our colleagues there to prepare for next month's underground auction."

The old man's tone was not harsh, but the middle-aged man immediately shuddered and broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly explained, "President, I saw a treasure on the road! A huge opportunity!"

"Oh?" The old man's eyes lit up as he put down his book. He knew his deputy's abilities well. Although the man was not particularly skilled at theft or assassination, and his timid, cautious nature lacked the ruthlessness and decisiveness expected of the Thieves Guild, his eye for treasures was extraordinary. He had never made a mistake when appraising valuable items. On the contrary, he often found good things among the junk sold off cheaply by down-and-out adventurers. He truly deserved to have "Eyes" in his nickname.

For something to excite him so much, it had to be genuinely valuable!

"Sit down and tell me slowly."

"Yes!" Grey Eyes sat down, caught his breath, and gave a detailed description of Gerald's appearance, especially emphasizing the Bone Bracelet on his wrist.

"President, I swear on these eyes of mine that the bracelet is no ordinary treasure!" His tone could not help growing excited again. "It is at least a high-grade magical item... I suspect it may be a legendary treasure!"

"A legendary treasure?!" Even the president of the Thieves Guild could no longer remain calm. He stood up and pressed, "Are you certain? What type is it?"

"I'm sixty to seventy percent sure, but I can't determine its type yet. Still, I could vaguely sense a powerful will gathered within that bracelet. It may very well be a sacred relic worshiped by that giant tribe's generations of priests."

The president nodded repeatedly. Giants were already an extremely powerful race, and a sacred relic that bore their generations of worship and prayers could very well be a legendary treasure.

At the thought of the words "legendary treasure," his heart immediately burned with excitement.

The world was vast, but legendary treasures were rare. Nearly every one had a memorable history behind it. Most of them ended up in the hands of major powers—high-ranking nobles, famous mages, or leaders of large organizations... For example, his own superior, the important figure overseeing the Thieves Guild's affairs throughout Ash Forest, was said to possess one.

That treasure was the great man's life-saving trump card. More than once, it had helped him escape danger and turn defeat into victory. If he could obtain such a treasure too...

Thinking of that, he could not help letting out a sinister laugh.

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