29 Heromaker - II
Let's backtrack a bit.
[Divine Branches Contributed: 4/42]
The moment when I discovered three stray branches at the bottom of a random river, I realized something.
"These Divine Branches did not exist here just a few days ago,"
With my mana's growth, I became more acutely aware of their presence. I knew there were no objects my senses could not penetrate lying at the bottom of this river.
These Divine Branches appeared out of thin air.
Therefore, I began to question something important.
"Why are these Divine Branches appearing here in this world? If it's useful for the Gaea System, was it expecting Earth's Hunters to go to different worlds?"
No, wait...
That made so much sense, now that I thought about it.
Could it be?
[Absolute Awareness] was activated, instantly draining my body of all its mana. I gasped for air, and blood began to flow out of my nose.
"Shit," I gripped the <Sword of Light> tightly in my hand, draining it of mana as well.
—[ YOU BASTARDDDDD! ]
Despite the suffering wails of the <Wyrm With No Name>, I could not wrench even a line of information from the Gaea System.
However, this sheer difficulty told me I was at least thinking in the right direction.
Indeed... After Earth's Hunters reached a certain level, it would be time to go to other worlds. The Hunters would begin stealing their resources and taking their techniques for our own. It was a full-on counter-invasion. Moreover, these Divine Branches were likely why this other world had an abundance of mana.
This was also a good explanation for why no one else on Earth had discovered other Divine Branches.
"Hmmm,"
First, it was the term, <World System>, and now it was the search for Divine Branches. Each time I encountered these mundane-looking sticks, I unearthed unbelievable truths.
...Truths I could not peer into, not because I lacked mana, but because my instincts told me to avoid them at all costs.
In a sense, they were a veil for the true realities I would have to encounter eventually.
***
Because of these revelations, I wanted more talents and abilities. Four <Traits > at level 1 wasn't enough. If a genius would Awaken a <Trait > every ten levels, I wanted at least ten for each level instead.
I needed more.
More.
More...
More!
"Hahahaha!"
"—Young Master,"
I nearly choked, hearing someone call to me.
Stifling my laughter, I took a deep breath and coughed.
"Owen," I opened the window to my carriage. "What's the matter?"
"We've arrived."
Judisc City.
A city in the far Eastern regions of the kingdom of Leisha. It was the kingdom's Eastern hub for adventurers, merchants, and people seeking to make it big.
Unlike the capital with its peaceful, immoveable presence and secretive schemes in the shadows, Judisc was a tumultuous region where chaos revealed itself in broad daylight.
It was a place full of opportunities.
If we could liken the <Grand City of Laquer> to the land of the final boss where riches and the powerful slept, Judisc City was a place where people of all levels and walks of life could gather and conduct trades, fight in duels, form guilds, and take on daunting quests.
Judisc felt more alive than Laquer could ever be.
"Owen," I opened the window, "Do you have any enemies from here?"
"Sir? Uh, I do not think so, however, there are many here who aren't fond of the capital's knights."
I could feel malicious intent directed at us from very vague locations. From what I could tell, it was the malice of corruption.
It was like having a guillotine over your head when you looked at someone powerful straight in the eye.
With the powerful guards that escorted me and the carriage that I rode in, it was clear that I was a walking target to them.
My presence was either a great opportunity... Or juicy prey.
"Hm?"
***
Frowning, Aventine activated his gift. His senses spread invisibly all around him, enveloping the entire city. His mind was like a net, and within this radius, he was nigh-omniscient.
"The <Blacksmith's 'Intradermal' Needles> is in this city..."
It seemed like someone, somehow, had discovered the artifact he was after without his knowledge. Looking deeper into things, this person had found it only a few days ago, rushing back to Judisc to sell it.
"Afla Heudis?"
A girl who was only slightly older than Aventine. With plain brown hair and dark brown eyes, freckles scattered across her cheeks, and features that spelled 'mundane' out loud, she blended perfectly within human society.
However...
"What is a demon doing here?"
Aventine's eyes flashed. A sinister smile appeared on his lips as he looked around the city.
There were four more demons, three of similar age to Afla, and one who was a few centuries old. They all acted separately. However, from the lingering traces of their aura, they seemed to convene every so often.
"It seems like I need to set up a few... traps,"
Aventine couldn't help but laugh as he munched on a newly baked cookie.
***
Word of the latest Walvaskaz-bound caravan had reached the keen ears of Judisc's merchants. More importantly, the fact that a rich and powerful noble was among them, accompanied by high-ranking adventurers and an entourage of knights in shining armor, was making waves.
"This is an opportunity!"
Many would exclaim with bloodshot eyes, greedy for the noble's gold.
"Sir Alvs!"
A door was slammed open in haste.
Crashing into a well-decorated room filled with golden trinkets and beast skins, was a young man with passion written all over his face. The shine in his eyes screamed excitement.
Alvs was a middle-aged merchant who had built up a kingdom in this bustling city of competition. He was one of Judisc's richest and most powerful merchants, capable of moving an army of adventurers with a few bags of gold.
"I've come to report!" The young man cried out, "He's rich!"
"Oho~?" Alvs snickered, "How rich?"
"Filthy rich, Sir. His stench could buy the city!"
Alvs was stunned.
It was no wonder his secretary was acting like that. It turned out that the noble in the caravan wasn't some big fish.
He was a whale.
However, Alvs was not one to be discouraged. Even if people with such wealth were also tied to many dangerous powers, if there was money to be gained, then there was money to be gained. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Johnson, prepare the goods and the carriages! I'll have to visit this esteemed lord myself!"
