Chapter 33: Exploring and town defense

Pondering on how I can gain money without arousing too much suspicion. I guess I could open a market. I am sure enchanting would be a high-value service I could supply. I really just want a home so I can place a Telepad inside and be done with it. Everything I need is at home.

Walking around the market; seeing a wide variety of items for different prices. It's odd seeing certain materials that from where I am from would make you rich, yet here are common commodities. Gold, for example, I got 3 silvers per bar, now I don’t know if that’s the average price but assuming so it's shocking.

To be fair, instead of cave-diving they likely hire miners to quarry out a massive area. Stone being sold in bulk to builders, ores to blacksmiths; any mystical stuff that pops up is undoubtedly being sold to the government or some local magical groups. With a good pickaxe and a group of people, a chunk Is mined very quickly. So, it only makes sense that diamond, gold all be it higher value given how uncommon it is.

Wandering around I get a rough idea of the general value of things. Handmade items are more valuable than crafted items due to labor costs and quality. Finding a variety of buildings dotted throughout, barren with a sign stating a rent and buy price. Not as expensive given buildings are not an extreme difficulty to build. The price varies based on location, utility, and decoration. Rather than labor and time. Buildings near the market are extremely expensive, larger ones even going for a couple diamond coins.

Further out some buildings are as cheap at 5 gold. I don’t need anything fancy I suppose, although I could just build my own house. I wonder if I could buy some land inside the town and build on top of it.

I don’t even care about money; I can work towards whatever I want, but society works on money so I digress. The evening is approaching, maybe I should spend the night in the town. Asking some locals, the ones that didn’t ignore me; they said a pub in the southern part of town has beds for sale. ‘walking up to a pub’ it’s called ‘Iron strong pub’ terrible name. Yet I walk finding the building warm and merry. People laughing over booze while a young man runs around grabbing plates and serving food.

Finding an older woman at the counter, hair starting to grey. Lines on her face tell of a hard yet successful life.

“Hello, I heard you had some beds available,” I say pretending I have done this before [I haven’t].

“Now what would someone wearing such fancy Armor be needing a bed here?” a warm smile blooms across her face

“Always the Armor; you got no idea how much trouble it causes me, but it keeps me safe I suppose,” I say voicing my thoughts

“A silver a night, breakfast included; ya gotta pay for dinner though,” said like a sales pitch

“Sounds fair, give me 2 nights” ‘handing over 2 silver’

Promptly I am led to a room, handed a cast iron key. She turns to me and says “Don’t lose it, 5 bronze penalty”

‘as I enter the room’ I find a simple room, a bed, a desk, and a few other basic amenities. At first, I thought it was a little expensive but seeing a guard on the second floor I changed my mind. I don’t personally care, everything I own is around my neck, yet others would appreciate the safety.

Placing down a Telepad, I consider heading home for the night. Yet a tickle in the back of my mind tells me otherwise. I want to see what this town does to avoid monsters. Heading outside of the inn, I find the number of people around is dwindling. Nothing major, but comparing 2 hours before you would find it's nearly half. Wandering around, I find a food stall selling some kind of meat skewer; the smell is like ambrosia. ‘mouth salivating’ I buy one for a few Bronze. Taking a bite and I immediately know it's pork. And good pork too; little fat but what is there is rendered well enriching the meat with a moist oily texture. Herbs and spices making the skewer a tasty treat.

The night quickly approaching, I appreciate the beautiful night, dusk settling I see a hum of orange over the walls. Approaching the wall, I find Jack, a different partner this time though.

“Hey Jack,” I say in a jolly tone

“Hey… ‘scratching his chin’ what was your name again?” a slight shade of pink covering his cheeks

“Aeternum”

“Ah yes, what brings you here, you should settle down for the night. It will get dangerous soon” he says genuinely concerned

“Actually; that’s why I am here, I want to see how you guys handle protecting your town” hope covering my face

“I guess that’s fine, but it's not safe” apprehension clearly apparent

Drawing my face into a thin line, not like he can see my face in my Armor. “No stress I can handle myself”

He turns to his guard partner who responds “His life” in a quiet and short voice.

“I guess you can then, come along buddy we are just about to mount the wall” energy coming back quickly he guides me through the long winding hallways. Finding myself upon some stairs, leading to the top of the wall.

Looking over I find it surprisingly high up. Suppressing a slight shiver going up my spine, good job I can fly.

“Gorgeous view right, best times at dawn; view to die for,” he says gazing at the last vestiges of light leaving.

I noticed they have a sword on the hip, a small shield on the arm, and as a main weapon ‘bow and arrows.’

