BXBX NOVEL Chapter 69: Dawnwatch
Chapter 69: Dawnwatch
It was their first time breathing the air of the New World, and it smelled amazing. It was much fresher than the real world's air, which was stale and polluted.
The players shuddered in cold. It was quite cool outside. The thick, layered mist was now also blocking the sun.
"Alright, enter one of the carriages!" Ron shouted. "There're five of them, each going to a different city. Imperium City isn't available for any of you, so choose a different one!"
The Imperium City carriage was also for Adam, but since he wasn't heading there, it was empty.
The players looked at the carriages, each with a different name engraved on the side. Those who had already chosen their guilds knew where to head, but those who didn't get any letters were confused.
Those who didn't become mercenaries watched from indoors as the players discussed which carriage to enter. They looked envious and sad. Some of them even pressed their faces against the glass, longing to join in on the adventure.
They didn't have enough money to pay for the carriage trip, so they were stuck in this Border Village.
"Ah, look!" A player pointed to the east.
Everyone turned to look, and to their amazement, they saw a far-away wall reaching towards the sky. It was enormous, and it looked like it was extremely far away but also close at the same time.
"That's the Wall." Ron said. "It protects us from the horrors of the wasteland."
"Um, excuse me." Seth nudged Ron's shirt and asked, "Since I didn't get any letters, what am I exactly supposed to do now?"
"There're Mercenary Guilds in every city." Ron looked at him and said sternly. "Your only choice is to beg for one of the guilds to let you in. I suggest asking from tier 4 guilds; they're mostly quantity over quality; maybe they'll let you join."
"Ah, I see..." Seth said, scratching his arm as he didn't know what to do.
While he became a mercenary, being a D-ranked recruit made him undesired. He was basically at the bottom, even compared to other Mercenarymen.
"Alright, choose one of the carriages. We'll leave in ten minutes!" Ron shouted and entered Dawnwatch's carriage. There, several players were already seated, chatting and joking around.
At the back of the carriage, Adam was sitting alone, staring at the wall with a somber expression on his face.
Ron sat beside him and also kept his mouth shut.
Outside the carriage, Donald stepped to Ebonreach's carriage while Ramon and Hannibal entered New Karma's. Lastly, Seth took a leap of faith and entered Driftwood's carriage.
After ten minutes, all of the players had chosen their carriages, and then the horses started neighing and began pulling the carriages down the muddy roads.
They soon departed from Border Village and entered a dirt road. Soon, all carriages began heading in different directions. They soon disappeared from each other's sight.
...
Beyond the veil of mist, amidst vast fields of wheat and golden barley, stood a city enclosed by towering stone walls and majestic spires.
This was Dawnwatch, widely known as the City of Guilds.
Throughout its labyrinthine streets, adorned with hundreds of guild banners proudly bearing symbols of their respective trades, life flowed ceaselessly.
The city lay in the shadow of a colossal mountain, its peak shrouded in clouds, serving as both a guardian and a gateway to the enigmatic dungeon below.
Amidst the cobblestone pathways, a diverse tapestry of armored mercenaries, diligent tradesmen, and bustling city dwellers pursued their daily endeavors.
At the heart of Dawnwatch, amidst a forest of guild edifices, the grandeur of the Mercenary Guild reigned supreme, its halls teeming with countless warriors.
The bustling Market Hub, with its myriad roadside stalls and itinerant merchants, thrived as the epicenter of commerce and trade.
Yet, amid the vibrant hustle and bustle, sporadic clashes erupted in certain alleys, as mercenaries vied for dominance and territorial control, the echoes of clashing blades and fervent battle cries filling the air.
In more serene corners of the city, number of martial arts academies flourished, each imparting unique combat techniques and self-fashioned styles.
Nestled near the heart of Dawnwatch, a resplendent villa of crimson brick commanded attention, its sprawling grounds housing a modest dojo for training amidst its spacious interiors. Within, formidable mercenaries, draped in crimson cloaks and gleaming armor, walked about.
Amidst the symphony of combat and instruction, a retinue of servants-both Originals and players who had failed in their initial tutorial-attended to their duties with diligence.
They tended to the needs of the mercenaries, ensuring the villa remained pristine and well- provisioned.
At the villa's gate, a banner unfurled in the breeze, bearing the emblem of a crimson-furred hound.
Currently, at the top floor of the villa, in a cozy-looking office, a red-haired man with a scary, scar-ridden face sat behind a large wooden desk.
He looked distracted, hearing the neighing of horses and the laughter of his men outside. The man looked up at his paperwork, his eyes narrowing in suspicion at the sound of footsteps approaching his office.
Knock, knock.
"Come in." Digby said, his fingers pinching his glabella.
The door opened, and a pleasant-faced woman entered, dressed in tight body armor with a red cloak fluttering behind her. She had brownish hair, tied in a ponytail, and red lipstick glistening on her lips.
"Valora, what is it?" Digby asked and looked at the paperwork on his desk, feeling like his headache was about to return.
"We heard reports." Valora said with her sweet voice. "Our worries about the next Guild War might not happen, after all."
"Oh?" Digby leaned on his chair, allowing her to continue.
"The new S-ranked recruit, Adam Palestar, didn't go to the Imperium City, after all. If he had joined one of the Seven Ancient Guild's subsidiary guilds, that might've caused problems for
all of us."
"Oh, that's surprising." Digby said in surprise, but he still looked stoic. "Where's he heading
then?"
"He is apparently coming here, to Dawnwatch." Valora said with a serious look. "He is supposed to arrive within the next hour."
"Here?" Digby narrowed his eyes and interlocked his fingers. "That's interesting. I wonder who he is planning to join."
"If he joins our enemies, the Ameryn Brothers, what will we do?" Valora asked.
"Haha," Digby laughed. "You're always thinking about the worst outcome, Valora. There're hundreds of guilds here."
Valora pouted, blushed slightly, and said, "You're way too carefree, Digby. You know, the Ameryn Brothers will attack us as soon as they have the upper hand."
"I am not afraid of them," Digby said with a laugh. "It is a minor scuffle."
'Minor?' Valora's eyebrow twitched. 'This is a battle between two Tier 2 guilds. It is far from
minor!'
At that moment, Digby closed his eyes and sensed several auras nearing Dawnwatch. Those auras were faint and weak, most likely Mercenarymen and they were inside a carriage that
rolled down a dirt road.
Along with those faint and weak auras, there was one somewhat powerful one and another that was slightly different from those weak auras. That aura was like a volcano ready to erupt. Digby's eyes opened with a smile. "The S-ranker is about to arrive."
'His Kiryoku is as monstrous as ever.' Valora thought. 'I am not able to sense them yet. I'll have to increase my training!'
"He is indeed different from other recruits." Digby said with a grin. "So, he is the one that kicked the ass of that kid from Crescent Serpents. How interesting."
...
Adam's back and forehead started sweating.
'I was already sensed.'
He saw his hair stand up with goosebumps.
'Haha, I guess that was their way of greeting me.' Adam's lips curled up into a small smile.
'Dawnwatch, here I am.'