"Argh!"
Christopher was on his knees, nauseous and barfing, as the transfer proved too much for his constitution. Meanwhile, Alexander stood tall and composed, a look of awe plastered on his face.
"Absolutely brilliant! If this existed during my reign, we'd have been invincible."
Lloyd couldn't believe his eyes. How was a man of his size fine after what they had just gone through?! He swore right then and there that he'd seriously train to avoid reliving that horrendous experience.
After getting rid of nearly everything in his system, he then opened the map again to confirm their location.
"We're exactly right where we're supposed to be. If we head east for a bit, we should eventually come across a road leading to Gruzia."
The General nodded and, without further ado, they set off on their journey, where they were once more mesmerized with the magnificent views of this unfamiliar world. The trees around them stood like colossal sentinels, reaching skyward with majestic bearings. Their bark shimmered with a metallic sheen, reflecting the light unlike any other and casting prismatic hues upon the ground. These towering giants, some with trunks wide enough to house entire ecosystems, were also adorned with leaves of various colors, making the scenery truly otherworldly. Beneath these titanic and arboreal beings was an underbrush teeming with life. Ferns with bioluminescent fronds carpeted the forest floor, creating a soft, ethereal glow that illuminated their path. Flowers of impossible geometries and hues bloomed in abundance, releasing fragrances that were both intoxicating and disorienting, a potpourri of scents from sweetly floral to sharply metallic. Amidst this verdant expanse, strange fruits dangled from the branches, some encased in hard, crystalline shells, others pulsating softly as if harboring a life force within. Vines, thick as a man's arm and covered in iridescent scales, wound around the trees, occasionally moving with a subtle sentience. The air itself even vibrated with the hum of unseen creatures, a symphony of alien calls that was both haunting and amazing. However, this beautiful unknown also served as a stark reminder that this world was filled with traps and dangerous creatures.
Fortunately, nothing hampered their way, and after a twenty minutes trek, they had reached a narrow, but well-trodden dirt road.
"I guess we're on the right track. I really hope that Gruzia isn't as bad as it appeared, though. We could have trouble getting what we want."
"Stop whining. We haven't even arrived yet."
A tinge of annoyance was felt from Alexander's tone, which made Lloyd awkwardly chuckle. He was right after all, since there was no point in worrying about the unknown, especially when the die had already been cast. Fretting over possible obstacles now would only hinder their progress.
After shelving his worry away, Lloyd became strangely fascinated by the road itself. It had initially seemed basic, but the closer he looked, the more impressed he became. It was impeccably maintained – no cracks, no weeds, and it was perfectly level. Such precision spoke of meticulous care, a level of maintenance that didn't seem feasible in such a remote location. Could magic also be at play here? As his interrogations mounted, he didn't notice that Alexander had come to a sudden halt, causing him to nearly bump into the towering figure.
"Ugh… What's up?"
But as soon as he saw the General's face, he was shocked. The man was… awestruck?! He immediately turned his attention to what had caused this, only for his jaw to drop as well.
"I see the map didn't do it justice…"
The scenery unraveling before them was beyond anything they had ever seen. Standing there was… The central mountain chains. It was mind-bogglingly massive, to the point where he questioned how it even came into existence. Towering tens of kilometers high, it dominated the entire landscape while giving feelings of reverence and fear, as he finally understood why wars hadn't broken out between the continent's two halves. Who in their right mind would dare cross such an insurmountable barrier?
After admiring it for a few more minutes, he was finally ready to continue their journey, only to be stopped again by Alexander.
"Did you look at its base?"
Perplexed, Lloyd then looked down, only for his eyes to shockingly widen.
"What..."
Hidden within the epic scenery was a white, pristine wall that, at first glance, appeared quite small. However, this initial impression was swiftly overturned by its awe-inspiring scale. It in fact soared skyward, stretching hundreds of meters high and spanning an expanse that merged with the distant horizon. Adorning it at regular intervals were towers that, from his standpoint, appeared to be equipped with ballistae, though a closer examination would be necessary to confirm. From where he stood, it presented itself as an architectural wonder, boasting seemingly limitless defensive prowess.
"So, this is what I'll be in charge of bringing down… What a pain."
Alexander muttered with feverish anticipation, his eyes burning with passion at the sight of such a challenge.
"Let's go! I can't wait to see what's behind it."
But their enthusiasm slowly died down as they approached the structure, which had already been very impressive from afar. Up close, it just seemed otherworldly, with the sheer technical ability on display unable to be put into words. Wasn't this empire supposed to be weak?! Had he made a mistake? Next to the now worrying Lloyd was Alexander, who was simply flabbergasted. Never in his life had any dynasty ever dreamed of constructing something like this, let alone think of bringing one down. He was at a loss, a first for him.
In silence, they continued their march, their thoughts consumed by the need to adapt their plans in the face of this unexpected challenge. The already difficult road had suddenly become much, much harder.
But just as they were sinking deeper in thought, they saw… people? The engineer, who had been fairly reserved in his past life, froze on the spot. This was it, his first contact with Arcadian folk. Of course, he harbored a quiet hope that the inhabitants here would resemble those of Earth, yet he was acutely aware of the inevitability of significant differences, particularly in cultural aspects. At the bare minimum, he yearned for their physiques to be similar, or at least be close enough. As for Alexander, he welcomed the distraction, momentarily forgetting about the future daunting task of breaching the wall.
"Let's keep going! I want to see how they look."