“Hey pass me that bow, let me help you out,” I say to Jack

“Err, why? Not sure I should do that I kind of need it” he says throwing a confused face at me

“Just do it” ‘passes me the bow’ ‘I take out an enchanting table’

Placing the enchanting table down, I quickly enchant the bow with power 1 unbreaking 1 knockback 1. I found great entertainment in watching confusion, turn to awe and then back to confusion. ‘handing the bow back’ mouth agape he mutters “Thanks, I always wanted an enchanted bow; what can it do”

“No sweat, don’t worry about it; it's just a low power enchanting. That thing has higher power, more force, and will last longer.” I say confidently

“I owe you one bud, this is amazing. Would take a month's wages to buy one normally, if you can enchant why you so poor?” he says even more confused

“Wait how did you know I was so poor?” bewildered

“That apple stall guy got a big mouth,” he says matter of factly ‘slowly gliding his hand over the bow’

“Thanks, I’ll make sure to give him a punch next time I see him. And as a matter of fact, I am no longer that poor” ‘flashes a few silvers’

“Yeah, yeah anyway the wave is coming, be on guard” ‘straitens his back and knocks a arrow’

Focusing on the nearby wooded area I start to see it; monsters. Skeletons and zombies for now. Once they come closer to the wall, I start to see arrows fly towards the monsters. The zombies quickly die and the skeletons can't reach with the bows at that distance. Yet it keeps getting worse; more monsters kept spewing out the forest quickly overwhelming the defences.

“I am no genius but it seems you guys are getting overwhelmed,” I say curios

“Yeah, this is a pretty bad night, just watch” Confidence unwavering

As the monster’s group into a large wave, the floor caves revealing glistening spikes. Quickly destroying the first wave.

“Why not just live in the sky or underground to avoid this?” I ask curios

“Some do, but monsters always find a way” ‘loosing arrows at breakneck speed’

As the monsters continue to fall in the hole, eventually they make it past the spike trap. Yet now few monsters remain, the wave mostly decimated. As far as I can tell the worst is over. Just as I began to breathe easy, I see… it – creepers.

“Shit” I hear Jack say

Quickly I hear commands from towers along the wall.

“All archers, aim for the creepers; let none pass” voice oddly carrying through the whole wall.

Quickly creepers get decimated, some exploding but most harmlessly dying. If I was in charge the creepers would have been hidden within the massive wave of undead. Foolish monsters. Watching the numbers dwindle I realize the creepers were limited as no more are appearing.

Resting my arms on the wall chin held up I watch the remaining monsters get obliterated.

“That should be all the problems sorted, always the worst is right after nightfall,” jack says

“Why so many monsters, I've never seen so many before”

“It's down to how many people live in this here city” Mentally filing away that information

“I see; thanks”

Before I get up to head to bed I spot some purple particles in the forest, before I know it I hear a loud growl. ‘head-turning to the side’ I see an enderman sprinting along to wall towards me. It punches me off the wall, knocking the air from my chest. Looking at it I see a scar on its leg and arm “You little shit”.

Seeing jack panicking as I fall, I smile a little. Turning to the ground I land with a smash; floor dented “oops”.

I quickly use flight and momentum from a jump to scale the wall with haste. Finding the enderman gone like the wind.

“Cheeky bastard; a hit and run” I snarl

‘Jack rushing over’ “yo, you okay; how in the nether did you survive that fall?” regressing into the local accident in shock. His partner has his jaw on the floor.

“That doesn’t matter, where did the purple bastard go!”

“He teleported away instantly; wait I am sorry I didn’t protect you. It's just they are so rare I didn’t expect it” he honestly looks sorry and apologetic

“No stress, I didn’t see it coming either. Il get him no stress”

Mood slightly soured but I see the humor in the chain of events. “Sorry for scaring you, anyway I should head to bed; goodnight”

“Night” He murmurs, still clearly confused.

I head to the inn to turn in for the night, teleporting to my home and an actual bed. I wonder if I should get a carpenter to make me an even better bed. This town opens up so many more possibilities.

I say hello to Sling and Chic while I am here. The spider is always over-excited; mentally noting to bring a meat skewer back for the voracious spider. Sling just giggles, friendly as always. It's pretty hard to read what slime is thinking. I should make a Polynesia charm soon. Lets you talk to animals. Actually, I have neglected witchery for too long. I guess I know what I am doing tomorrow I suppose. Taking the time to look under my island. Finding a healthy serving of monsters. I guess it would be a shame to leave all those materials. And with that, I went on a slaughter just with superior gear.

I still have that wither skeleton I should practice my combat skills soon. Just need to heal the skeleton first with harming potions. His skull is cracked so I fear if I fight too much he would die. Wouldn’t want that for my sparring partner.

Spending some more time on my castle, adding black highlights to relax. I head up to my room. Quickly writing a length diary chapter I finally get in bed. The days are flying by so fast now. I can't wait to make some friends.