Chương 91: Chapter 96: A million

"Elias! Finally you're back, we were starting to worry…" said Tom. He saw our approach from the trees; the camp was well and truly ready to go. At least in that department they were capable—a meagre talent, but better than nothing.

"We got delayed by an unexpected find, but more than anything we managed in the end to reach the end of the valley. Come, let's talk with everyone, I got good news, probably." I finished with a smile.

"Mark! Take my place for a moment," he said while gesturing for me to follow. Rhea and I went with him while Tom started calling everyone not on guard duty to listen. As we reached the middle of the group, I noticed two additional carts that were basically water tanks on wheels, from the Middle Ages…

"I suppose you managed to retrieve the pond. Are those things going to keep the potion safe while we move?" He looked at the carts, then at me.

"We'll see. I wasn't much sure either, but Gilbert and the others said they gained much experience and levels by making the first one. These ones are much better apparently, and they survived the journey to the shrine back and forth, so for now at least they should hold."

"Mmm, well, they will hold, or they won't. It will be a pity if they break, but there is nothing more we could do." Beside me I felt Quinn approach in his stealth mode. I pretended not to notice as he deactivated whatever skill for his camouflage he was using. Rhea made a little jump at his appearance while Tom managed to remain composed, but he got clearly startled too. Quinn was enjoying this game too much…

"Yea, man, but it will be a pity if we lose all of that liquid gold! It really is like gold, you know? In a place like this, having a lifesaving potion is worth more than anything else, and if we end up selling it, I'm not good at math but some guys gave an extimaton and overall it should at least be worth like a million points!"

"A million points!?" Rhea squeaked. I thought for a second. Given the dimensions of the carts, they were carrying a couple of square meters of liquid, more or less, if they were full… no, that shouldn't be possible, it would be too heavy in that case.

"It's estimation, not extimaton, but more importantly, how full are they?"

"The pond was deeper than we thought. We couldn't even manage to take everything with us, there is still some there, but we got most of it already. To answer you, yes, they are full, and yes they weigh a ton, two actually… but the skills they used on the carts are better than you can imagine. They are not so flashy as shooting fireballs, but they managed to make the wood nearly as strong as metal, and the weight is greatly distributed. It seems like it is reduced somehow.

I tried pulling one, and I can manage by myself with not too much effort. It really is incredible when you think about it." Tom's explanation made me do a double take on the less violence-inclined members of our group. I was sure crafting classes were useful, but only now I was realizing their potential. If it wasn't for the type of this tutorial, they would be even more valuable, pity that the System didn't care about them.

"It is. If they are carrying a couple of tons of liquid each… it's worth probably more than a million, given that a potion with infused lifeforce is for sure more expensive than the basic stuff we got in the shop. Those didn't last a day in the end."

"Yea, but they still saved some lives. It wasn't a mistake to buy them," said Tom. Then he called out to all the people around.

"Folks! We have news! This morning Elias and Rhea went about to scout the path ahead and managed to see what awaits us after the valley!" Then he gestured to me, and in a lower voice he said, "Go, the stage is yours. I really hope it's good news…" You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. I stepped forward and addressed everyone. Let's start with something that will make everyone feel a bit safer.

"We found a cave of spiders not far from here that we managed to clear. The monster population got greatly reduced. Actually, while coming back we faced just a couple of monsters, so that will make the travel a bit easier." I could see many people sighing in relief at the news, so I continued.

"After that, we proceeded further in and met another kind of monster. It is annoying to deal with, but we will be able to pass their territory without problems now that we know how they hunt. I'll explain more later about that. But the main news is this: after exiting the valley, there is another small stretch of forest ahead, until the trees get all cut down, and in the distance a small town built with the forest wood stands there, probably a day's march from here."

The people started murmuring and talking excitedly among themselves about what that meant, about safety. One said something about a shower, and many other topics.

"Please, let me finish," I said in a loud enough voice for everyone to hear. After a couple of seconds they quieted down.

"The truth is that we don't know who inhabits that town, if anyone at all. It was too far away to see if people went about, if it was deserted or infested with monsters, but!" I said before the chattering could resume.

"The cut-down trees looked recently made. It is possible that another group like ours built structures there for some reason; it is not a possibility to discard. In any case, it is a landmark too conveniently placed in our path not to check out, so that is exactly what we will do. In the worst case, if monsters reside there, we will clear it out and use it to get a good night's sleep under a roof. But in the best scenario, we are close to a Safe Zone, that will be a game changer for us."

Another wave of talking went about, with many people asking me how big the town was, if I saw anything suspicious, about the new monsters we found, and much more. I ended up spending a good quarter of an hour explaining and answering everyone, planning and revealing information about the Lybi. We delineated a plan of action and Tom took charge of the situation, relaying what we decided.

"Everybody! We wasted enough time as it is. Let's get ready and proceed forward. Given the proximity to a potential safe zone, we will not proceed with the usual fighting rotation we kept the past days. Speed will be our main concern, so we talked about it and the fighters will open the way, while the non-combatants will have to put their all into upping the pace and pulling the carts. Any objections!?"

It looked to me that more than one had objections, but in the end, after looking at Tom's imposing figure and instructor-like voice, they just went with it. I got to my tent while everyone started to get into position. I found it there where it was—the mask of the elder's spirit still wrapped around the blanket. In a minute I packed everything, putting the backpack on the old cart as I took the mask in my hands.

I wasn't trying to protect myself with my aura; instead I channeled it into my eyes, careful to look only at the mask. The world became black and white, and everything else seemed to disappear as I stared intently into the holes it had in place of eyes. I could see it. The bone part looked the brightest white I ever saw, while the blackened vines looked like they were made from the void itself. But there was a moment of transition where the two mingled.

Under everything still flowed a sliver of gold, it was still alive… and the maroon core was tainted with that gold. Could it be? I felt a pull from the mask, a desire to wear it, to grasp the power it would offer… power over life and death. It was getting stronger and stronger. I just had to wear it one time, just once.

"You seem to forget that you lost already. Whatever sliver of consciousness you retain, I will get to erase it. I don't know how, but I will do it—and then I will use your powers for myself." I felt like a distant scream in my mind. Then I flared the aura in my hands, flooding the mask too. The scream ceased instantly, but I could tell it was still there. It didn't matter; it was a question of time before I managed to cleanse it, so I stored it away.

I thought about bringing it with me, but hanging it on my waist like the figurines was annoying. I tried even fastening it to my shoulder, but the antlers would poke my face if I moved around too much, so back in the backpack it went. I approached the front of the group and took point.

"C'mon, we're wasting daylight!" I heard Tom say. Looking around, I could see everyone adjusting straps and checking weapons. For once I was back with my team in front, we would act as the spearhead of the group again.

"The vanguard is back!" Quinn said. Looking around me, I saw Alya and Marcus on my left, Rhea smiling at me on the right with Mary just a step behind me. Melissa and Marco worked as the rearguard while Quinn was already disappearing in front of me. I smiled too. These people were starting to grow on me. Despite this place and the danger, no, exactly for those reasons, we were forming a tight bond, forged from fighting and bleeding together. I found myself smiling a little.

"Let's go, we have a town to reach."