It was a somewhat peculiar experience for Han Bei to walk through the Scavenger plains after all that has happened. He stepped through the shining green grass and passed the ruins of century-old wrecks and felt a weird sense of liberation. It wasn't like the path was suddenly safe. Han Bei was still forced to take several detours around nests of troublesome undead and packs of mad beasts. He was still on Myris.
But now there was no malevolent gaze locked on to him at all times, no bony hand ready to fall on him at any moment. Han Bei felt like a great weight had been removed from his shoulders and as liberating as it was he couldn't help but be a little bit worried. " I never want to repeat the shit-show that went down with the Skeleton manor, " of that he was sure.
" Yet I know that I'm a simple animal, I need a goal to chase, one that's in front of my eyes, otherwise I might lose focus and never reach those distant lofty goals. " It was worrisome thought, but one that didn't demand his immediate attention, his surroundings on the other hand... Han Bei couldn't help but snort, " How Heaven would laugh if some undead thing gobbled my soul while I dream of the distant future. " He shook his head and continued on his way with great care and attention to his surroundings.
There were almost no roads that ran through the Scavenger plains, for none were foolish enough to pave them. Always there were horrors that constantly moved around and always they destroyed any semblance of order. There were those that tried to oppose what most considered the norm, but their end was rarely pretty.
" Finally here, " he thought as he arrived and the distant golden light of the city grew closer. It was a rather lengthy but mostly uneventful trip, only made lengthier by Han Bei's unwillingness to approach the Wailing forest.
The only road that Han Bei had seen in Scavenger plains, on Myris began on the outskirts of Last light city. Among the sea of tents and faulty huts that reeked of rot, where those that were either too weak or too poor lived. Han Bei emotionlessly walked past the Cows with their shiny teeth that silently begged by the side of the road.
Once he entered the city proper Han Bei squinted his eyes. " The damn light is much worse than I remembered. " But one thing that stayed just as he remembered was the messy layout of the city, where each structure was haphazardly placed, giving little care to the pathways between them. As if the owners of the houses cared for nothing but their own property. It was a damn maze, and traversing through the cities narrow paths with something other than your own 2 feet was nothing but a dream.
Han Bei held no illusions about finding anything on his own, he needed a guide. Thankfully, just for that reason, there were Cows that loitered around the entrance of the city. A bit healthier, and with more meat on their bones they were more pleasant to the eye than their brethren in the outer city. It didn't take long for Han Bei to find a guide with a shining green smile that lead him through the city.
And guided he was. He watched with no small amount of respect as a youth no older than 16 led him through countless narrow walkways, that seemed to branch out at random without any signs or other indicators where any of the paths ended up. The guide merrily shared a small secret with Han Bei that many of the paths purposefully lead up to dead ends, for the sake of punishing arrogant newcomers that believe they could navigate through Last light all on their own. Of course, it wasn't a problem for those with sufficient spirit sense, that can cover large distances with their sixth sense.
Still, Han Bei couldn't help but shake his hade with a wry smile. " Even in a place where you can't hurt people, you find other ways to screw others over. " The young man blushed as he mistook Han Bei's words for a compliment. It wasn't, but Han Bei knew better than to ruin the mood of his guide.
After an hour the guide happily received half a spirit stone as compensation while Han Bei stood before a market. It was the greatest amount of open space and the greatest amount of people he had seen in this messy, clusterfuck of a city. He was located at the southern end of a marketplace where the narrow city pathway ended and transformed into a wide-open square.
It stretched out in front of him for around 2 kilometers and at the other end, he saw several other narrow city roads similar to the one he just exited. Both to his left and right there was a forest of uniform black tents that ran from one end of the market to the other, while a 100 souls mingled with each other between them. The square was nothing like the miserly city roads, there was enough space here for 5 burly men to walk shoulder to shoulder.
Han Bei's black cloak billowed as he walked through the market and for the first time he used the special ability of the weak rank 1 spirit treasure. The black cloak made him less noticeable as he stared at his surroundings. " Had the old thing been with me he'd probably call me a country pumpkin again. " Han Bei knew that, he was aware of how he looked, but he still stared.
