Cornflower Witch

Chapter 299 Observations at Firestone Fortress

There are six roads leading deep into the Dark Mist Mountains, each traversing one of the six major gorges of the mountains, and each gorges is guarded by a forward outpost in the woodlands.

Previously, Siltia had visited places like 'Iron Cliff' and 'Dark Sand Valley', while the closest to Lantern Town was 'Firestone Fortress'.

After traveling for most of the day, Hilti arrived at Firestone Fortress before nightfall.

This place is much more lively than the town of Tilan. There are now more than 4,000 permanent residents here, which is double the number in the past.

The fortress was built of rock blocks, looking as if it had just been taken out of lava, and it had a dark red color. As you approached the fortress, you could feel the temperature rise considerably.

Passing through the towering city gate, Hilti's gaze swept over the guards at the gate. These guards, clad in jet-black face armor, were all heavy armored warriors of the third-tier 'Castle' attribute. Compared to knights, they had lost their agile mobility and lacked the aura that knights bestowed upon their comrades. However, they gained far greater resistance, defense, and strength, which allowed them to withstand the charge of giant beasts head-on, like bridge piers in a raging river.

The streets inside the fortress are dark red and black, and most of the surrounding shops are also in a military fortress style, which can be taken down at any time and turned into archery fortresses.

There are many Tier 3 Woodland members here. They purchase local specialties such as gems, steel, and monster materials, and also sell some of the products they have discovered in the Dark Abyss.

"I cut this tail off the 'Heartpiercer Demon.' That guy was incredibly strong; I almost died at its hands. Its tail must be very valuable." A third-tier warrior held the still somewhat vibrant blood-red tail and showed it to his companions.

The tail had delicate red scales, and the end of the tail seemed to have a bony structure, forming a heart shape. In actual use, this tail was very similar to a flail.

"Okay, okay, stop shaking it. The blood is dripping onto me." A companion waved his hands repeatedly to refuse.

"Next time, let's go check out the 'Howling Cave.' It's said that an ancient tomb was discovered there. I think there must be a lot of valuable things there. If we can find any lost ancient secret techniques, we can give them to the Woodland and get a huge amount of points and rewards in return."

"I've been eyeing advanced meditation techniques for a long time, but my current meditation methods can no longer improve my mental strength."

"Ah, I also want to get a stronger weapon, so it will be more convenient for whatever I do in the future," his companion chimed in.

As they spoke, the three-person team walked past Hilti.

Are these the Tier 3 trainees in the woods? Hilti recalled that in the previous settlement, it seemed that there were very few trainees above Tier 3. Even if there were, they were mostly middle-aged or elderly members with stable strength and focused on their duties. Young Tier 3 trainees were extremely rare.

It turns out they all gathered in the border outposts where they could gain more experience and resources, which explains why they are rarely seen in the heartland 'Golden Plain'.

Upon arriving at the inn inside the fortress, Hiltiya settled down for the time being.

That night, instead of going to her room to sleep immediately, she sat in the living room on the first floor, listening to everyone chatting about all sorts of interesting things. Although there was a lot of boasting involved, these stories of adventure in the Dark Abyss broadened Hilti's horizons.

"Hey, lovely lady, are you alone? How about joining our team?" As Hilti sat in the corner, holding her hot milk and listening to everyone chat and brag, a thin, dark-skinned young man walked over, accompanied by two others.

Upon seeing this, Hilti sat up straight and raised her head.

"I'm alone, but I don't want to team up right now." The girl's soft and delicate voice came from under her hat, as refreshing and delightful as a delicious ice cream in the noisy environment.

"Wow, that voice is really nice." The skinny, dark-skinned young man exclaimed. His female companion rolled her eyes at him and then pulled him away.

"Sura, don't pull me! I haven't introduced myself yet. Hey, my name is Winnie, a free-spirited knight-errant. We'll get to know each other sometime, lovely lady~"

He struggled, his voice growing softer and softer, and after uttering his last lines, he disappeared at the top of the stairs on the second floor, apparently being pulled back to his room to rest by his companions. Passing this minor incident, Hiltiya realized from the discussions in the hall that the Abyss deep within the Dark Mist Mountains was now considerably more dangerous than before.

"Probably due to the influence of the storm season, there are significantly more monsters and anomalies inside now than in the past."

"We came back early this time to be more prepared, whether it's special tents for sleeping overnight, candles to light up the dark areas, or holy water for purification, we need more and better supplies."

"The difficulty is much higher than before, and some Tier 3 teams have started to fail."

"The Woodland Guild recommends that teams of at least five people should continue exploring."

"However, we've also discovered more resources. Last time, I found a 'Lightning Lizard' egg, which can hatch into a 'Tier 4 Lightning Lizard' hatchling. Just one egg sold for over 300 gold coins."

"Only 300 gold coins? Why don't you train it yourself?"

"That's not something an ordinary person can afford to raise. Although an adult individual is at the fourth level, it requires too much nutrition and resources to grow. I don't have the time and money to raise one myself."

"Okay," one of his companions muttered, and then the group continued their discussion.

Listening to everyone chatting, time passed quickly and it was already late at night. Even after midnight, the place was still lively, so Hilti decided not to listen anymore and went back to her room to sleep.

After a quick wash, the girl fell asleep on the soft, cozy cotton and linen bed.

The night passed peacefully.

The next day, Hiltiah found an old acquaintance at Firestone Fortress, namely Quartermaster Dickens. When she first established Lantern Town, she had signed a long-term trade contract with him. Lantern Town would provide extra food, while Firestone Fortress would supply Lantern Town with the fuel it needed.

The cooperation lasted for two years. Although they did not meet often, they communicated frequently by letter and occasionally included additional local specialties in their trade.

"Does Tia want to go to the Abyss? It's not safe there." Dickens was slightly surprised after learning of Hilti's intentions and prepared to dissuade her.

In the past two years, thanks to the establishment of Lantern Town, the food supply in Firestone Fortress has become exceptionally abundant, making his work much easier. If something were to happen to him, Lantern Town would definitely be affected, which would not be a good thing.

“I know, but I’ve made thorough preparations, and I won’t go to any overly dangerous areas,” Hiltia replied.

"I see..." Dickens pondered for a moment, then had someone bring a copy of the records from Firestone Fortress and handed it to the girl.

"Here are detailed records of the Abyss region outside Firestone Fortress. You should find them useful when you go there. There is also a special Radiant Orb here. If you encounter danger, you can activate it, and someone nearby will come to your rescue."

"Thank you." Hiltiya accepted the two items, then took the purchased adventure supplies, bid farewell to the acquaintance of Firestone Fortress, and headed towards the long canyon outside Firestone Fortress.

Beyond here lies the other side of the Dark Mist Mountains, a region deep within the Twilight Sea, a place untouched by sunlight and completely unknown to civilized society.

With a hint of anticipation, Hilti wondered what she might discover as she slowly disappeared into the dark mountain path.

(End of this chapter)