Chapter 6: Sandy Fishery
Limon, possessing a certain intrepid spirit, advanced several paces until he reached the side of the bird. With a deft motion, he vaulted onto its back.
The process was executed with remarkable smoothness. Perhaps due to the bird's prior training, it remained as still as a statue.
"Go!"
With a soft yet commanding cry, Limon tugged gently on the control rope and tapped the bird's flank with a light touch.
The bird responded obediently, taking measured steps and trotting out of the alley with a docile demeanor.
Limon had never before experienced the act of riding a bird and had initially intended to conduct a tentative experiment. However, he was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected ease with which he managed the task.
As it was a bird-mounted steed, the back provided a surprisingly stable perch, devoid of any violent jolts as he sat astride.
Though a tinge of exhilaration coursed through him, Limon was not one to act with reckless abandon.
After exiting the alley, he deliberately slowed the bird's pace and proceeded at a brisk yet controlled trot along the street.
The thoroughfare was teeming with pedestrians, rendering any hasty or reckless behavior ill-advised.
Along East City Avenue, Limon guided the bird in an easterly direction, making his way towards the east gate.
In Arizela, it seemed that the bird was a commonly employed riding animal.
During his journey to the east gate, Limon's eyes were met with the sight of many such birds.
Their riders, distinguishable by their characteristic adventurer's attire, added to the vibrant tapestry of the cityscape.
Arizela City was of a considerable expanse. On the map, the Adventurer's Guild had appeared to be in close proximity to the East Gate. However, Limon traversed a distance of approximately three kilometers before the imposing city wall finally came into view.
As he passed beneath the arched gateway, a sudden shadow enshrouded him, casting a momentary gloom.
The length of the city tunnel was a testament to the thickness of the city wall. Limon estimated it to be at least thirty meters in depth, a formidable barrier indeed.
"It's truly a bustling hive of activity."
Emerging from the city tunnel, Limon beheld the lively scene that unfolded before him, a panorama of life and commerce. He marvelled inwardly at the sight.
Limon had initially harbored the presumption that beyond the city wall lay a desolate wilderness.
He was, however, mistaken. Instead, he was greeted by a rudimentary market, replete with numerous open-air stalls.
On the other side of the market, Limon also observed a scattering of tents.
In contrast to the vivid and often opulent apparel of the city's denizens, the attire of those outside was rather tattered and worn. Most were clad in coarse cloth garments, their gray hue bearing the marks of age and hard use. It seemed that this market outside was tailored to meet the needs of these less fortunate souls.
Impoverished individuals?
Gazing at the scene, Limon was lost in thought.
It appeared that Arizela was not as resplendent and unblemished as it had initially seemed.
There was a railway in this world...
When Limon rode the Dudu bird to depart the market outside the city, he caught sight of a post station.
This was a platform, beneath which lay a railway track.
Though Limon had been astonished when Lalasa had first mentioned the railway, seeing it with his own eyes now, he finally grasped the source of his surprise and bewilderment.
It was evidently a world where magic and technology coexisted in a curious harmony.
While employing the power of magic, humans also harnessed the capabilities of machinery.
Limon did not dwell overly long on this revelation. Regardless of the nature of this world, he was here now, and his immediate concern was survival.
"Hey!"
With a sharp rebuke, Limon slapped the control rope against his palm.
The Dudu bird shrieked in alarm, stamped its feet, and then bolted forward. Amid the astonished stares of those around, it hurtled like a gust of wind along the railway, disappearing into the distance.
Arizela was situated within an oasis. Though there was the ever-present yellow sand, there were also patches of verdant greenery.
Feeling the gentle caress of the wind, with the yellow sand and green forests stretching out before him, Limon was struck by the beauty of the landscape.
The fir silk robe he wore was indeed a boon. The daytime in the desert region was sweltering, yet Limon felt no discomfort from the heat. Even the exposed portion of his face was refreshed by a cool breeze.
Riding the bird at a steady pace, Limon was soon engulfed by the billowing clouds of dust.
Half an hour later...
"Stop, stop, stop."
Before a cylindrical stone sentry tower, Limon managed to halt the bird, albeit with somewhat unskilled control.
Gazing ahead, he noted that the greenery had vanished, replaced by a desolate and barren wilderness.
Undoubtedly, Limon was nearing the sandy fishing ground.
