Chapter 259: The Abandoned Hamlet

Chapter 259: The Abandoned Hamlet

The realm turned out to be composed almost entirely of the city. The sensation was both fascinating and slightly spooky. It didnt help that there werent any people to be seen. Dallion couldnt help but wonder what the realm had been like when it was full, and more importantly, what had caused it to become abandoned. No doubt the people of ages gone were far more adept at item creation than the current generation of awakened.

In the past, Dallion would have rushed to the tower as fast as possible to find the hidden area and claim his prize. Today, though, he felt in a mood for exploration. Since time didnt pass in the real world, there was nothing he would lose, not to mention that he might get an idea what to expect for the world item.

Initially, he started by going through the shops and larger buildings. All furniture and large tools were there, but there wasnt a single small or personal item to be seen. It was as if someone had created this vast building complex and was still waiting for the occupants to arrive.

Any idea what happened here? Dallion asked, going through what looked like a bank. While the technology was at the late medieval level, the execution was flawless, not to mention that the builders had come up with some clever ideas of their own. Mechanical mechanisms for one thing were quite interesting, reminding Dallion of the documentaries on Roman discoveries he had watched back on Earth.

Maybe you should check the definition of unknown, Nil grumbled.

There has to be something you know. Does the Order have any records?

Getting information from the order is like pulling teeth from a chicken. Theres a lot of fuss, a lot of pain, and you end up getting nothing at all. Theres as much information about item settlements as there is of ancient citiesthey are easy to find, occasionally contain valuables, but thats about it. Theres no knowledge of how they were built, by whom, or even when.

And youve never asked the imprisoned guardians?

Dallion instantly regretted asking the question. That much was obvious, even for him. The reason why the imprisoned races wouldnt explain anything was because the Moons didnt allow it. Potentially, when he leveled up enough, he might be allowed to learn that information, but that was for another day.

Fine, Dallion said, and left the building.

After checking a few other houses, Dallion decided to leave the city and check what was outside. As expected, the endless plains and forests turned out to be the realms limit. Regardless of how much he walked in a certain direction, the distance to the city wouldnt change. At one point, Dallion even tried walking backwards, but each time hed blink the city would get closer, as if attached to him by a rubber band.

EXTREME CURIOSITY

(Mind +2)

Everyone has that itch they want to scratch. Scratch it too much, though, and it might turn into a wound.

An achievement for this? Not that Dallion was complaining. Apparently, learning more about the worldthe real worldwas rewarded; and mind was an area that would prove useful. With that, hed be able to split better as well as make use of the awakened markers.

Know anything about Vend? Dallion asked. When I try using the guild ring, he keeps telling me to practice and gets all vague when I ask him what hes doing.

Nothing I can tell you, the echo replied. Dont worry, though. Hell get back to training you. Despite what it seems, hes taking a liking to you.

This wasnt the first time Dallion had heard that. Most probably, that was due to his endless potential. Coming from another world had that effect, it seemed. That was good, but also could end up causing trouble. For one thing it had already attracted a mage.

Nox, Lux, get out here, Dallion said. Instantly the two familiars appeared, one on each shoulder. Seriously, guys? Dallion sighed.

Nox meowed in a smug fashion, then leapt on the ground. On the other shoulder, the firebird beamed with the kind of pride one got from copying an older brother.

Dallion went to the door in question and opened it. The inside of the room was full of ingots. Initially Dallion had some hopes there might be some magic metals, or if not gold, but it turned out that they were nothing more than ordinary iron bricks. Between the rows of carefully arranged ingots, at the far wall, a faint purple light was seeping through.

Very clever, Dallion thought. There was no better way than to hide something in the equivalent of a supply closet.

Lux, clear this.

As fast as a flash, the firebird flew into the room and shoved the ingots away from the wall. There were a few moments during which Dallion felt bad about ordering his familiars about, but watching the ingots move from place to place, as if teleporting, quickly changed his thoughts on the matter. Soon enough, there was only one thing left to do.

Your turn, Nox.

Dillion stood in front of the wall. The outline of the door was visible, made out of faint light. In a way, it reminded him of the door he had to open to unseal his mothers awakening powers. Back then, that had also earned him a prize, probably the greatest one hed ever received. Even so, it wasnt for the reward that hed done it. All that he wanted back then was to make his mother happy and give her what she had lost, but even so, he hadnt been able to force himself to stay.

With a meow the crackling dashed to the wall. Faster than Dallion, it clawed all over the stone surface. Causing cracks to appear. There was no elegance in it, but it was extremely efficient. In no time at all fragments started falling off, followed by the entire wall collapsing into an entirely different chamber.

Wow, Dallion said, looking into something that shouldnt have been able to fit. The chamber alone was at least fifty feet long, leading to another massive flight of stars.

The special thing about hidden areas is that they arent part of the realm they are in. Think of them as a realm within a realm.

Like the secret in the house I helped clean? Dallion summoned his harpsisword.

In a way. The difference is that the ancients were much better at creating realms back then. The secret in the house was an object in a domain. Not that its easy to achieve, but compared to this This is on a whole different level. Which is all the more reason to be careful.

Lux, on my back, Dallion said. I might need you to fight.

Slowly, he stepped forward. Walking through the wall felt like passing a threshold. No sooner had he done so than a red rectangle emerged.

COMBAT INITIATED

Shield! Dallion said out of habit. The shield extended slightly, protecting more of his torso.

So much for a calm welcome, Dallion thought.

The new realm was little more than a stone path leading to an amber dais atop a hill not too far away. All around them were trees with pink-colored maple leaves. As much as Dallion tried, though, he wasnt able to see or sense any enemy.

Any luck, Nox?

The crackling looked around, its tail high in the air. Even it couldnt locate the threat.

Dallion lowered his harpsisword. As a gamer, he just knew that his opponent would appear the moment he approached the dais. No doubt the treasurewhatever it waswas locked up in a chest there. Technically, Dallion was given a choicehe could just leave and potentially avoid the combat, but then he wouldnt get the prize either.

Very well, Dallion said with a smile. You win. He went forward along the stone path.