Chapter Nineteen: The Camp of Carlos

The next morning, the residents of Rockstead awoke as usual. They remained unaware of the strange events in the night sky and the impact these might have had on them; their attention was instead captured by two official notices.

The first was a wanted notice for the Red Dragon Swordswoman, Sivana. Sivana had not only slain nobles in Blackstone City but had also decimated most of the local knighthood here in Rockstead, committing unforgivable crimes of staggering magnitude. Her actions had inflicted disastrous consequences on both Blackstone City and the knighthood; her bounty had soared to thirty thousand gold coins. Many bounty hunters had already formed teams and flocked to Rockstead, eager to hunt down this lucrative quarry. Even if one failed to kill Sivana, simply providing useful information to the knights would earn a fitting reward.

Chu Yun was tempted, but considering the woman’s formidable strength, he doubted he was fit for such perilous work. Besides, finding Sivana would be no easy task.

The second notice, though important, paled in comparison to the massive bounty of the first and received less attention. Glancing at it as he met Pike at the town gate, Chu Yun saw it was a warning for townsfolk not to go out alone at night: someone in Rockstead had been killed by a monster the previous night, their remains reduced to bones and hair. The specifics of the monster were not detailed. But the townsfolk were largely unconcerned. Incidents like this occurred from time to time; as long as one stayed safely inside the stone houses after dark, there was usually nothing to fear.

Chu Yun was not overly concerned either. He was staying at a high-end inn, which had guards on duty throughout the night. Even if the guards weren’t particularly strong, they would at least be able to sound the alarm if monsters attacked.

As he waited, Chu Yun overheard townspeople discussing the spectacular meteor shower that had lit up the sky the night before. As a scientifically-minded man from Earth—albeit one who had only lived for a little over twenty years—Chu Yun had already witnessed his fair share of so-called once-in-a-century or once-in-a-millennium astronomical events. He felt no particular interest in meteor showers, but he was curious whether any useful forging materials might be found among the fallen stars.

In fact, others shared his curiosity. Yet when adventurers ventured to the sites where the meteors had supposedly fallen, they found no trace of them—not even impact marks in the earth. It was as if the things that descended from the sky were not meteorites, but something far more mysterious.

Not long after, Pike arrived at the agreed-upon gate with his caravan. Seeing that Pike had brought all his wagons, Chu Yun asked curiously, “Pike, didn’t you say last night that firecrystal stones aren’t very large? Can you really afford enough to fill all these carriages?”

Firecrystal stones were usually no bigger than a quail’s egg; their grades were distinguished by color and purity, rarely by size. Of course, exceptions existed—there were tales of a firecrystal as big as a fist once being unearthed in the mines near Rockstead, fetching a staggering price at auction in the capital of the Kingdom of Elno.

Pike explained, “Of course these aren’t for transporting firecrystals. With my finances, I’d be lucky to fill a single pouch with firecrystals. These wagons are for hauling red iron ore and monster materials…”

The Carlos Mountains were rich in red iron ore, and firecrystal stones were often found nearby. Aside from firecrystals, much of the mines’ income came from trading red iron ore.

After Pike’s explanation, Hansen and his men approached. Hansen welcomed Chu Yun’s company, though Pike had only told him that Chu Yun was heading to the Carlos Mountains and had kept the matter of the abandoned mine to himself.

Rockstead lay not far from the Carlos Mountains; by wagon, it was only an hour’s journey to the foot of the range. At the base was a depot where wagons could buy and sell their goods, for the red iron ore from the mountains was brought down via a simple cable system; wagons couldn’t make it up the slopes. As for firecrystals, their small size made them easy to transport; unless one was buying in bulk, there wasn’t much profit to be made even at the source. Pike’s real earnings came from private deals and red iron ore.

The caravan set off, and inside a wagon, Pike and Chu Yun discussed their business in detail. Pike handed Chu Yun a simple map, marked not only with the location of the abandoned mine but also with the route and notes on beasts and monsters they might encounter along the way. It was thoughtfully prepared.

“Aren’t you worried I’ll just take your goods and run?” Chu Yun asked with a smile as he put the map away, repeating the question he’d raised before.

The price for eight second-grade firecrystals and fifteen first-grade crystals was not low; it would be easy for someone else to abscond with the goods.

Pike shook his head. “I trust you. A mage who has the time to clear out a goblin camp and travel with a large, cumbersome group must be a good man. Besides, you refused Shia—a beautiful demi-human slave. You know, with her looks, she’d fetch a fine price at the Blackstone City slave auction.”

“You don’t seem the type to care too much about money. Compared to others, you strike me as trustworthy.”

Chu Yun hadn’t expected that Pike’s trust stemmed from his refusal of Shia.

The two, now acquaintances if not friends, chatted idly as they quickly arrived at the Carlos Camp at the foot of the mountains. The camp was established by the owners of the major mines, its towering stone walls resembling an impregnable fortress bristling with heavy crossbows and sharp defenses. Any low-level monster foolish enough to attack would be riddled with bolts in an instant.

In truth, the camp mostly stored red iron ore, which held little interest for monsters. Even if the camp were to fall, the loss of goods would be minimal. Besides the storage areas, the camp also had many taverns and inns. Though Rockstead was not far away, for adventurers who spent long periods in the Carlos Mountains, it was much more convenient to stay here.

Many merchants also bought monster parts from the adventurers at low prices.

When the caravan reached the camp, Chu Yun and Pike parted ways. Chu Yun changed into plain clothes common in this world, carrying only a short dagger; to others, he looked like just another unremarkable adventurer and drew no attention at all. As he left, a guard even kindly advised him to join a group for safety.

The Carlos Mountains were a lawless land; anyone could enter. Some of the earth-element monsters here, when slain, might yield firecrystals if one was lucky. This made the mountains a popular hunting ground for adventurers.

Pike was anxious that crystals hidden within the abandoned mine might be snatched up by other adventurers, which was why he had hurriedly enlisted Chu Yun’s help despite barely knowing him.

Chu Yun was not one to act recklessly; he had made careful preparations for this venture. Each of his pockets contained a small mirror—should danger arise, he could immediately hide within a mirage space and wait until it was safe to reappear.

P.S. A small map has been drawn in the book review section, for those interested (on Qidian).