The sentry tower before him served as an excellent guiding landmark.
"Hey, it's you, up there, yes, up there. You must be an adventurer."
The sudden voice caused Limon to pause in his tracks. After surveying his surroundings with a cautious eye, Limon looked up and finally spied the source of the voice.
A head protruded from the sentry tower. The man regarded Limon with a teasing glint in his eye.
"Are you an adventurer bound for the sandy fishing ground? Laradoa's money isn't easily earned. I don't know how many adventurers have visited the sandy fishing ground these days, but none have lasted a day. I think you should turn back and not waste your energy."
A soldier in the sentry tower?
Limon could make out the brass chainmail that adorned the man above.
"Don't meddle. Do you still want to eat sand bone fish?"
From above, Limon also faintly heard the voice of another person.
"Hehe, Laradoa won't know. Alright, I won't disrupt the adventurer's enthusiasm."
The soldier in the tower regarded Limon once more, chuckled softly, and said, "I jest. The sandy fishing ground is a short distance to the right front. See that path ahead? Follow it."
Looking forward, Limon spied the path in question.
"Hey!"
Ignoring the soldier in the tower, Limon urged the bird onto the path.
The receding figure of Limon and his mount soon vanished from the soldier's sight.
This was but a minor interlude. Limon noted that the soldier in the tower was only level 8, the level of a militia.
There was no need to engage with them further.
The sandy fishing ground was not far from the sentry tower. Approximately two kilometers to the right and in front of it, close to the oasis.
Is this the fishing ground?
Limon reached the end of the path, only to be greeted by a small wooden hut and a vast expanse of sand stretching out behind it.
"Did I err in my destination?"
Gazing at the scene, Limon murmured under his breath.
Though Limon had surmised that the sandy fishing ground might lack water, he had expected a fishing ground to be more conspicuous.
Only a wrong location could account for this unexpected sight.
"Oh, it's an adventurer, here, here, come quickly."
Just as Limon was doubting his arrival, a diminutive figure emerged from the wooden hut.
Spotting Limon astride the dodo bird, looking somewhat dazed nearby, he waved his hand and called out.
It was an elf...
Presumably a male. Though he bore a resemblance to Lalasa, he sported a neatly trimmed beard.
He was dressed in suspenders and trousers, presenting the appearance of a hardworking laborer.
Without excessive contemplation, Limon dismounted the dodo bird and led it towards the wooden hut.
"I am Laradoa, the owner of the Sandy Fishery. You must be the adventurer introduced by Lalasa."
Laradoa looked up at Limon, who had now approached, and spoke with a cheerful lilt in his voice.
Limon nodded in acknowledgment, choosing to keep his words to a minimum.
"Great, I happen to have a task for adventurers, and it's wonderful that you've come."
At this point, Laradoa emitted a slight sigh and said helplessly, "Since the onset of the third magic tide, a host of strange occurrences have emerged. Although this may not necessarily spell doom for the human race, survival has undeniably become more arduous. The great gods are all slumbering and watching over the Avonir continent, yet the evil gods of the source of disaster are on the cusp of action, bringing ceaseless calamities to the creatures that inhabit the Avonir continent."
Having tucked away the worry that had momentarily clouded his face, Laradoa made a slight gesture, pointing to the sand behind the wooden house.
"Do you see the sand behind the wooden house? It's a quicksand pool and also a graveyard for travellers. Once you tumble into it, escape is nigh impossible. Don't worry, though. This quicksand pool is merely my fishing ground, where there are sand bone fish. It's only about one and a half meters deep. Even if you were to fall in, except for us elves, anyone can clamber out."
"But your mission isn't this..."
Laradoa pointed in another direction, far to the left of the wooden house.
"Do you see that sand dune? On the other side of the dune, there's a massive rock that stands out in the sand. To its east is an enormous quicksand pool. This quicksand pool is natural and seemingly bottomless. It's said that over the past few hundred years, it has swallowed countless travellers. I don't know how many lives have been buried beneath the yellow sand. The most terrifying aspect is that, in an effort to cut the cost of disposing of corpses, Arizela has used this quicksand pool as a burial site for years. Tens of thousands of corpses were tossed into it. It was only recently, when the corpses began floating to the surface of the sand, that Arizela ceased this practice."
