Talent Awakening: I, the Weakest Awakened, Start with Dragonfire Spell

Chapter 465 466-Time to Start Earning

While Antalya's direct assistance might not have been extensive, it was she who made Ali realize what the true world of adventurers was like, rather than the heroic lifestyle he had once idolized.

Struggle, death, right and wrong—these are threads that run through the life of every adventurer.

"One last question, what do we call our adventure group?"

"Silverwind Ranger."

Ali nodded, swung himself onto the horse.

"I'll remember that name and then make it the top adventure group on the continent! That's my promise!"

With those words, Ali didn't linger any longer.

He flicked the reins, and the black horse casually stepped forward, then broke into a run.

Watching Ali's figure disappear at the end of the street, Antalya sighed, turning to Greg beside her.

"Where's Vivia?"

"She left even earlier, boarded a carriage from the Silverfox Trade Association last night. I know that trade association; they're legitimate, and the boss is decent. Vivia's smart; she won't have any trouble."

Greg's voice carried a hint of resignation.

"Isn't that just the way of adventurers? A rush of blood to the head and suddenly nothing else matters."

"This damned dream."

...

Rodel City, located sixty kilometers north of Breeze City at a mountain pass, boasts a population and size several times larger than that of Breeze City, housing an official adventurer branch guild and a magus guild branch guild.

As the gateway from the Silverwind Kingdom's northwest Province to the Silverwind Prairie, it also attracts a large number of adventurers.

Heading north from Rodel, the regions gradually escape the control of the Silverwind Kingdom.

Between the Silverwind Kingdom and the more northern Dolan Church State lies the Great Wasteland, one of Avala Continent's nine independent areas, along with countless unnamed small nations.

A mix of over a dozen races can be found here, nearly encompassing all the ethnic groups from the southeastern regions of the continent.

Hence, it is also known as the "Land of Innocence." Not because there is no sin, but because there is no one to judge the sin.

Here, strength is everything; the direction of the blade dictates life and death.

Sounds thrilling?

Howard thought so too when he first heard Nula describe it.

Everyone yearns to be a hero, to stand out, to possess boundless courage, to dream of slaying enemies in every step without leaving a trace for a thousand miles.

But the reality is, each year, over four hundred thousand people enter that area, equivalent to the population of five Breeze Cities.

Yet, the population there has never increased and is even decreasing.

Perhaps some have left, but many more are buried in the ground.

To kill is to be prepared to be killed.

To seek justice or revenge, one must have the capability to sleep with a knife under the pillow.

In Nula's plan, that place is their next stop after leaving Sorona.

Everything in Sorona is a preparation for survival there.

Only there can Howard grow swiftly enough to a level where he can confront that damned ancient dragon.

After a day's journey, as dusk approached, the two riders and one wolf finally caught sight of Rodel City's walls.

Similar to the bluestone walls of Breeze City, but Rodel City's fortifications were visibly taller and more structurally complex, with towering watchtowers spaced at intervals.

This city was built for war, with a standing army that comprised one-thirteenth of its population, controlling the gateway to and from the Goldencharm Prairie in the northwest Province.

Bypassing this city would force caravans and military units to take nearly half a month's detour across the prairie to find a suitable pass.

"We've finally arrived."

Viewing the looming grey-green walls in the distance, both Howard and Nula breathed a sigh of relief.

As symbols of humanity's expansion, the walls themselves offered a sense of security, especially in such a chaotic world where simply living a full life was the pursuit of the vast majority.

...

The first task upon entering Rodel was to find an inn.

The long trek of tens of kilometers, even atop chocobos, had left them both physically and mentally exhausted, despite their superior endurance as magi.

This fatigue was more mental, the continuous hours of monotonous scenery wearisome to anyone.

Fortunately, both were adventurers, saving them the hassle of comparing prices at different inns throughout the city.

They could directly check into the low-cost lodging provided by the adventurer's guild.

