Chapter 215 Chapter214-Above Storm City (2nd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
As dawn broke, the sky was bathed in a brilliant shade of red.
The moment John and his companions stepped out of Storm City, the first rays of morning light cascaded down, gilding the vast wilderness in hues of gold.
However, peculiarly, this sunlight couldn't penetrate the magnificent and imposing Storm City.
The city remained shrouded beneath a dense layer of clouds, with gales howling and sweeping across its streets.
John abruptly turned, the city seeming like an entity entirely detached from the world, unaffected by any environmental shift.
"So, is this the origin behind the name, 'Storm City'?" John murmured to himself.
Beside him, Blue Sea chuckled, "It's indeed quite bizarre. Whether it's the NPCs who've lived here for years or the players who've chosen this city as their base, no one knows why Storm City always maintains this grim appearance."
"Regardless of whether it's sunny or stormy outside, Storm City's weather remains perpetually bleak..."
Lost in thought, John's gaze slowly drifted upwards. His sharp eyes seemed to attempt to pierce through the thick clouds, reaching their very depths.
[Eye of Artemis, Activate!]
A mysterious gleam flashed in John's eyes.
The dense layers of clouds seemed to dissipate under his gaze, and soon, he witnessed an astounding sight deep within.
Above the thick clouds, transparent strands of ORDER energy descended from the void, suspending themselves within the cloud layer...
Those threads of ORDER energy were delicate, resembling inconspicuous strands of silk.
Yet the surrounding space subtly trembled, undergoing some inexplicable distortion...
John finally comprehended why, for all these years, Storm City had remained in this state.
The city was directly connected to the deity's Divine Realm that wielded the power of storms...
He retracted his gaze, a thought stirring in his heart.
By that logic, other cities should share a similar story.
If Storm City was the stronghold of the Storm Church, then his bound hometown, Silverglow, would likely be the main base of the Silver Church.
Could it be that the sky above Silverglow was also linked to the Divine Realm of the Silver Angel through the power of ORDER?
John had never paid attention to this detail before, but now it seemed highly plausible.
For what purpose had these deities established such profound connections between their Divine Realms and human towns?
"Galewind, we need to get a move on. What are you staring at?" Adam's urging voice interrupted John's contemplations.
John turned back with a slight smile, saying casually, "Nothing much, just amazed at how enchanting the scenery here is..."
After leaving Storm City, the trio simultaneously summoned their mounts, galloping towards the north.
Ever since the version update, more and more maps had been unlocked, increasing the distances between destinations.
Many powerful players would choose to purchase their own mounts from the stable owner, making it more convenient and efficient to traverse maps and level up by defeating monsters...
John and Blue Sea had naturally done the same.
They had early on purchased the priciest horse, the Divine Steed, capable of covering thousands of miles in a day.
When not in use, they'd store their mounts back into their inventory bags.
For players of the Paladin class, like Adam, their mounts had long become an integral part of their combat arsenal.
His pure white unicorn, at that moment, was proudly galloping at the forefront.
Its formidable aura unsettled the horses ridden by John and Blue Sea, causing them to neigh restlessly.
Blue Sea, slightly annoyed, remarked, "Can you get your unicorn to rein in its presence? With it radiating its aura so recklessly, how are we supposed to continue our journey?"
A tad embarrassed, Adam patted his mount, and the unicorn instantly calmed down.
Its intimidating aura vanished in a heartbeat, and upon looking at it now, apart from its unique appearance, there seemed to be no difference between it and any other regular mount.
Adam chuckled awkwardly, saying, "My apologies. Every time this fellow comes out, it always makes a scene. Honestly, I'm clueless about how to summon it discreetly."
Riding up beside Adam, John glanced at the unicorn and curiously inquired, "Guild leader Adam, is this mount a reward from class advancement? Or did you capture and tame it yourself?"
Adam responded with a wry smile, "Capture and tame? Impossible. This creature's as haughty as a lord. Not only is it temperamental, but it also demands a share of my experience. "
"If its Loyalty Points fall below a certain threshold, it might even rebel. I wouldn't dream of taming such a beast. "
"This unicorn was awarded to me by the Holy Light Church after I advanced to a hidden class. It's said to be the exclusive mount of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse when they roam the mortal realm."