In other words, were there so many corpses that they had filled up the quicksand pool?
Limon inferred this from Laradoa's words.
Contemplating this, Limon regarded the diminutive Laradoa before him and inquired, "What do you want me to do? I can't handle corpses."
Laradoa shook his head and sighed, "It's more troublesome than that. I told you earlier that due to the third magic tide, some strange entities have appeared, including the undead. Because the magic is so potent, when countless corpses are heaped together, the accumulated resentment can readily give rise to undead. Although they're just some feeble skeletons, there are far too many of them. Every night, they'll crawl out of the quicksand pool and roam about, then hide in the quicksand pool during the day. This isn't a viable situation. If left unattended, it'll be problematic once they multiply."
So, it was the undead... skeletons?
Skeletons are weak individually, but in large numbers, they pose a significant headache for anyone.
Although adventurers possess power far surpassing that of ordinary folk, they too have their limitations.
Mages rely on magic, while warriors depend on physical strength. Faced with numerical superiority, even the weakest of foes can become a formidable challenge.
Limon finally grasped why the soldier in the sentry tower had made that earlier comment.
Evidently, the adventurers who had come before had balked in the face of difficulties.
"Doesn't the kingdom care?"
If there truly were countless corpses in the quicksand pool, then this threat was substantial.
Perhaps as time elapsed, more powerful undead would be spawned. Once their numbers grew out of control, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Limon was quite curious. Confronted with such a menacing situation, would the kingdom remain indifferent?
This place wasn't far from Arizela.
Laradoa nodded and said, "Of course they care, but since they're just some weak skeletons, stationing troops at the quicksand pool for an extended period would be time-consuming and costly. The kingdom provided funds and entrusted me to issue tasks to adventurers to eliminate the undead."
Laradoa seemed fearful that Limon would decline and hastened to add, "Since this task can't be completed in a short time, the reward is calculated per skeleton. You'll receive 5 silver coins for each one you slay."
Five silver coins?
Limon then understood why the previous adventurers had given up after being unable to persevere for a day.
Not to mention working at night, the remuneration was far too meagre.
Although skeletons are fragile, that's only in comparison to adventurers.
For ordinary humans, even the weakest skeleton is extremely perilous.
They'd expended time and energy, yet the reward was pitifully small. No one would linger for long.
However, Limon had no intention of refusing.
Firstly, this was his first commissioned task, and he didn't wish to abandon it. Secondly, it was a test.
Currently, Limon's level was still 0, and he needed to make efforts to boost it.
Limon had no clear idea of his own strength and required some weak adversaries for practice.
And the weak skeleton was undoubtedly a suitable target.
With this in mind, Limon said to Laradoa, "Leave it to me. I'll attempt to eliminate as many undead as possible."
"Great, thank you. You're a valiant adventurer."
Laradoa was rather pleased to see Limon take on the task.
He waved his hands and said, "In this way, the number of undead can be managed. Although the reward is somewhat scant, there are additional perks in hunting the undead. Elemental monsters born from the magic tide will drop crystals of corresponding attributes. Don't forget to collect them. These items are essential for summoning warlocks and are quite valuable."
As he spoke, Laradoa looked at Limon and then at the bird.
"It's getting dark. Let's hurry. After nightfall, those creatures will crawl out of the quicksand pool. We must keep their numbers in check... By the way, I have some supplies here, dried sandbone fish, and water. If you need them, I can prepare them for you."
In the west, the sunset had painted the sky with a fiery red hue, signalling that night was fast approaching.
It had been rather hasty to leave the city this time. Limon hadn't prepared any essential items at all, and his supplies were nonexistent.
Without hesitation, Limon gladly accepted the provisions offered by Laradoa.
A bag of dried sandbone fish and a large water pouch.
The elf was rather slight. The two items weren't overly heavy for Limon, but they were a bit of a struggle for Laradoa.
When Laradoa dragged the two bags out of the house with great effort, Limon promptly took the water pouch and the bag of dried sandbone fish from him and hung them on the bird's saddle.
"It's still a fair distance to the quicksand pool. Let's make haste. By the way, you must take this with you."
Laradoa retrieved a furry little creature from the cloth bag on his waist.
"This is the blue bird. Take it along. It'll tally how many undead you slay. Don't forget to feed it. It's particularly fond of dried sandbone fish."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone