Stage 2 information collection: World
With the new knowledge about magic safely tucked under my cap, I left the Magic guild behind and I once again entered the city which is a veritable hellscape, there are the first few places to check for information, if possible the first place would be the castle but pft yeah right I'm gonna be let into the castle to question them about the current city/country's state.
More realistically I should check in at the adventurers guild and see what I can find out there, and then after that go to the market and check in with my contacts to get the common folks opinion and at the same time get a good handle on what I can manage to make that will be in high enough demands that I'll get an enormous amount of materials to create ever greater things.
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The Adventurer's guild, yuuup first time I've ever been here since I came to this games world, but it's just as I'd imagined I mean afterall it's pretty much a staple template building in every fantasy game now-adays.
I stood outside it's saloon style doors watching at the citizens passed into and out of the building, if any of them were players I wouldn't know, since we all had custom made avatars at the start of the game even if I saw someone who looked like they were from my home back on earth there would be a good chance it was actually an npc, and well...
'haaa haaa haaaah Masita'
Ugh I've already got an earful of an npc I don't want to run the risk of acquiring another like this.
After wasting moments people watching I entered the building which was an utter contrast of the magic guild, that which's halls were pristine with fine works of art, lushious carpets, and finely crafted polished counters.
But here... it was a total dive, the walls had scraps of paper nailed to the wall... requests for adventurers I assume, the floor was rough wood with the occasional bodies lying about, some bleeding others just passed out drunk.
I mean really it's still early morning, oh or rather are they left overs from yesterday.
At least there was one single thing that was better than the magic guild.
That's right it was the reception desk, you cant have an adventurers guild without some delicious looking npc's manning the desks.
As I walked my way up to the counter I took in the whole room, until my eyes rested upon the angelic beauty who most likely worked every single day manning that counter, though her eyes were devoid of light, but even if it's only early morning she's already received more than a few lecherous glares, and passing fliratous comments.
"Can I help you?"
This cool beauty had the most monotonous voice I'd ever heard, guess that's what a place like this will do to you.
"Uh yeah i was looking to gather some information on the current state of the city, it looks like a real mess out there, it wasn't this bad a week ago"
"You missed an entire week? How!?"
For but a moment her voice was tinged with emotion, but one of sadness seeking a method of escape.
"Uh yess i routinely have to make trips out of the city into the forests to scavenge you see"
"Oh yes I see, and here I was thinking you might've been one of those"
"Those?"
"Yes, as you may have heard the city called upon saviors, heroes with powers far superior to that of any normal soldier"
"Ah yes those"
"Quite"
... ... but I am kind of one of those Heroes, oh well no need to bring that up here
"But back to your question, the city is in this state because of those same heroes, they were summoned but after only a week more than half of those summoned were dead and the on the morning of the 8th day the city was thrown into a panic as all the surviving heroes had vanished into thin air, the councilors thought this was a sign that enough damage had been done to the demon horde that heroes were no longer needed so they launched a massive campaign..."
"I... see"
"The wounded are still coming in, and no body really know just how many were killed, but now rather than weaken the demon horde further they've actually been strengthened after getting their hands on all the weapons and armor worn by the soldiers who were killed or captured"
"But the city still stands so it's not all bad right?"
"Hah barely, the city only stands since the demon's have been acting suspiciously ever since the heroes were called upon"
Probably cause the admins don't want the world to end since hell mode is already hard enough on us beta testers.
My conversation with the beautiful woman with a dead soul continued on for only a little longer their wasn't much more information to obtain, only just that the cities surrounding have seen a marginal increase of Goblins, Kobolds, and even Orcs.
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The trip to the market was the most surprising, the goods the shopkeepers all sought were weapons, and shockingly so they were all obsessed about those weapons being something I had crafted, were my stone weapons really all that good?
But aside from that they were also seeking tools, since the cities armories' had been cleared out to equip the army, and I don't mean just of swords, and spears.
It's an arms dealers wet dream, this city doesn't many axes, hoes, sickles hell just about all forged goods, and even beyond that thanks to the advance even the blacksmiths and forges are dead in the city so no one is producing.
With this my first mission in the city has come to an end, and so with a grand smile spread across my lips i walked out the city gates ignoring the crys from those guarding it, and left with a purpose.
... oh and a stalker as well.