After pondering for a moment, John remarked, "Given its backstory, I'd expect the unicorn to have quite a formidable presence. But there seems to be a mismatch between its aura and its standing?"
Shaking his head, Adam expressed his confusion, "I'm not entirely sure myself. When I formed a pact with it, it was just as it is now, at merely level one. "
"Whenever I level up, even if I don't summon it, it still takes half of my experience. Frankly, if it weren't for this experience-guzzling beast, I would've surpassed level 100 long ago."
Adam's voice was tinged with evident frustration as he spoke of these matters.
However, such feelings were understandable.
Anyone would be disgruntled if half of the experience they painstakingly earned from battling monsters was taken away.
At that moment, Blue Sea caught up on his horse and, having overheard the conversation, teased with a laugh, "No wonder you've always been grinding more than us, and yet your level hasn't surpassed mine. So, you've been sharing your experience all along, huh?"
He added, trying to console, "Look on the bright side; at least you have a mount that can join you in battles. Most players would kill for something like that."
Blue Sea's words, intended to comfort, seemed to exacerbate Adam's melancholy instead.
"Don't even mention battling together," Adam replied, his tone a mix of exasperation and bemusement.
"Though it's about the same level as me, it can only use one or two passive skills. It's hardly of any assistance in a fight. In fact, I often find myself ensuring it doesn't get killed by monsters."
He continued, "It's beyond comprehension. Can you believe a mythical beast's health points are even lower than mine, a mere player?"
Blue Sea wore a smirk that hinted at schadenfreude.
After a moment of contemplation, John solemnly remarked, "I don't believe it's that simple. After all, it was once the mount of one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, beings of immense power. "
"It can't be this underwhelming. Perhaps once you reach a certain level, this unicorn will undergo a significant transformation..."
With a resigned sigh, Adam responded, "I hope so... Right now, that's the only hope I cling to, to keep pressing on."
As the trio bantered and laughed, they quickly put more distance between themselves and Storm City.
Heading north, the terrain gradually turned barren.
Storm City was situated on the northernmost edge of the Northern Myst Empire.
Together with Silverglow and Cloud Sea, they formed a triangular stronghold.
Further fortified by the towns in between, this formation provided a robust defense line, especially against any abyssal invasions from Sunset Mountain.
Thus, traveling north from Storm City was tantamount to approaching the edge of the world.
As they progressed, the vegetation and small animals around them dwindled at an alarming rate, leaving behind only desolate earth and vast plains.
"Why is the Cowherd Cave located in such a desolate place?" Blue Sea exclaimed, looking around in dismay.
"I glanced at the map earlier. There isn't a single inhabited area on our journey ahead. Not by humans, nor by any other races. There's no sign of life here."
John replied nonchalantly, "It's expected. We are nearing the edge of the world after all. The climate and conditions here are unsuitable for life. "
"Perhaps the Cowherd Cave, being so close to the world's end, hasn't exhausted its fundamental magical elements. That might be why it harbors so many magical creatures."
Adam sighed, a touch of nostalgia in his voice, "It really is desolate. Reminds me of the desert trips back in the day."
John gazed into the distance, a glint of uncertainty flashing in his eyes.
If this was a land where no creature would willingly tread, then why did "The Secret Exploration" quest mention a powerful and mysterious force descending upon Cowherd Cave?
An abyssal invasion would not choose such a remote location.
It's too far from any major settlements, making it pointless for an invasion.
If it's not from the abyss, then where did this force originate?
Lost in thought, John was startled when Adam, leading the way, suddenly halted. "Look, what's that?"
Following Adam's line of sight, both John and Blue Sea stared in astonishment.
Blue Sea and Adam had identical expressions of disbelief, while John, after an initial moment of surprise, broke into a rare, broad grin.
"Well, well," he chuckled, "sometimes what you seek eludes you, but when you least expect it, it presents itself. Gentlemen, luck is on our side today."
Both Adam and Blue Sea turned to John, perplexed.
"Brother Galewind, you recognize this?"
John's face lit up with a radiant smile, his mood visibly lifted. "Of course. This, my friends, is a grand serendipity."
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l