boyutpedia Chapter 90 [An Unpayable Reward and a New Future]
Chapter 90 [An Unpayable Reward and a New Future]
The morning after the battle ended was overcast.
The sun was obscured by thick clouds, and its faint light lazily spilled onto the ravaged village.
The screams and monster roars of last night have all faded away.
The scorched, blackened earth, corroded by acid, was still emitting wisps of smoke.
Broken weapons, shattered wooden shields, and collapsed tents were scattered everywhere.
Several tribal women were silently clearing away the ruins, carefully collecting anything still usable.
They moved very quietly, as if afraid of disturbing something.
The four-person team stood in front of the shed, feeling out of place.
They became a strange center in the tribe.
No one approached them.
A naked child peeked out from behind the tent, curiously observing them.
When Li Yao gave him a friendly smile, the child shrank back in fear.
In the distance, several wounded soldiers wanted to step forward to express their gratitude.
But after taking a few steps, he hesitated and stopped, pulled by his companions.
Wang Xuan understood this estrangement, and they saved the tribe.
But they also became the biggest source of fear for this tribe.
At that moment, the crowd parted automatically.
Terra and Kahn walked toward them, one after the other.
Terra remained as composed as ever, but the weariness between her brows was undeniable.
Kahn kept his head down, and no one could see the expression on his face. His grip on his weapon stripped away the disguise.
The two stopped ten steps away from the four-person team.
An awkward silence spread between the two.
Terra spoke first.
"The tribe...thank you."
"Without you, we would all have become food for those monsters last night."
After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the four people, performing the most solemn salute in the tribe.
Behind him, Kahn's body stiffened for a moment, and finally, very reluctantly, he also lowered his proud head.
"You saved us and deserve the highest level of reward." Terra straightened up, her expression extremely solemn.
"I, in the name of the tribal leader, make this promise."
"The fifty strongest warriors of the tribe will become your most loyal servants; their lives and glory belong to you."
"The thirty healthiest and most beautiful women in the tribe will continue your lineage and ensure that your powerful bloodline flows through this land."
"And all the cattle, sheep, hides, and grain of the tribe shall now belong to you."
This practically emptied the tribe's coffers, offering up everything they considered most precious: military strength, reproduction, and survival resources.
They looked at Terra's sincere face, and then at the tribal villagers beside her with their complex expressions.
In the values of these indigenous peoples, this is the highest payment they can imagine.
However, these things, which they valued more than life itself, were viewed differently by the four players...
worthless.
Chen Kai even subconsciously exchanged a glance with Wang Xuan, his eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
Slaves? In a world where annihilation could happen at any moment, leading a group of burdens is tantamount to suicide.
To continue the lineage? They don't even know where their own tomorrow will be.
Cattle and sheep? What they need is equipment capable of taking down monsters weighing hundreds of kilograms, not whole roasted lambs weighing only a few dozen kilograms.
"Are you... not satisfied?" Terra's voice carried a hint of despair.
He assumed that these unfathomable "divine messengers" refused because they hadn't offered enough.
But the tribe has nothing left.
"No." Wang Xuan stepped forward, shaking his head with a smile.
"You've misunderstood, leader. Your reward is so generous that it's beyond our means."
He glanced at Ai Jia, who seemed lost in thought, beside him.
"You don't understand our strength, just as we don't understand why a warrior's bravery can be used as a bargaining chip."
Wang Xuan paused, then became serious.
"Therefore, we do not want your cattle and sheep, we do not want your soldiers, and we do not want your people."
"We only need one thing."
Terra and Kahn both looked up, their eyes filled with confusion.
"We need information," Wang Xuan said, enunciating each word clearly.
"We want to know the full picture of this land; we need a map, a map as detailed as possible of all the known areas of this continent."
"We also want to know all the legends and records about those three ascended ancient gods."
"In particular, regarding the [Artisan's Sacred Mountain] in the north, the [Eternal Blackfire] in the south, and the [Arcane Tome] in the east."
Terra's face showed a look of shock.
He never expected that the reward these strangers with unfathomable powers would demand was merely these vague and unfounded stories.
But for him, this was undoubtedly the best outcome.
"I understand." Terra let out a long sigh of relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders.
He turned and whispered a few words to an older tribal shaman.
Soon, the shaman respectfully handed Terra a scroll wrapped tightly in animal hide.
"What is recorded here is everything that has been passed down orally from the ancestors of the tribe and measured by foot."
Terra solemnly handed the rolled-up animal skin to Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan opened it.
An ancient, dusty smell wafted over.
It was a map made from the tanned hide of some kind of wild animal, its edges worn, and rough mountains, rivers and forests drawn on it with mineral powder of different colors.
Though simple, a vast world unfolds on this animal skin.
"We are in the Central Valley." Terra pointed her finger at a blank area in the center of the map.
"Go north, beyond the Weeping Mountains, and you'll find the steel city-states of the dwarves."
His finger moved north, where a smoking volcano and a hammer were drawn.
"The dwarves possess the most advanced forging skills on the continent, and they worship the ascended god of forging; the [Sacred Mountain of Craftsmen] is said to stand at the deepest part of their kingdom, the ultimate holy land for all craftsmen."
"There you'll find the strongest armor and the sharpest weapons."
Upon hearing this, Chen Kai's eyes flickered slightly.
Terra's finger moved eastward, where a vast forest and a ruined spire were depicted.
"Going east, you'll find the Misty Forest; in its heart lie ancient ruins left by the elves; it's said that the goddess of wisdom comprehended the true essence of magic there; the elusive 'Arcane Tome' is hidden somewhere among those ruins, waiting for someone who can unlock its secrets."
Ai Jia and Li Yao's eyes were drawn to it simultaneously.
Finally, Terra pointed her finger to the vast southern wilderness.
The only sign there was a gaping maw burning with black flames.
"The South is a forbidden land."
"Countless monsters, forged in the Eternal Black Flame, worship the Lord of the Abyss. Those who go there will either be devoured or... transformed into even more terrifying monsters."
That concludes the introduction.
Wang Xuan put away the map. He looked at his three companions, and they all understood one thing.
This small valley tribe, this beginner village, has had all its quests and resources completely exploited by them.
To resolve the crisis of the backlash from the [Seed of Chaos] and to gain greater power, they must leave this place.
To go to a wider, and more dangerous world.
That afternoon, under the complex gazes of all the tribe members, the four-person team packed their bags and left the village.
They stepped out of the tribal enclosure and stood at the crossroads leading to the unknown world.
The team experienced its first real disagreement about the direction.
"We must go north," Chen Kai was the first to speak.
He patted the simple animal hide armor he was wearing.
"Our current equipment is practically nonexistent. We could be wiped out by just one elite monster. Without a good set of gear, we won't even make it a hundred miles."
Wang Xuan nodded in agreement.
"That's what I mean too. The Craftsman's Sacred Mountain sounds like a huge equipment dungeon. What we lack most right now is immediate combat power. We need to arm ourselves first before we can think about anything else."
"I object," Ai Jia pushed up her glasses and calmly retorted.
"Equipment is external; it can be replaced at any time. But the [Seed of Chaos] within us is the fundamental problem! It's like a ticking time bomb that's getting hungrier and hungrier!"
Her gaze shifted to Li Yao, whose face was somewhat pale.
"Li Yao can't suppress it forever. We must find a way to control it as soon as possible, instead of pinning our hopes on a few pieces of armor. Since the Arcane Codex is the source of knowledge, the answer is most likely to be hidden there."
"I...I also want to go to the East." Li Yao, who had been silent all along, mustered her courage. "I can feel that thing...is becoming more and more active. I'm scared."
The four people split into two factions.
A cold wind blew across the three-way intersection, stirring up the dust on the ground.