He deliberately included the location in his novel to add an air of mystery.
Fogthrone was a secret dimension accessible only through a special gate.
A gate, in this world, was a common phenomenon occurring when the
When two currents of Arcanum clashed, they created a rift in reality, naturally opening a pathway between worlds. These rifts manifested as Gates—portals to unknown foreign worlds or dungeons.
Gates could appear anywhere, anytime: in the middle of a city, underground, or even in the air.
They were no longer rare occurrences, but daily threats and ever-emerging sources of power that demanded attention.
Each Gate led to a dungeon of varying danger levels, inhabited by monsters, traps, and structures originating from other worlds.
These dungeons appeared automatically, seemingly a defensive mechanism of foreign dimensions against outside visitors.
On the other hand, high-level spatial Battlemages or entities from outside reality could create artificial Gates, opening pathways to alternate dimensions. Such Gates were used for exploration, transportation, even invasion.
Gates had become a part of the world's order, giving rise to professions like Gate Hunter, Dungeon Explorer, and Worldwalker. However, too many Gates could disrupt the stability of this world's Arcanum Azure, slowly pushing the planet towards spatial destruction if left unchecked.
Hastora possessed no spatial magic to create a gate. He needed another method. But what?
Now he remembered. There was a way to create a gate without spatial magic: using a special artifact.
No one knew about this artifact except Hastora, the author. This artifact could only be created using specific ingredients. However, he wasn't entirely sure this method would work.
Strange, unpredictable events were occurring in this world—things Hastora had never written about. But there was no way to know unless he tried.
Hastora stood, conjuring a cloak of darkness before continuing his journey.
The wind still howled along the path, but the rain held off. Hastora quickened his pace, breaking into a run.
After some time, the rain finally fell, drenching the earth.
Hastora quickly ran towards a bus stop on the roadside, wrapping his shadow cloak around himself.
"Freezing," he muttered, his body shivering violently. He felt as if he were slowly freezing solid.
Soon, a horse-drawn carriage appeared in the downpour. Hastora waved his hand.
"Excuse me! Can I get a ride? Of course, it's not free! I'll pay!" he shouted, hoping the driver would hear him.
The driver glanced towards the bus stop after hearing a shout in the heavy rain.
He steered his carriage towards the source of the sound.
"A young man?" The driver raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised.
Hastora approached the driver, his body trembling. "Excuse me, sir, could you give me a ride? I won't ride for free; I'll pay," Hastora said, hugging himself tightly.
The driver's brow furrowed, suspicious of Hastora's true intentions.
He could be robbed or killed. However, the driver sensed no malice or murderous intent from Hastora.
Feeling pity, and knowing Hastora would pay, he allowed him to ride.
"Alright, get in. But this isn't free."
"Thank you."
The carriage started moving after Hastora climbed inside.
He felt slightly better inside the carriage. It was still cold, but not as frigid as outside.
Hastora realized the driver had been glancing at him.
He was too observant. Hastora looked away, gazing out the window, pretending not to notice.
"Where are you from, young man?" the driver asked curiously.
"I'm from the capital, but I got lost while traveling in the forest."
"Were you alone in the forest?"
"Yes."
"What were you doing there?"
"Not much, I was just trying to hunt monsters."
"Monsters aren't toys."
"I know that."
"If you know that, why did you still do it?"
"I just wanted to become stronger."
"But still, you shouldn't take monsters lightly. You could die anytime."
"Alright, I'll heed your advice."
"That's good. Next time, don't act rashly. It would be a shame if you died young."
"Why?"
"Nothing. I just feel sorry for the women out there."
Hastora raised his eyebrows. "What's there to pity about them?" he asked curiously.
"Young man, haven't you realized you're handsome? Women could fall in love just by looking at you."
"Really? I didn't realize that."
"Turns out you're quite naive, too."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Where do you want to get off?"
"The capital. It's very close, so it's no problem, right?"
"Yes, no problem. I just need an extra fee."
"Alright. You've got it."
...
After a 15-minute ride, they arrived at the capital. The driver stopped the carriage.
"We're here."
Hastora quickly got out of the carriage after hearing that, then paid the driver as promised. He took a gold coin from his pocket.
"Here, one gold coin."
"I accept that. And may you be well."
The driver moved on, leaving Hastora alone.
Hastora smiled faintly, watching the driver leave
. In reality, the money he used to pay the driver was stolen from the driver's money pouch. He'd taken it discreetly using his shadow while they chatted in the carriage.
It was a bad act, but he didn't care; that's just how the world worked.
Hastora turned and walked through the capital.
Tall buildings and a medieval European-style environment stretched before him, creating an extraordinary combination.
'I don't regret combining the two at all,' he thought. But this wasn't the time to be captivated; he had other things to do.
Hastora walked into a shop beside the road.
"Excuse me, I'd like to buy something"
An old man with a long white beard, about 173 cm tall, was tidying his wares when the door opened. The old man turned and approached him.
"What do you want to buy?" the old man asked, his brow furrowed.
Despite his aged face, his body wasn't frail. He had a large, muscular build, visible beneath his clothing.
"I want to buy a light bulb, Noxshade Lily, and Solflare Moss"
"Alright. Wait a moment"
He went into the back room to prepare Hastora's order.
He planned to make an artifact from a light bulb, infusing it with the energy of the Noxshade Lily and Solflare Moss.
He just needed to channel mana into the two flowers.
The Noxshade Lily was a rare flower found only in high altitudes. It could also be used to summon demons from the Underworld because it possessed summoning energy. When its energy was used, new magical energy would replace the spent energy. Criminals often used it to summon Underworld demons for their evil plans.
Solflare Moss was an orange moss found only in caves containing mana crystals. It could be used as a natural energy source, fueling minor magic or magical lamps.
Hastora could use the Noxshade Lily's summoning energy and the Solflare Moss as fuel. With these two energies, he could create an artifact capable of summoning a gate without spatial magic. No one knew this method except Hastora. No one...
"A light bulb, Noxshade Lily, and Solflare Moss. Your order is ready"
The old man returned with Hastora's order in a bag.
"Thank you. I'll take this"
After paying, Hastora quickly left the shop and headed towards a certain place.
Ding!
[A Quest]
[Quest: Slay several Hollow Leapers in Fogthrone]
[Penalty: -3 to all stats upon failure]
[Will you accept this quest? Y/N]
To be continued in the next chapter…