Chapter 32 - 14: [Adventurer Ecology]

Chapter 32: Chapter 14: [Adventurer Ecology]

Slanted, dim yellow sunlight shone upon the streets of Luojie City. Within the soft orange glow, motes of decaying soil drifted in the air.

In the double room on the third floor of No. 3 Barracks along Old Wood Street, Talia sat quietly on the bed, staring blankly, all alone.

The window was half open. Dim sunlight accompanied by the evening breeze streamed through the window, heavily carving her dark shadow onto the opposite wall.

She reached out her pitch-black Claw-shaped Hand Armor toward the shadow on the wall, wanting to grasp something, but the space in front of her was empty; there was nothing at all. Although the shadow reached out its hand, it could not be touched.

She remained silent and let out a slow, deep sigh.

Samael had insisted on following those two little fanboys to escort the unconscious Roster to No. 5 Barracks. Talia was quite displeased with this and had returned alone to their double room in No. 3 Barracks.

However, two hours had passed since the two of them parted ways at the intersection of Old Wood Street, and Samael had not yet returned.

"Why is it taking so long? Is he angry?" Talia thought, feeling distracted and upset. Since they had met five days ago, they hadn’t been separated for a single moment. She suddenly realized that she had grown somewhat accustomed to having this clanking tin can around. He had a loose and cheeky mouth, yet when it came down to serious matters, he was steady, reliable, and reassuring.

She stood up and looked down from the window. She gazed at the various adventurers and traveling merchants, the carriages and handcarts bustling back and forth, yet the only thing she couldn’t find was that familiar armored figure.

She watched as the last bits of orange twilight gradually vanished between the zigzagging red wooden roofs. The bronze moon and the pale white moon were already hanging halfway in the sky, carrying a trace of lonely chill that signaled the approaching night. Lost in thought, she realized she had rarely seen such a scenery in the past. There were no eaves on the horizon of the Barren Land, and Northern Rondolan City was built within hollows gnawed out by Demon Insects in the freezing mountains, so neither the sun nor the dual bronze and white moons could be seen.

"I thought that after my parents passed away, I had gotten used to being alone over the past three years. Why... am I suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable..." she murmured, staring blankly out the window.

"Is he angry? Did he... did he leave on his own? Was his identity as an Undead Dead Soul Knight exposed, causing the adventurers to gang up and attack him?" Talia thought wildly. With her hands behind her back, she paced heavily around the room, making lap after lap.

Finally, she picked up her Hammer Spear, put on her helmet, and crossed the room in two strides, preparing to head out and look for Samael.

At the exact moment her hand gripped the doorknob, faint CLANG CLANG collision sounds came from outside, followed by metallic knuckles gently knocking on the door.

Talia yanked the door open, grabbed that familiar cloaked Nether Copper Armor standing in the doorway, pulled him into the room in one swift motion, and closed the door with a backhand. For some reason, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey... why are you in such a hurry?" Samael stumbled as he was pulled in, asking in confusion. "What’s wrong?"

The two of them looked at each other in silence for a few seconds. The room was deathly quiet.

"You..." Talia realized her voice was a little hoarse. She gave a dry cough to cover it up, slowly tossed her Hammer Spear back onto the floor, took off her helmet, and sat heavily back on the edge of the bed.

"As long as... as long as you’re okay," she said gloomily.

"What’s wrong? Why so down again?" Samael took off his cloak’s gray hood and shamelessly leaned his helmet closer.

"...Nothing," Talia whispered.

"Really? I don’t believe you." The bronze-colored helmet cheekily leaned even closer. "Good thing I guessed it on my way back—look, guess what this is!"

He lifted the item in his hand, gleefully showing it off. It was a large wooden box with a wooden handle.

Samael placed the wooden box on the table and lifted its lid, allowing the aroma of food to waft out. It was a large lunchbox, its multiple tiers filled with meals that were simple and rustic, but quite generous in portion.

Pancakes drenched in thick syrup, wheat porridge with large chunks of meat, smoked ham, smoked sausage, and rock-hard dark bread, along with a mixed vegetable soup stewed with onions, bacon, and an unknown plant.

Being an adventurer was physically demanding labor. The food provided in Luojie City wasn’t exactly delicate, but the portions were massive, hearty, and heavy on sugar, oil, and salt.

"I knew it, you must be hungry again! How can you go without eating?" Samael opened the lunchbox, gesturing as he separated the food inside and laid it out on the table. "Although I don’t need to eat, you still do. Plus, we have to try our best to avoid showing our faces and eating in public. So I haggled with the landlady of a small tavern and paid an extra eight silver coins to buy a lunchbox from the back kitchen, and packed it all back.

"In the lobby on the first floor of the barracks, I ran into a Snake-Catching Uncle carrying a Fish Spear Gun, with a large dead python draped over his shoulder. The shaft of his Fish Spear Gun hit the doorframe and he fell over. I happened to walk by, so I helped him up, and casually asked him where I could find cheap and tasty food in the city. The uncle recommended this small tavern to me, saying he had been eating there for five or six years. It’s an old establishment that opened right when Luojie City was first built. The value for money is very high, and the portions are huge, hearty, and delicious.

"I don’t have a sense of taste or smell, after all... If I want to know where the good food is, I can only rely on asking around... The uncle was really nice; he even took me there personally. He also recommended a minced meat wheat porridge, saying it’s a hidden menu item. Hurry up and give it a taste!"

"This guy wasn’t angry at all!" Talia thought, covering her face. She felt a little amused, yet also somewhat choked up.

"What’s wrong?" Samael asked. "Let’s eat first."

Talia gave a dry cough. "About... what happened this afternoon, I... I must..." she said in a low voice. "I’m sorry, Samael."