239 Chapter 239. Small Blessings

Hearing Zolaya's words, Oyuun raised her head to look at her savior. She turned around but didn't leave her lover's arms.

Smiling kindly, Michael waited patiently for the woman to gather her thoughts. After all she'd been through, there was no reason to rush her.

Finally, he heard her take a deep breath, and her eyes looked less confused compared to before.

[There's an old escape tunnel. The entrance is in the caverns nearby, behind an alcove marked with the Overseer's Cross.](Oyuun)

Michael could pinpoint the general location by opening his MAP and sharing the interface with the woman.

[Twin sabers joined at the hilt. Press the left pommel to open the way.](Oyuun)

[Cavenrs... hmm, could be worse.](Lorath)

"Ignore him. Thank you for your help."

Zolaya finally released the woman from her embrace and prepared the saddle on the horse. Then, jumping atop, she pulled Oyuun up, too.

Before leaving, the woman turned back to Michael.

[Wanderer?](Oyuun)

"Hmm?"

[Thank you. Take care of yourself.](Oyuun)

"You both do the same. You can contact me through Teckrin in Ked Bardu if you need anything. She has my contact details."

[Will do. Thank you, Michael! *Clicking* Let's go, girl! Hyah!](Zolaya)

Watching the duo depart from the city that caused them much mental harm, the Necromancer sighed and turned to see a pondering Lorath.

[Hmm... I think that was the merchant's horse. Best not to tell him.](Lorath)

"..."

Hearing the words, Michael decided to 'donate' 10,000 gold coins to ensure an angry merchant wouldn't pursue the duo to the ends of Sanctuary in revenge for his beloved stolen horse.

Chuckling, Lorath turned to look at him with a curious expression, not hiding at all his scrutinizing gaze.

[You know, when we first met, I assumed this connection you have e with Lilith would lead you to darkness, as it has Elias.](Lorath)

"And now?"

[Well... after the good you've done here, maybe I was wrong. We shall see...](Lorath)

Following behind the ex-Horadrim, Michael smiled and shook his head. Glancing at the pocket watch, he realized it had been about two hours since he had infiltrated Guulrahn.

He was able to find the general layout of the city and see the city gates.

Beatrice also 'called back' to ask him how he infiltrated the city. He told her about the ladder, which prompted her to forget about asking him to open the city gates on their behalf.

Now, after passing the details about the passage through the old prison wing, where they could infiltrate much more easily, the woman decided to properly plan out the attack rather than hastily throw lives away.

[We'll still attack today, so make sure you leave the area before 6-7 p.m. since we plan to attack closer to nighttime. That way, we can save more people and catch them off guard.](Beatrice)

"Do you think so? I just created a mess by saving the people in the prison. Wouldn't they be alerted by this?"

[It's precisely because of that that they'll drop their guards. With you gone, they'll think everyone escaped, and they're safe for the time being. We'll clean the city by midnight and return it to its people.](Beatrice)

Michael didn't say anything stupid about joining in. Since Beatrice was planning an attack, the main force was sure to be comprised of high-level Wanderers.

Once they take the field, the Sanctuary can no longer restrict the levels of those deemed as enemies, and he would have to deal with cannibals that might be Level 80 or higher.

[ Main Quest complete - Small Blessings

Reward 1: 33,792 experience points

Reward 2: 2,600 gold coins. ]

Lorath had also finished examining the area they were supposed to go through and directly used a portal to travel there, leaving behind a baffled Necromancer.

The only words Michael heard were to meet him at the Offal Pits, the name of the location marked by Oyuun.

[ Main Quest issued - Whispers from the Past

Objective: Meet with Lorath at the entrance to the Offal Pits. ]

Shrugging, he summoned his mount and traveled back to the caves where he found Lorath and Zolaya earlier this morning - the Hidden Overlook.

With the addition of those he saved, they were much more densely packed than before. He sighed in relief, seeing how everyone he pointed to the ladder successfully escaped, inwardly surprised at how resilient the makeshift thing was.