Eye-catching Dark Fae with graceful figures and sky blue skin bartered with scantly clad beast born with tall and lanky bodies, that resembled a mix of a man and a bat. Man and woman covered from head to toe in bizarre tattoos of vicious bugs sold massive insects like centipedes the length of a grown man and spiders the size of a toddler. Tall mutants with skins of iron and hands of steel sold bloodthirsty weapons while pale cultivators clothed in black and surrounded by a foul stench of death traded dead flesh.
Han Bei allowed himself a few more seconds of wonder and horror before he adjusted to the many of the bizarre sights and went on his way. " I'm not here just to sightsee, " he reminded himself.
He went from tent to tent and looked at the many bizarre wares and their sellers. While the tents on both sides of the market were placed in neat rows, there was no rhyme or reason to their contents, and more than once he had seen shop vendors argue with one another while their vares tried to eat each other, the restriction on violence apparently limited only to humanoids.
" It's almost endearing how little care they have for one another, " Han Bei thought as he was forced to go through every tent. Among many, he found a staggering amount of corpses, but the more he saw the less shocked he became, and little by little he got used to his surroundings.
After disdainfully looking at a certain tent that sold formations tools he finally found what he was looking for. He approached a sleepy man clothed in a black robe that sat on his ass and lazily watched as people passed by. In front of him, he had a green blanket upon which several books and scrolls were placed.
Han Bei gave a polite nod to the man and while the lazy man didn't speak he returned the gesture. Han Bei didn't waste time with small talk and crouched down to inspect the wares. Quickly he found what he wanted. " How much for this? " Han Bei asked while his finger hovered over a thin book. The imprint on it read evil spirit art.
The sleepy man thought for a while before he answered, " 400 spirit stones." Han Bei grimaced as he quickly flipped through the thin book. " That's too much the manual is obviously incomplete. " The sleepy man sighed as he slowly spoke, " Good fellow, if it were complete would I sell it so casually. Even an incomplete manual that deals with ghosts is worth a lot." Han Bei argued, " It's barely a manual, but more a loose collection of a few techniques with no actual cultivation guidance whatsoever, and no methods to capture or contain ghosts. No matter how rare it cannot be worth more than 300. "
Han Bei saw the sleepy vendor hesitate, so he allowed the man time to think. The sleepy man finally came to a decision. " 325, I cannot give it away for anything less, brother." This price was much more pleasant to Han Bei. " Deal! ".The fact that Han Bei could refine and contain ghosts due to his physique was something he gladly kept to himself.
Both men took out and opened their bags of holding. The sleepy man held his spatial treasure firmly, while Han Bei tilted his to the side above it. A stream of star-like blue stones spilled from Han Bei's spirit treasure and became the property of another. Han Bei used his spirit sense and carefully observed his dwindling wealth and the moment 325 spirit stones were gone from his bag of holding the space inside became isolated once more.
The sleepy man happily weighed his spatial treasure in his hand even though its weight wouldn't change despite the change in its contents. " Good doing business with you brother. " Han Bei nodded and stood up ready to leave but before that, he asked, " Any place where whispers might gather, and I might inquire about the ones lost to the 4 winds? "
The sleepy man silently rubbed his chin in thought for a while. " If it's information that you want you should go to a tavern called the Grinning skeleton and ask for a Lecter Mann. " Han Bei raised an eyebrow at the unusual name but thought nothing of it. " Any directions, these streets are a Heaven damned mess. "
For the first time, a look of contempt appeared on the sleepy man's face. " Only the poor and the weak walk through the streets. Join a force and you may travel through the buildings, I can refer you if you wish. " Han Bei flatly answered, " Not interested. "
" Suit yourself, but if you want to find anything in this city you'll need a guide, " said the lazy man as his expression returned to that of bored indifference. Han Bei nodded his head in gratitude for the information and finally left the dark tent. He looked to both ends of the market where wide-open space turned back into narrow pathways. Once Han Bei strained his gaze it wasn't hard to find the malnourished inhabitants of the outer city that circled the entrance to the market like hungry sharks.
Before Han Bei left the market he went around some other tents and bought some knick-knacks. Things like records of the local plant and animal life, some basic talismans, and records of the undead. All in all, he spent around 10 additional spirit stones. " Now it's time to see what the grinning skeleton is all about, "
