The salty air hit me the moment I stepped out of the base.
It was strange how I'd gotten used to the smell of medicine and bandages in those days, to the point where even the breeze of Valren Island felt almost new. I inhaled deeply, letting the sea's humidity mix with the iron scent of the port, and for a moment I felt alive again.
Being stuck in bed when there was so much to do could make anyone impatient.
Even if the weather that day was pleasant, the view was far less so.
The Valren I remembered no longer existed. The main streets, once crowded with merchants and sailors, were now half-empty, and the few passersby searched among the rubble with disappointed or regretful eyes.
Workers, however, labored diligently, trying to restore the island to its former state. It wouldn't be easy, of course, but among all the factions, the Merchants were the ones who would probably recover the fastest. Besides, there was another factor to consider.
Most of the destruction hadn't been caused by the monsters that appeared, but by the bafael. This had confined the damage to a single area, making reconstruction far easier.
I boarded the boat that would take me to Viltrix Island. I could have swum there thanks to the Water Affinity skill, but then I'd have had to dry my clothes — what a pain.
The trip was short, but not free of suspicious looks from those traveling with me.
It seemed that the tension between factions was starting to weigh on everyone. After all, in the archipelago, you either bowed to whoever held power or, in the best case, ended up as fish food.
As soon as I landed, I noticed that this island had also taken serious damage. I doubted they had faced a Grade 4 monster at its peak like we had, but maybe a couple of Grade 3 creatures had shown up. That would explain all this destruction.
Without wasting time, I headed toward the bastion to enter the dungeon. And no, it wasn't because I was desperate to find an artifact... well, I did need to find one, but not for myself.
Artifacts, just like awakened people, had a grade, and each grade came with a kind of score, if you wanted to call it that. Grade 0 artifacts were worth half a point, Grade 1 artifacts one point, Grade 2 artifacts two points, and so on.
So, what was the purpose of these points?
The answer: it was the equipment load a person could carry. For example:
As a Grade 1, I had one equipment point. That meant I could equip two Grade 0 artifacts or one Grade 1 artifact.
A Grade 2 individual could equip one Grade 2 artifact, or two Grade 1s, or one Grade 1 and two Grade 0s, or even four Grade 0s.
The higher your grade, the more combinations were available.
It was easy to see that high-grade artifacts provided stronger support, but they were also harder to find. Besides, sometimes it was better to have several low-grade artifacts with different effects rather than just one powerful artifact with a single ability.
When I reached the bastion, I saw pure chaos: people shoving and brawling just to get in. But what really caught my attention was a group of Explorers near the entrance clashing with another group. They had a rough look, clothes worn by saltwater and sun-darkened skin.
The Pirates.
"Tell me ye be jokin', lad! Two thousand valis each?!" one pirate barked.
"If you're broke, then screw off and stop wasting our time!"
"Don't be thinkin' just 'cause yer boss be Grade 3 we can't do nothin' to ya!" the pirate growled, stepping right up to the guard.
"You don't have the guts," the guard sneered, and a moment later, he was sent flying by a punch.
"Get 'em, boys! HAHAHA!"
With the first man throwing the punch and laughing, the rest of the pirates joined the brawl.
I stared at them silently for a moment, then ignored them and walked in once I'd shown my ID.
Inside, the tension was no better, especially because of the tax people had to pay when leaving the dungeon.
"Like hell I'm givin' it to you! I nearly died for this ring!"
"And I couldn't care less. Now, either you hand it over, or we all take a little fun with you, though I bet for sluts like you, that's more of a reward than a punishment."
At those words from an Explorer, his companions laughed disgustingly, eyeing the provocatively dressed women of the Red Streets.
"You lot? With those half-dead worms of yours? I bet even a desperate nympho wouldn't feel a thing!"
This time, it was the women's turn to laugh, while the Explorers' faces darkened.
"What did you just say, bitch?!"
"Yo, meathead, calm down. Weren't you the one last night screamin' like an animal while tied up, beggin' me to whip you and call you a filthy pig? Gotta admit, in my whole career, I've never seen a dick so adorably small~"
Even his own companions stared at him strangely, holding back their laughter. I won't deny it, even I found it amusing.
The man's face turned red fast, and in his rage, he drew his sword.
"I'LL KILL YOU, WHORE!"
At this rate, I will hardly need to do anything.
Unfortunately, that wasn't true. I still had to give the factions the final push to enter into conflict.
Ignoring the scene, I headed straight into the dungeon. After showing my ID once again, I was allowed in.
On the other side, the dry air of the rocky dungeon wrapped around me. Unlike usual, dozens of people were rushing about in a frenzy.
Many hoped to find artifacts and pay off their debts, and it really was the best way. But seeing shady people lingering near the exit, it was more than likely that some poor soul, someone who had risked everything to get an artifact, would end up robbed.
It was sad, I thought, but it was also a universal law. The rich enslave the poor, the strong crush the weak, and the cunning trick the stupid.
Come to think of it, in my old timeline I'd lived as the poor man, the weakling, and the fool... depressing, really.
Once I became stronger, I could have fought this system, but what was the point? As long as greed didn't vanish, equality would remain nothing but a bad joke for those in power.
Sure, some people had tried to fight the system, but from my perspective, they were just hypocrites. Not that I criticized their actions or their causes, I honestly didn't care, but when they tried to shove their values down your throat as if they were superior, it made you want to snap their neck.
I might have done that once or twice...
I moved on, leaving the crowded area behind and heading toward the dungeon's central zone.
The mana-charged lightning during the surge had changed the dungeon. Geographically, it wasn't much different, but the monsters had grown stronger and more numerous, and the various metals around had been transformed into artifacts.
You could find them by digging or even inside the monsters.
What I was looking for was a Grade 2 bracelet artifact that granted Minor Healing Blessing, though that wasn't why I needed it.
What told me about its existence was tied to the story of the thief who exploited the breach in the bastion wall, and whose tale ended in tragedy because of that very artifact.
I kept walking, occasionally dealing with monsters without much trouble using the new dagger I'd gotten from the Merchants while waiting for my new halberd.
From what I remembered, the artifact was found in a cave guarded by a Grade 2 monster in the central zone.
Here, Grade 2 monsters were common, but I'd grown strong enough to handle them without risking my life. As for the bad luck, I wasn't too worried for now.
After that near-fatal wave of misfortune, I figured, and hoped, I'd have a few quiet days. That was also why I wanted to settle this matter as soon as possible.
I explored the central area cautiously, using Shadow Veil to stay unnoticed. I had to search several caves, all dead ends, though I was lucky enough to find another Grade 0 artifact that slightly boosted agility.
But where is it?
Even after hours of searching, there was no trace of that particular cave.
I could've moved closer to the central zone, but that was where the dungeon boss lurked, and I wanted to avoid it.
The situation was becoming annoying when I spotted a cave hidden among rocky pillars, far inside.
I approached to check if it was the right one, but then I quickly ducked into cover at the entrance.
The good news: I'd found the place. The bad news: a powerful monster stood there, surrounded by a group of weaker ones. The real problem, though, was that this monster was wearing, on its wrist, the very artifact I needed.