HC: Pacifist | Ch. 228 - Rock Canyon (Patreon)

“Thank you for the ride back, Molly,” said Roth as he hopped off the furry digger.

“No problem! I have to go back to digging. The burrowthon is approaching, and I want to win it this time.”

Roth nodded. He had used the trip back to ask as many questions as possible about the games. The next time he came, he would be prepared to tackle the Molympic Games. Maybe he’d even compete against Molly. “I'll see you soon.”

Molly went back to slashing the wall, turning it into gravel. It would flow down the Rocky River and fall to the lake of the Molympic Coliseum. Roth hadn’t expected to come across a new race beneath these mountains, but it was a nice surprise. He had enjoyed meeting these sport-lovers.

As he sneaked through the small hole and returned to the main tunnels, he deactivated the miniaturized buff and considered his options. Left was the direction of Green Country. He could go there to attain [Mole Form] from the Lord of the Woods.

To his right was Rock Canyon and the city of Sapphira. Should he go left and waste all the time he had spent traveling here? Or should he go right and proceed? “What do you think, little Lin?”

“Nyah?”

“Left or right?”

Lin looked left and right, yawned, and disappeared into his robes for a nap. Roth took it as Lin saying, “I don’t care. You decide.”

In the end, Roth turned right, journeying onward. The Lord of the Woods couldn't be the only place where he could trade titles for new zoomorph forms. The Lord of the Woods himself had said that there were other treeant colonies scattered around the world.

Surveillance was tight around Antioch. He had shaken off his tail there, and returning now would be too risky. Therefore, he should keep exploring. Besides, he had just scratched the surface of this world region's potential. He would move forward and find a place to obtain [Mole Form] in Rock Canyon.

The priority now was to get to the other side of the mountain. More than once, he reached a dead end. Whenever that happened, he patiently retraced his steps and resumed his journey. After a long march, Roth began hearing the clickety-clack of mining wagons and the ringing of pickaxes.

He soon bumped into a miner. After asking for directions, he found he was close to the exit. He started seeing more and more NPC miners, and even some players, chipping away at the mountain in search of minerals and ore. He could already see the light of the tunnel outside. That’s when BlueFire gave him a call.

“Hello, BlueFire. How are you?”

“Roth, long time no see,” BlueFire greeted amicably. “No camera?”

“No. Sorry,” said Roth easily. The less information BlueFire had on him, the better.

“Listen, I was hoping you could give us more of that [Miniaturizing Honeydew].”

“Your team has run out already?” asked Roth, grinning.

BlueFire didn’t lose his composure. “I’m going to go over there myself and see this wonderful place you discovered. I thought you could share a few consumables so I don’t bother my team. Are you in the Green Woods?”

“Nice try, BlueFire. Let’s cut to the chase. Your team has run out, your spies have lost track of me, and you want to see how you can access Antioch’s shops. Correct?”

BlueFire’s face remained a mask of sympathy and ignorance. “Spies? What spies?”

“1k.”

“Come on, Roth. More money? I thought that…”

“I’m busy now, BlueFire. I don’t have time for our usual dance. Please ask someone from the Union for the honeydew. I’ve left some with them in case you needed it.”

“See you around, Roth,” BlueFire said diplomatically, not betraying any annoyance.

“Always a pleasure, BlueFire.”

It had all happened as Roth had imagined. They were having trouble interacting with the treeants and were scrambling. BlueFire would certainly figure it out, though. Even though the specifics of some of his secrets were shrouded in mystery, he had left too many bread crumbs behind. A smart man like BlueFire probably already had an idea of how he played the game.

That made him more certain that he had made the right call earlier when he decided to fight for the trade agreement with the moles. Chances were that, as guilds caught on to Roth’s gameplay and saw its advantages, they would also try to come after his trade agreements. Even if he didn’t go look for a trade war, it would come to him soon enough.

Following the mining wagon tracks, he sped up and exited the mines. It had taken him five hours to cross regions. He had no idea how long the trip on the cable cars would have taken, but he wouldn't have met the moles if he had used it.

The entrance to the mine on the side of the Rock Canyon was indistinguishable from the one on the side of Charlesville. It was at the bottom of a valley surrounded by rocky outcrops. The sky was still blue, but shadows had grown longer. He followed the miners leaving work, traveling uphill and into the mountain's pass. Finally, he came to a cliff with a wide landscape view.

In stark contrast with the forested world region Roth had just left, this scenery was fiery-red and parched. He felt as if he was looking at a desolate Martian landscape. Ragged cliffs and jutting rock formations emerged from the earth's crust while a deep, wide canyon snaked its way through the rock. Amidst this harsh terrain, the only green came from sporadic bursts of greenery punctuating the landscape, humble bushes clinging to life amidst the dry environment. In the distance, snow-capped peaks and majestic mountains loomed over the horizon.

“So this is Rock Canyon.”

His cat had felt the difference in smell and had taken a break from fulfilling the second cat commandment to gain a view of the landscape. “Meow, beautiful, meow.”

Progress in learning Felinian: 28%

“It is beautiful, Lin,” Roth agreed. “Let’s go. I want to make it to Saphira before it’s nightfall.”