'They lack food and protection in case the cannibals find this place. Just because Elias closed the city gates doesn't mean everyone will sit inside and listen to him. There's also the threat of monsters coming from outside the city to attack them. *Sigh* Let's mention this to Beatrice as well.'

Adding even more trouble to the woman's plate, he informed her of the general situation, and she immediately dispatched a large group of Wanderers to escort everyone to Ked Bardu.

Since it was the biggest city, only it could house these many guests without affecting the residents. Unfortunately, it was a long distance away since even Michael chose to come here through Nostrava rather than travel from Ked Bardu.

"...so a large group of Wanderers is headed this way. They'll bring supplies for the distance you must travel, such as food, tents, and other things. You only need to follow them; they'll escort you to Ked Bardu. You'll be provided housing there until you decide what to do next."

Learning from a certain ex-Horadrim, he immediately left after saying his piece. Finding the despondent merchant whose horse was stolen by the duo, he told him to find Teckrin in Ked Bardu and that the woman would lend him 10,000 gold coins to start a new business.

Hearing about how he had to repay him in ten years, the merchant cried tears of happiness, but the Necromancer immediately shied away from the man's passionate embrace.

After all, he would rather receive such 'gifts' from the women in the Pink Palace rather than stinky middle-aged men.

Teckrin happily agreed after hearing Michael say that she would earn a commission of 2,000 gold coins from this.

'Hehe! Enjoy the small pocket change. I'll soon turn you into my personal library, as well as my key contact in Ked Bardu.'

Laughing inwardly at his evil plans, he opened his MAP and set a marker for the Offal Pits where Lorath was expecting him.

If everything went well, he would deal with the mess in Dry Steppes today and, hopefully, prevent that madman Elias from summoning a Lesser Evil.

'Hmm... the location is not very far from here. Kind of makes sense since we're trying to find a way inside the royal palace. The only question is, how late are we? Based on what the survivors said, Elias messed with Guulrahn four days ago. This adds to the timeline of the fall of Orbey Monastery, meaning that he had a general idea of what he needed already and only got the exact recipe after raiding the Forbidden Archives.'

Michael sighed and could only hope the situation remained somewhat containable. Otherwise, he might just say 'fuck it!' and call in the big guns to join the fray.

As for what the 'nukes' were, it was obviously the Wanderer Representatives and their top powerhouses. The only reason why the Sanctuary didn't want to take this route and used him and other lower-level Wanderers was because, at that point, all gloves would be off, and even if they won, it would be a phyric victory for Sanctuary.

'So, in the end, I can only shut up and let myself be used. It's not like I'm not getting anything out of this. The preferential treatment hasn't been only related to crap I've been getting myself into. From Martel's training array to Hoduin's pill giving me more attribute points per level, to the items I found and the luck I've been having with Quests and overall leveling up... *Sigh* Let's count this as paying back the Sanctuary, so I don't end up in its debt.'

Redirecting his mount toward the Offal Pits, the Necromancer prepared for another shitstorm to hit him hard.

It didn't matter in the end. As long as he survived, he would get over the mental anguish!

[I have to find the ring... but how to get there? Oh!? Excuse me... sir! Please wait a moment!](?)

Just as he was preparing to leave, a man quickly jumped in front of his horse, startling the animal.

Quickly pulling on the reins, Michael looked strangely at the man below. Judging by the blue exclamation mark above his head, he was here to deliver a Side Quest.

"Do you need something?"

[Ah, yes! My name is Ulagan. I was devastated to hear my uncle perished in Guulrahn...](Ulagan)

Rolling his eyes and adding mentally, 'And now you are no longer grieving?' he patiently waited for the man to finish recounting his mandatory backstory.

[But he always told me I would inherit his ring, should anything happen to him. I'm afraid I am of little use defending myself, but... if you could take me to search the ruins in Desolation Reach, I'd be most grateful.](Ulagan)

"Desolation Reach? That sounds familiar... is it near Jirandai by any chance?"

