Chapter 103: Journey with Purpose

They left the Oldgrass town with the sun rising up. Until they passed a dozen forest, when Glenn decided to hit the exhausted horse to a stop, and camp at the edge of a muddied road, and a silent forest nearby.

It has been an exhausting crusade for the horse, even though the carriage was light, yet the trail they made was deep enough for an unwanted guest to follow them. Especially, since they camped near a forest. An experienced group of bandits could assault them in seconds. A clean hit and hide method.

"What now, kid?" Glenn asked, looking at the worried Ned.

Glenn made a fire out of flint, with his camping bag, Glenn pulled a jerky, enough for them to last for a night. The two then circled the camp to share the heat and the food, sitting in dry rock, while the horse munched the grasses for its supper.

"You're not worried?" Ned said. Poking the stick of jerky into the fire.

"With, what?" Glenn said. Chewing the beef jerky. "Here? No. Was here for more than a year. Come and go, but not even once people tried to rob me, or any other travelers."

"Why?"

"Hunters, to start," Glenn said. Throwing the stick into the fire. "And people have enough work to bother stealing, kid."

"There must be at least, one or two who would steal," Ned replied, convincing himself.

"Yes," Glenn replied. Pulled open the cork and drunk in a waterbag. "Those kinds were, desperate. No skills, no games, lazy would be the word. And crazy, crazy enough to still under a domain filled with Hunters."

"What do Hunters do here, Glenn sir?" Ned asked, imposing curiosity.

Glenn chewed the last of his jerky and pointed the stick behind him. "East," he said in response.

"Capital?"

"Yes," Glenn said. Throwing more stick to the dimming fire. "But, not just the capital, kid. During day time, you could see the mountain Du'kki from here—Bogblot's gold mine. Du'kki houses thousands of magical beasts. Aside from bricks, fishing, herb gathering, and horse training, monster parts are the main economy of Bogblot."

Ned nodded in response.

"Most struggling Hunters come here," Glenn added. "Bogblot is bustling with hunters, that the merchant guild builds a branch here."

"Do you work for the merchant guild?" Ned asked in curiosity. He was a spy for the pirates, surely he knew more about the place.

"I set up my own market," Glenn said. "But, no. I don't work for them. I like mine simpler, it doesn't—"

He paused, looking behind his back, checking as if someone was there listening, even though he knew the two of them were alone.

"Habit, kid," he said, throwing a smile at Ned. "It doesn't become a hindrance in my 'spying'." Lowering his voice.

"Why spy?"

"That's it, kid," Glenn said, stretching his limbs. "I've said more than enough, you have yours, I have mine. Let's keep it that way. Rest, we leave at dawn. We're near the city Bogaressi, We'll be there before noon. And I'll take the other seat."

Implying the tattered cushion of the carriage.

As if I'm going to sleep next to you. Ned thought.

Although the seat was torn, Glenn looked comfortable as he pushed himself inside and stretched in the carriage.

And Glenn was right. No thugs, not even hungry magical beasts attacked their camp.

Ned woke up under his black cloak, beside the dead fire pit. Birds chirps and wind breath fresh air.

Ned sat cross-legged and took the time to inspect his status.

Status. Hearing his voice.

With a chime, the blue display lit that only Ned could see.

[Mana Points: 3,250/3,250.]

Those pushes and pulls paid off. Ned thought with a bit of excitement in his mind.

[Energy: 100%.]

The next digits made Ned glare with a knitted brow in the depths of the forest.

[Prime Evolution.]

[Level 0: 251/1,000.]

[749 Cores are needed to evolve to the next level.]

It's been more than a month since I last Devour. Ned thought. Paused, and shook his head. I'm talking about the skill as if it was normal. It wasn't. Devouring someone or something wasn't normal. Not at all. Ned sighed.

ICE, Ned ordered. Is there a way to remove this... curse?

[Analysing complete.]

A chime echoed inside his head. What comes next was the voice of a soft lady, as if she was talking behind the ears of Ned. Yet, Ned massage the bridge between his nose.

[There is. None, Ned.]

How come? Rassus forced it inside me. Surely, you can do something about it. You're, a system created to ensure my survival. Ned talked in his thoughts with gritted teeth. It was dawn, the sun hasn't arrived. Yet, Ned puffed air out of frustration.

