Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 200 The Dead Tree and the Town

The pitch-black slit, like a thin, vertical line, floated abruptly beside the dining table. As Ms. Jenny waved her hand as she spoke, the black line trembled slightly, as if it might dissipate at any moment. When the black line twisted, a distorted, murky area could be seen beyond the black edge, just like the thick soup that Aiskin and Big Fool Heng first cooked in Star City.

Ruger took a deep breath.

He could feel a faint sense of comfort emanating from the area on his back where his wings had been removed, as if he had gained an extra organ. This organ was better suited to the murky atmosphere behind the crevice, where the aura would make it more comfortable and then transmit it to the main body.

Ruger looked up at old Lenser, who was sitting comfortably at the table, hoping to glean some hints of his opinion, but all he saw was the old dog's satisfied expression.

Fortunately, the good uncle hadn't forgotten his furry nephew. Old Lenser quickly adjusted his expression, but the comfort he felt was undeniable, just like the worry in his eyes.

“By fusing with this thing, you’ve completed the registration and gained the identity of a Nightmare World Explorer. It will also neutralize your aura, preventing you from attracting too much attention from the Nightmare creatures. When entering the rift, if you can control it well, you can try to wrap your whole body with your wings. Each small box leaves a guide when it’s completed, which will lead you to the corresponding camp after you enter the rift,” Aunt Jenny said.

"Then, how do I get back?"

Ruger asked the question that concerned him most.

“Each camp will initiate an interdimensional teleportation periodically, adorable little Rug, and the costs will be borne by the Supreme Council.” Aunt Jenny spoke like a gentle elder.

“Can we wait a little longer? At least let this kid become a level five wizard apprentice…” Old Lunser said.

Jenny's expression turned serious, and she glared at the old dog with displeasure.

She corrected him very seriously: "One thing you must do when training the next generation of wizards is not to think about preparing everything. Such preparation is endless and will only stop the lovely little Ruger from becoming a great wizard. Those noble families with long-standing traditions can never stand at the top of the wizarding world because the survival of the family does not allow them to take risks. Although they may lose some geniuses from time to time, that is far from enough."

After Jenny finished speaking, she looked at Ruger gently.

"The little thing needs to return to its proper place as soon as possible after leaving the box so that it can better integrate and grow," she said.

Ruger nodded, feeling the wonderful comfort coming from his back.

Old Lenser wanted to say something more.

As Luger nodded, he felt a powerful suction coming from the gap beside him, and his body was instantly propelled forward uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a murky light filled his vision, a swirling mix of gray, white, and black. He remembered what Ms. Jenny had said, and with a thought, he used his clumsy wings to cover his entire body, managing to suppress an urge to vomit.

Ruger observed everything around him through his wings.

The feeling of these wings is wonderful. When you think about touching them, they feel real and tangible, but when you want to put them away, they seem unreal.

Ruger imagined choosing three gifts. Since it was a trial, choosing the small scroll with the mark of the Holy Judge Wizard might be safer.

The nightmare world doesn't sound like a benevolent place.

Luger felt solid ground beneath his feet, finally escaping the murky landscape.

He steadied himself and looked back.

A gap was slowly closing behind me.

Before him lay a small town shrouded in mist, which looked no different from the normal world. There was a towering tower in the town, with a large black bell that was faintly visible on it. Just by looking at it, one could imagine the deep sound of the bell.

He kept his wings covering him for a moment before walking toward the town.

Is this the Nightmare World?
Ruger's first impression of the place was its quietness.

Utter silence.

He stood outside the town, his feet sinking into a carpet of tiny pebbles, and could hear nothing but the sound of his own footsteps.

Looking up, although the dome of the underground city was not visible, the sky was still obscured by the pervasive fog.

Ruger strolled to the edge of town.

The town has no walls, only rows of houses.

A crooked tree stood at the entrance to the main road leading to the town. The bark on its trunk was bare, as if it were dead. There were a few dark green grasses growing close to the roots of the tree. This was the only plant that Ruger had seen along the way.

Ruger took a step forward, but stopped before even entering the town. A campfire was burning under a barkless, withered tree, and a young man was fiddling around it, seemingly cooking food.

Ruger was certain that he hadn't seen anyone under the tree before.

He tried taking two steps back, and when he looked again, the person and the fire had indeed disappeared.

He took two more steps forward, and the man by the campfire reappeared in his sight, having even started grilling meat.

"New here?"

The man fiddled with the fire, speaking without turning his head.

Ruger raised an eyebrow. The Nightmare World was quite an interesting place; the voice of this person sounded somewhat familiar.

The town was now in sight, but there was not a soul in sight on the main road or in any part of the town.

Ruger hesitated for a moment, then strode toward the town.

Since Ms. Jenny said that the wings would naturally guide him to the camp on the other side of the crevice, and that leaving the Nightmare World would also require the camp's help, he had no choice but to make this trip.

"I advise you not to be reckless..."

The man by the campfire kept his back to Luger as he busied himself, but it didn't seem to stop him from observing the world and offering his honest opinions.

Luger stopped again.

His eyes darted around, and he said, "Sir, haven't we met somewhere before?"

He hadn't planned to strike up a conversation rashly. The Nightmare World was a strange and bizarre place in his eyes, and the other person was also strangely elusive.

The man turned around after hearing this.

It was an unexpectedly familiar face, and the face looked him up and down with a puzzled expression.

"You... you've grown taller?" the flame man said.

When we last met, Ruger hadn't yet become a dragonborn kobold.

“After leaving the City of Mystery, I have been missing your culinary skills,” Ruger nodded happily. “Let’s get to know each other again. You can call me Ruger.”

"Leiden, Leiden Nunez."

The Flame Man gestured for Luger to come and sit down.

Luger's smile remained unchanged, but he hesitated slightly in his steps.

"Don't worry, I'm not a nightmare monster."

As he spoke, Flame Man Raiden raised his left hand to show it. A mouth split open in the middle of his palm, but as his mental energy surged, some tiny runes appeared around the mouth, just like the scene Rugger saw when he crushed the box. This mouth in his palm should be the thing Raiden fused together.

Even as the two were talking, Leiden did not forget to keep his eyes on the campfire in front of him.

Luger walked toward the withered tree.

As he approached, his vision began to change. The withered tree remained withered, but it became exceptionally tall, with several wooden houses perched on its branches.

Is this the camp? Ruger wondered.

What is that town outside?

"Lord Leiden, how many wizards are currently in the camp?"

Ruger walked a considerable distance before reaching the tree, which was much farther than it appeared from the outside.

“Yesterday there were five, and it seems there were more a long time ago, but I wasn’t here then. Today there’s one,” Leiden said, shrugging. “But now there are two.”

(End of this chapter)