After a few minutes, the group set two tents beside the paved road and tendered to their injuries.
Seth had watched Trystan apply a unique balm on his bare skin with the help of Raina.
He drank a cup of wine and slept immediately afterward. Hopefully, his wounds would have closed before tomorrow.
Caleb and Burke went to sleep while Raina offered to guard the tent throughout the night. Seth also sat in front of the tent.
As a vampire, he found it very hard to sleep, especially when he had a lot to think about.
'I finally understand my physiology.' Seth summarized in his mind.
'I function as a human. Breathe and whatnot. I don't require those functions, but I still have them. When I'm killed by regular means, I'm merely put in a deep sleep. I wake up once my healing starts.'
Seth had experienced this type of death moments before. He was convinced he was right.
'I reckon if I'm killed through special means like a blade made of vampiric silver, I will truly die. That's when I get trapped in the negative zone.'
After clearing up his doubts, Seth couldn't help but be scared. In truth, his so-called amortality didn't make him invincible. If he couldn't be killed, he could still be trapped.
Worst-case scenario, his foe might kill him every time he awakens.
'I need to be careful with my actions.' Seth warned himself.
Seth stopped thinking too deeply and enjoyed the beautiful nightlife. The sky was clear of clouds. Stars twinkled here and there. The streams of moonlight was nothing short of a mesmerizing spectacle.
'Hmmm…'
Seth noticed the presence of Raina beside a tree. She was also looking at the stars, but her eyes seemed distant. He became too curious and approached her.
"What disturbs your mind?" Seth smiled.
Raina glanced at him but offered no words.
"It's Cravel, isn't it? I never thought the blade of demise would mourn a hateful town."
Immediately as he said that, Raina's eyes sharpened, and she grabbed her dagger.
"Careful… I am not the enemy. I won't tell a soul about your second identity." Seth promised.
Originally, he thought Raina was simply connected with the blade of demise, but after seeing her fight today, he knew she was the blade of demise! Her way of fighting was brutal… the perfect example of overkill!
Raina eyed him as she asked, "How did you find out?"
"I saw your work today. You are really cruel, huh? Using a rune to brand your victims." Seth commented.
He observed Raina didn't like the conversation, so he switched topics.
"What are your thoughts about the horde? Trystan tells me you are the most knowledgeable."
Raina grabbed a handful of dirt and rubbed them together.
She spoke not soon after. "I think it was caused by a fey'ri."
"What is that?" Seth voiced his confusion.
"What do you know about the Eternal Night?"
Seth smiled as the conversation was moving as he wanted. He spilled out the story Darla told him, word for word. There was no way he would easily forget it.
"The Black Sun bled, but its first victims weren't the mundane creatures. It was the elves. The Black Sun was vengeful. An elf had created it, so it punished all of them."
She continued her story after a dramatic pause. "The elves affected by the vile rain became fey'rians. If normal rabbits and wolves could transform into howlers, imagine what the magical elves turned into. Utter evil. They still lurk among us. Still whisper into our ears. I fear they are behind the hordes' attack."
Seth mumbled, "An elf caused the Eternal Night? That is why elves are discriminated against. Is the identity of the elf known?"
"I don't know. Perhaps, some secretive humans are aware of the elf's identity. All I know is that the elf belonged to an elven kingdom. The Eternal Night spread forth from that location."
"Hmmm… thank you for telling me."
"Don't sweat it. Now, please leave. I want to be alone."
Seth's mouth twitched as he heard Raina's retort. "You are amiable when quiet. Truly a blessing to the world."
"F*ck off!" cursed Raina.
.
.
.
.
.
Three days after the memorable event, the group found a town fixed in between mountains. They strode to the gates and revealed themselves to the guards.
The guards saw Seth's appearance but thought he was an elf. They opened the gates with welcoming smiles, allowing the group to see the true beauty of Lostvale!
"Welcome to Lostvale!"
It was truly a perfect town with lots of water fountains and beautiful roads. The first person Seth saw was an elf, who strolled the streets confidently, without fear. He also saw a human with his arms around an elf female. The two of them cuddled together.
'So, this is Lostvale.' Seth thought in surprise.
He followed the group all the way to an inn, where they checked in and kept a room for each of them.
While in his room, Seth thought to himself. 'I have finally gotten here.'
Just as he expected, the system panels flashed in his face.
╔
Tutorial Quest Achieved:
✱'Camp Lostvale' completed. Reward➔ 20 Lunar Ryi-Bronze Coins.
╝
A coin bag appeared in his hand suddenly. There were no signs of it falling into his hand. It felt like it was always there.
Seth opened the bag and saw the coins inside. A smile reached his face as he noted his temporary wealth. These coins should be enough for a few days if he used them carefully.
Before anything else, Seth took a good bath and slept in the room. He wanted to log out, but then he would have to explain his abnormal sleep.
The next day, Seth knocked on Caleb's door and told him of his plans to leave because of personal reasons. Caleb was dejected, but he made Seth promise to visit them if he had any troubles.
Everything moved by so quickly after that. Seth found a very cheap inn and cajoled the owner to let him stay three nights for five ryi-bronze coins.
Just as he wanted to log out of the game, something unexpected occurred.
『 World Announcement: Arc 1 Completed!
➔ Travellers successfully registered at their camps (501/3000)
➔ Arc 2 has begun.
Rewards for Arc 1:
➔ Reduction of time ratio(1:10) to 1:2
』
'Going by this rate, Arc 2 completion will bring a 1:1 time ratio.' Seth deduced.
'So, we could consider the five hundred and one travelers that reached their camps the outstanding players. Out of three thousand travelers, just five hundred and one travelers reached the pass mark of Arc 1. The remaining thousands of travelers are probably in hell right now. I really can't imagine someone surviving on this dangerous continent.'
Anyway, after ranting, he received the message from the system.
『Traveller 2.5, do you want to log out?』
"Yes!"
.
.
.
.
He was back in the real world, in the same position he left.
'It has been approximately half a day here and... F*ck, I feel like a sandwich,' commented Seth.
His body spasmed a couple of times after he walked out of his car. Even walking was a problem. His steps were as irregular as a drunk man's step.
After a while, he regained control over his body and walked towards the interior door of the building connected to the garage.
He had a purpose here. It was no coincidence that he parked at a hospital's garage.
Seth smiled as he thought. 'Time to meet my family.'