[Correct. I was created to ensure your survival, Ned. And second. You are right. Rassus did force the last of his energy inside you.]

Ned heard his system stressing the word 'you'. Implying something that made Ned let out a sigh of warm breath. I'm sorry, ICE. Ned replied. I got, preoccupied with the thought of overcoming my weaknesses.

[Apology accepted, Ned. It is not, that I can leave you.]

[But I am saying. Rassus forced his energy inside you. Inside you, Ned. My system recognized the Core and the black energy circulating inside you. As one. One within yourself.]

[That is why. I. As your system. Cannot do anything about it. It was not beyond what I can do. But, it was something, I have yet to understand.]

[If you want to get rid of it. You must understand it first.]

And here I am, blaming you for my incompetence. I let my guard down. Such a waste to lose the Plat Armor.

[Don't worry, Ned. With or without Platinum Armor. The important thing is that. You are alive. That is all that matters to me. As my... Host.]

Thank you ICE. Ned raised his dominant hand. A dancing fire occupied his every thought. Within seconds, a fire conjured on his hand. It whipped as the breeze blew. The fire spell could be controlled by Ned with ease. With a thought, he made the fire blazing, emitting a heat that fought the frigid surroundings.

Another thought made the fire danced peacefully. Spinning, jumping, as if it was filled with joy.

Yet, at the very bottom of the dancing fire. A speck of a shy black dot immersed itself. Slowly, it crept at the dancing fire. Making a fine thread of black energy. It continued to lurk at the dancing—

"Kid," Glenn said behind Ned.

Ned called off the fire spell. He stood, spinning, and faced Glenn. Weird. I didn't felt him sneaking behind me. "Glenn sir," he said in response. "Is it time?"

"A little jumpy?" Glenn said, throwing the leather bag behind his stout back. "Yeah, it is time. Let's go." Waving a hand to follow him.

And again, Glenn was right. It wasn't noon when the two arrived at the city of Bogaressi.

The wet and the smell of grass recently cut, beset the exit of the forest. People walked beside the muddied road, some were carrying bag, hurled behind their backs. Some wore Hunter's clothing as if they just finished hunting the nearby forest with the green liquid spilling over their armors. Wagons raced one by one to enter the city.

Horses neighed, people chatted, kids ran rampant, and hunters gawked at the crowd.

As Ned and Glenn approached the walls of the city, the wet and muddy road begun to dry off. After a moment of trailing with other carriages, the crook and wide road was now inlaid with red bricks; designed to not let the travelers lost in their path.

The walls were made the same as how they made the bricks of the road. Red, and brown. Only, slightly bigger. Well, bigger, since it was towering at almost forty meters, and that doesn't include the four watch tower spiked in every edge.

Dozens of city guards were stationed at the south gate. At the center of the iron gate, guards carefully checked each carriage, and carefully received something out of the carriages.

On the left side of the gate, some struggling pedestrians were bumping with each other. After handing a piece of paper, guards asked them a series of questions one by one. That is why the wagons were racing to get in line first. Ned thought. Looking at the hundreds of carriages lining in front of them.

At the right side of the gate, a number of travelers, carrying different weapons, lined to pass the hulking guard. The same as the other, the Hunters revealed a piece of paper to the guards and the latter let them pass, without asking a series of questions. Hunter's privilege. Ned sighed.

Their carriage stopped at a fork. Making the others that followed cry in frustration. The horse turned left as the Glenn whipped the stomping horse.

After an hour of courageous graze with other carriages. The two reached the east gate. Yet, they remained at the foot of the hill. Watching the hundreds of carriages and thousands of travelers enter the city. It wasn't just them, five more carriages stopped at the hill.

Another hour has passed, but the six carriages, including Ned, remained basking under the hit of the high noon sun.

"What are we waiting, Glenn sir?" Ned asked the seated Glenn. Only a part of the tree was their shade.

He remained silent, eyeing the gate with careful eyes.

"There," he said, at long last. Pointing at the southern gate, a man has just arrived, changing shift with the other guard, clad with iron armor, the same as the other city guards. "Our way in."

It was high noon, but the carriages pushed through to get past the gate.

Their carriage moved, as well as the other five. It seemed that they have a trick of their own to enter the city gates, unnoticed.

"Hey, kid!" Glenn cried under his sweating breath. "Forgot to tell you. Think of a name for your House."