Although the accommodations were not luxurious, they were more than sufficient for rest.

Each taking a room for themselves, Howard entered his and the first thing he did was to collapse onto the bed and take a deep breath.

On the road, all Howard could do was count clouds and practice his control.

Fancy a chat?

The moment you open your mouth, you'd be gulping down a mouthful of wind.

The chocobo's breakneck speed could reach up to seventy kilometers per hour.

That's car speed, far surpassing the sluggish pace of carriages.

Even so, the journey still took them more than four hours.

Perhaps due to the presence of mana, the growth cycle of Avala's plants is generally shorter.

On this formidable prairie, no path could maintain its integrity for long without being completely overtaken by weeds within half a month.

Howard and Nula spent at least half of their travel time finding and navigating around the path.

After lying on the bed with his eyes closed for over half an hour, both Howard's buttocks and brain finally relaxed.

Getting up, Howard strapped his straight sword to his back and stepped out of his room.

Their rooms were directly opposite each other, with White sharing a room with Nula.

Knocking on Nula's door, Howard heard a lethargic voice.

"Who is it, what do you want?"

"It's me, Howard. I have some questions for you."

"The door's open, come in."

Applying a bit more pressure, Howard pushed the door open to reveal a narrow gap.

Truly unlocked, this girl is really carefree.

Howard pushed the door open and walked in, closing it behind him, only to see Nula sprawled on the bed in a disheveled state, as if recovering from a hangover.

"What do you want?"

Propping herself up with one arm, Nula's gaze landed on Howard.

"Find a place to sit, there's a chair in the room, isn't there?"

"My butt hurts," Howard's eye twitched.

Just as riding a horse and traveling by carriage offer entirely different experiences, traversing long distances on a chocobo is undoubtedly one of the most painful endeavors.

Even cavalry accustomed to riding horses couldn't withstand the jolting of a chocobo.

After all, horses have four legs, but chocobos only have two.

A smile broke across Nula's face, but it froze almost immediately.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Howard was uncomfortable, but she wasn't faring any better, having to lie prone on the bed.

Seeing Nula in such a state, Howard couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"What's so funny!" Nula rolled her eyes at him.

"What did you want to ask?"

Howard composed himself and asked seriously, "How long do you plan to stay here?"

"Three days. Why, do you have something in mind?"

"I was thinking," Howard paused, "about checking out the quests at the local branch guild here and taking on a few."

"You're out of money?" Nula quickly caught on.

"I only brought my space ring when we left. I left my money in the room for Jelia to keep."

Howard scratched his face and continued, "Without money, it's going to be difficult to get things done moving forward."

After a moment's thought, Nula nodded, "Alright, we'll stay here two extra days. Five days should be enough for you to complete a dozen or so hunting quests. But you'll have to cover the additional two days' lodging and meal expenses."

"Deal, I'm off then."

Howard readily agreed and turned to leave, oblivious to the devilish smile creeping across Nula's face.

Since both of them were staying at the low-cost inn provided by the Rodel City adventurer branch guild, the distance to the branch guild wasn't far—it took only about a ten-minute walk.

After ordering dinner on the ground floor of the inn and asking the landlady to deliver a portion to Nula, Howard stepped out of the inn.

Walking the streets of Rodel, Howard could tangibly feel the difference between Breeze City and here.

If one were to speak of population, size, and military strength, this place undoubtedly boasted more and stronger.

However, if asked where was more suitable for living, Howard would choose Breeze City without hesitation.

For ordinary people, functional facilities like the magus guild or adventurer branch guild held little significance, amounting at most to a few grand and beautiful buildings they might never have the chance to enter in their lifetime.

To the common folk, the level of commercial development directly impacted their lives.

A thriving commerce means access to a wider variety of goods in the market, more opportunities to earn money, and innumerable possibilities to strike it rich.

And Rodel had none of these.

This city was born out of war, and even walking its streets, one could distinctly feel this atmosphere.