[Yes, yes, it is! My family used to have a home there, and he buried it for safekeeping. Bit of a paranoid old man, really... *Sigh* Now, I want to keep my word to him, but I'm afraid I'd become monster food by going out alone.](Ulagan)

"Hmm... Can you reach Jirandai by yourself?"

[Yes. As unfortunate as it might sound, I am a Wanderer myself. Is just that... I am not mentally equipped with the skills needed to face the monsters and demons lurking in the wilderness. So, I am still at Level 4 after all these years. I can follow the escorts bringing us to Ked Bardu and travel to Jirandai with the Waypoint from there.](Ulagan)

"Good. Let's do it like that then. For now, go to Ked Bardu and stay in the accommodations they offer. I will come to find you after I am done with my current Quest tomorrow around noon. How does it sound?"

[Excellent! Oh, thank you! I do hope it's still there. It would mean so much to me...](Ulagan)

Rolling his eyes again at the man, he accepted the Side Quest and left before someone else pestered him with more crap to do.

[ Side Quest issued - Sentimental Value

Objective: Speak with Ulagan in Ked Bardu

Description: having lost his Uncle in the fall of Guulrahn, a man named Ulagan hopes to recover the heirloom his Uncle once promised to him, hidden for safekeeping in Desolation's Reach. ]

He was a bit curious about this ring since even if it were of sentimental value, as the name of the Quest implies, nobody would cross the wilderness filled with monsters for a mere memento of an Uncle.

Taking this chance, he also inspected the details of his Main Quest, curious to see if the Sanctuary added anything interesting in the description.

[ Main Quest issued - Whispers from the Past

Objective: Meet with Lorath at the entrance to the Offal Pits

Description: You must travel through caverns to find the old escape tunnel Oyuun described. If you can find it, it should lead you into the Tyrant's palace and to Elias. ]

Raising an eyebrow at the word 'should,' Michael prayed that they wouldn't waste their time today catching spiderwebs with their faces through some old tunnels, only to be led by the nose once again by Elias.

'Fortunately, I have my minions to catch the spiderwebs for me. *Sigh* Let's get moving before Lorath loses his patience and goes in without me.'

The Quest Marker was west of the Hidden Overlook, next to a large crevice leading into a deep canyon below.

Lorath was impatiently walking back and forth, glaring at the Necromancer as soon as he dismounted.

"Okay, okay! I know I'm late, but unlike you, I couldn't just leave those poor people to their fate. I arranged for someone to come and get them. Is this the tunnel?"

[Mhm. While you were in the city, I was thinking about Elias's plans - which of the Lesser Evils he means to summon. What he did to Guulrahn is a clue.](Lorath)

"Drowning a city in blood and suffering..."

[Meaning that his goal is likely Durier or Andariel.](Lorath)

"I remember reading your letter about them, but what's the major difference between the two?"

[Duriel feeds off physical pain. Andariel revels in mental and emotional torment.](Lorath)

"There has been plenty of pain in the city, both emotional and physical."

[*Sigh* Whichever one it is, if Elias succeeds, many more cities will share Guulrahn's fate. Our only hope is he hasn't completed the summoning yet.](Lorath)

"Let's get moving then. I'll have my minions scout the way ahead."

Summoning his minions to lead the way, Michael kept quiet as Lorath considered in detail which of the two Lesser Evils they might end up facing against.

Preparing for the worst wasn't a sign of paranoia and early lunacy in Sanctuary. It was a virtuous trait of those capable of surviving! 

[Oyuun said the tunnel is in a hidden alcove.](Lorath)

"Don't call me illiterate, but what's an alcove?"

[It's an opening carved in a wall to resemble a room of sorts. Given the nature of these tunnels, it should be hidden deeper inside. Let's move.](Lorath)

Once again, the tunnels weren't completely empty, as Plague Maggots, swarms of flies, and Ghouls assaulted them every now and then.

However, their overall numbers were on the lower end. Annoyed by them, Lorath smashed over twenty with a swing of his polearm, making Michael curse at the shameless old man making him deal with the mess so far.