Roth traveled the perilous mountain road and, once he felt it was safe enough, called his mare.

Summon!

Lua appeared from around the corner, and he hopped on. He consulted his notes on how to get to Saphira, checked his map, and rode toward the red sunset and the crimson wasteland.

Thankfully, he had left the mines before nightfall, and [Speed of Light] helped him cover the ground quickly. Roth rode down the mountain, and once he was at the plateau, he spotted other players. They were small points against the red landscape and the dark mountains, and were it not for [Farsight], he would have missed them and the dust they were kicking up.

“Neigh. Nicker. Home,” Lua exclaimed.

Lua smells the boundless wilderness and the scent of home.

+10 affection with Lua.

+10 reputation with the Moonlight Herd.

“Easy girl,” Roth said as he patted the mare. “So this is your region, hey? Let’s lay low for now. My friend, Soros, told me there are many slavers in this region. We’ll find your family later.”

“Snort. Neigh.”

Progress in learning Horsian: 21%

Sadly, horses weren’t nearly as talkative as moles, so he had been progressing slowly in the language. Maybe being home would help Lua open up more to him, and he would finally become fluent in Horsian.

The surroundings blurred past him as he approached the road. Since there were no trees, it felt wider and more open. The only thing limiting his eyesight was the air shimmering in the horizon, baking under the rays of the sun above and the hot rock below.

He felt at once the 10% speed bonus as Lua stepped on the sandstone road. Roth ignored the surprised looks from other players passing by as he sprinted past them. No one made trouble for him. The road was wide, and they could all travel without getting in each other's way.

On his way here, Roth had read up on as much as he could about this region. Rock Canyon had three major biomes: the canyon itself formed a rocky labyrinth, the plateau worked kind of like the second floor of the region, and, finally, the mountains that surrounded the area.

There were different animals within each of these biomes, and there were cities in all three of them too. Saphira was one of two cities built in the canyon itself, so Roth had to find a path downward. He galloped for roughly 20 minutes, and the road finally came to a bifurcation.

He left the main road, veering left toward the crack that carved the landscape. The road led him to the canyon cliff, and he spotted the cramped road that would take him down. Disappointed by the lack of an elevator, Roth unmounted Lua, dismissed her, and began his downward trek. Halfway down the cliff, he heard a voice echoing in the canyon.

“Urgh! Man, I can't believe I got stuck again.”

Coming around the corner, Roth found a player wearing a fancy outfit. He had a fancy velvet beret, rings on every finger, and an exaggerated necklace. He had chubby fingers and a large figure. For a moment, Roth wondered whether it was an NPC, given how he corresponded exactly to the stereotype of a merchant.

The way he cursed as he kicked the cartwheel told him that wasn’t the case.

“Hi! Do you need help, sir?”

“Oh, hey. Yes, please. My cart got stuck. Do you mind helping me get it down the rest of the way?”

“No problem. I'm glad to help.”

“My name is Kurt. At your service.”

Roth quickly opened his character sheet to remember the name that [Witness Protection Mask] had automatically generated for him. “RainyCloud. Likewise.”

“Where are you heading? Saphira or Hadestown?”

“Saphira.”

“Beautiful place. I'm going to visit Hades Town. I'm just coming back from one of the mountain villages. I got myself a sweet deal on some herbs and mountain vegetables. Hopefully, it will turn a good profit. Have you been to the mountains yet?”

“I’m coming from one, actually.”

“Awesome views, hey? I love it up there.”

Kurt kept chatting about his travels and activities as a merchant, and Roth couldn’t help but appreciate the player’s frankness. Most players were stingy and kept their money-making techniques under lock and key, but this merchant didn't seem to mind divulging how he played the game. There was a lack of pretentiousness about him. That and the fact that they were colleagues in the merchant profession made Roth feel some camaraderie toward him.

“What about you? Is it your first time going to Saphira?” Kurt asked. “Or have you been there before? Be careful; the wheel will get stuck over there. That’s it. Just a little push.”

“I've just arrived from Green Country,” Roth explained.

“Really?!” The man exclaimed, surprised. “Wow! What level are you?”

“39.”

Kurt let out a whistle. “Wow, that's impressive. You're at a higher level than me. Why don't you go to the capital? Your level is high enough to travel to the Forest Fortress.”

“I want to explore this region more before I travel to the capital,” Roth answered. And  I want to avoid a place crowded with the top guilds, Roth added to himself.

“Oh well. Anyway, the great thing about Rock Canyon is-” the man suddenly interrupted himself. “Watch out,” he hissed.

Roth followed Kurt’s gaze and found a lizard clinging to the rock. The lizard was basking in the last rays of sunlight, hitting the patch of rugged rock where it was perched. It was the biggest lizard Roth had ever seen, and it reminded him of MountainTop, the tank that had accompanied him in the fight against Loki. This one, however, instead of being anthropomorphized, was a full lizard. It was as large as a crocodile in the real world. It had yellow eyes and beige skin with patches of varying hues of red and brown, which helped it to camouflage against the rock. Roth inspected it.

Ch. 227 - The Champion

INDEX

Ch. 229 - Sapphira