The second option, though exhausting, involved luring the goblin once more. This approach carried significantly less risk than the previous method. Furthermore, by utilizing this tactic, he could conserve valuable points—allowing him to invest in powerful ninjutsu later.
Aaron touched his chin, contemplating the choices. While the first option seemed reckless, it was undoubtedly the fastest way to clear out the goblins.
The second method, though more exhausting, posed less risk and allowed him to conserve points for purchasing ninjutsu later.
Investing in ninjutsu would undoubtedly enhance his combat prowess, reducing his future dependence on detonation talismans.
Once again, Aaron executed his previous strategy—transforming into a rabbit and luring the goblin team into pursuit.
.....
Blueish City.
Nestled beside the mystical Blueish Forest, Blueish City is a beacon of civilization and adventure. Its foundation reflects the vibrant essence of the Blueish Trees, whose shimmering foliage paints the nearby landscape in hues of deep blue, making the city feel like an extension of the enchanted woods.
The city boasts a well-organized road network, divided into two distinct pathways.
A smooth, stone-paved walkway for pedestrians, allowing easy travel for citizens and adventurers alike.
A reinforced monster carriage route, built with sturdy materials to withstand heavy transport, ensures seamless travel for creatures and goods.
Surrounding the city stands a colossal fortified wall, constructed to defend against monstrous threats, especially during the beast tide, when waves of creatures attempt to breach civilization.
The Blueish City Guard plays a vital role in maintaining order and safeguarding its inhabitants. They are highly trained warriors, selected from experienced adventurers, knights, and retired mercenaries. Their responsibilities include:
Patrolling the streets to prevent conflicts, robberies, and unlawful behavior.
Regulating entry and exit at the main gates, ensuring that travelers and merchants are properly documented.
Guarding key locations such as the market, noble quarters, and guildhouses, ensuring security in high-traffic areas.
Defending the city wall during beast tides, organizing strategic formations, and utilizing siege weapons against invading creatures.
A specialized division trained to handle rogue monsters that occasionally enter the city, neutralizing threats without causing unnecessary destruction.
In addition to the city guards, a prestigious knight order operates in Blueish City, serving as elite defenders in times of crisis. They are responsible for high-risk missions, monster extermination requests, and diplomatic relations with nearby settlements.
The marketplace thrives with a diverse array of shops, catering to adventurers, mercenaries, and professionals. Some of the notable establishments include:
Equipment Shops: Selling swords, armor, magical artifacts, and rare materials from the forest.
Potion Stores: Stocking healing elixirs, mana restoratives, and unique concoctions crafted from Blueish Forest herbs.
Enchantment Hubs:Specializing in magical runes, artifact enhancements, and spell tomes for sorcerers.
Supply Depots: Offering rations, survival kits, and essential travel gear for long journeys.
Local Market: The heart of trade, where vendors set up stalls offering fresh produce, exotic beast materials, and hand-crafted goods. Negotiations between traders, collectors, and artisans create a dynamic atmosphere.
Professionals & Adventurers:
Skilled blacksmiths, artificers, and alchemists operate their businesses, supplying goods for adventurers.
Guildhouses dot the city, allowing adventurer teams to gather, strategize, and recruit new members.
Scholars & historians study the mysteries of the Blueish Forest and its ancient lineage, contributing knowledge to the city's archives.
Houses range from simple wooden cabins for commoners to grand stone residences for wealthy merchants and high-ranking adventurers.
Some buildings incorporate enchanted blueish wood, giving them a faint luminescence at night, blending the city's architecture with the magical essence of the forest.
With its meticulously structured defenses, bustling economy, and diverse inhabitants, Blueish City thrives as a strategic stronghold where civilization meets the untamed wilds of the Blueish Forest.
Situated in the heart of Blueish City, the Noble Area stands as a symbol of prestige, wealth, and power. This district is characterized by grand estates, lavish gardens, and towering mansions, all built with enchanted blueish wood that glows faintly under moonlight, signifying the prosperity of its inhabitants.
At the center of this district stands the Goldvien Estate, an architectural masterpiece embodying both nobility and business dominance.
Inside the Estate
Study room of Kael Goldvien.
Kael Goldvien's study is a sanctuary of intellect and prestige, a chamber where wisdom and lineage intertwine in harmonious splendor.
The towering mahogany shelves, gilded with delicate filigree, hold tomes of immense antiquity each bound in supple leather and embossed with gold-leaf sigils. Their contents, a treasure trove of arcane knowledge, hum softly with latent enchantments, whispering secrets only the most learned may decipher.
At the center of the room stands an imposing desk of polished ebony, its surface adorned with meticulously arranged scrolls, quills of the finest pheasant feather, and inkwells infused with crushed lapis lazuli. Here, treaties of magical theory and alchemical revelations are penned with practiced grace. Alongside, crystal decanters filled with rare elixirs glisten beneath the soft glow of enchanted candlelight.
A grand, multi-tiered chandelier of enchanted silver casts an ethereal glow upon celestial charts and regal tapestries depicting moments of great historical import. Beneath it, an armchair of deep burgundy velvet, worn yet dignified, awaits its master's presence—a throne for contemplation and discovery.
Kael Goldvien sat in his study, the soft glow of enchanted lanterns casting elongated shadows across the room. His fingers rested upon the armrest of his velvet chair, tapping in slow, deliberate intervals, a silent rhythm of contemplation. The fire in the marbled obsidian hearth crackled faintly, its embers barely enough to break the heavy silence that had settled between him and the butler standing beside the grand desk.
The butler, an older man whose demeanor had been forged through years of unwavering service, stood with an air of solemn respect. His posture was impeccable, yet there was a tension in his frame, as if measuring every word before speaking.
"Lord Goldvien," the butler began, his voice steady but careful, "the matter is... settled. There were no complications."
Kael exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the flickering fire. For a long moment, he said nothing, merely tracing patterns along the gilded sigil of his signet ring. The only sound was the whisper of parchment shifting on the desk notes on commerce and governance, now irrelevant in the wake of what had just transpired.
"Aaron was... an inconvenience," Kael finally spoke, his voice devoid of grief, yet not entirely indifferent. "His existence is complicated too much. Too many questions. Too many implications."
The butler nodded once, his hands clasped before him. "The men were precise. His passing will not be traced back to your name."
What was unknown to them was that another soul had already occupied the previous body and was currently challenging the dungeon....