What Dusk didn't know was that just two days after he left,
a sudden, dazzling golden light flashed across the sky over Black Crow Mountain, falling like a meteor to the foot of the mountain.
A white skirt fluttered in the wind, and a beautiful figure wearing a light veil over her face appeared at the foot of the mountain.
It was Ares, who had recently been in Fallen Dragon City.
"Am I still a step too late…" she said, looking toward the Church of the End at the mountain's summit,
not detecting any unusual aura there, basically confirming that the person was no longer there.
At this moment, Fursa and the others in the Cult of the End also sensed something, their faces changing instantly.
The group's forms turned into streaks of light as they rushed out of the Church together, flying toward the foot of the mountain.
But when they arrived, they found no one beneath their feet; Ares had already disappeared without a trace.
"That damn Ares," Castor said coldly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he judged her origin from her aura.
"That woman's nose is really sharp, I just hope our master doesn't get into trouble," Derrick said, looking toward the direction Dusk had left, worry flashing in his eyes.
"Don't worry, that's our master; how could anything happen to him?" Compared to the two, Fursa Archbishop appeared much calmer.
He sneered, "A mere Maiden of Dawn? My master could crush her with a single finger!"
His words gave Derrick and the others some confidence.
However, just to be safe, Derrick used a secret technique to send a message to Quito, telling them to be extra cautious of the Cult of the Dawn and Ares once they reached the capital.
...
Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and several days passed.
The sun set in the west, its afterglow shining warmly on them.
The carriage Dusk was riding in slowly entered a small town located on the Eastern Plains.
The town was called "Magus," meaning Wizard Town, implying that a wizard was once born here.
It was still a few days' journey from Fallen Dragon City.
After many days of tiring travel, Dusk and his companions planned to rest well here before continuing their journey.
Upon entering the town, it was apparent that although it was not very prosperous, the villagers lived peaceful and content lives.
Seeing them arrive, villagers along the roadside cast curious glances.
A man dressed in a gray cloth jacket approached with a humble smile, saying, "Welcome, esteemed guests, to Magus Town. How may we assist you?"
Without mentioning the luxurious carriage and the rare Blackscale Steed, just looking at the brocade clothes and armor worn by Dusk and the others made it clear they were no ordinary people, likely Extraordinary Beings, who deserved careful hospitality.
Dusk knew the high status Extraordinary Beings held in the hearts of ordinary people, so he was not surprised.
He said to the man, "Is there a good inn in town? Please take us there."
After speaking, the ring on his hand flashed with silver light.
Then, with a flick of his finger, a Silver Coin flew through a parabolic arc into the man's palm.
The surrounding villagers looked at the Silver Coin, their faces filled with envy.
On the Godforsaken Continent, 10 Copper Coins equal 1 Silver Coin, and 10 Silver Coins equal 1 Gold Coin.
For ordinary families, a few months' expenses rarely exceed one or two Silver Coins.
For the man, this was definitely an unexpected delight.
He hurriedly nodded and said, "Y-yes, yes, I will take you there right away. Please follow me, esteemed guests!"
After speaking, the man immediately broke into a trot heading deeper into the town.
Dusk closed the carriage window again, while Quito drove the carriage, following the man closely.
Magus Town was not very large, and before long, they arrived at their destination.
What came into view was an old tavern, with lodging on the second floor.
After Dusk got out of the carriage, he scanned the tavern and noticed quite a few people drinking inside.
Most were village loafers, but there were also a few Adventurers dressed in leather armor, looking fierce and intimidating.
Their arrival attracted the attention of many inside the tavern, but most of the gazes were focused on Nara.
Her curvy figure was enough to make these unsophisticated men swallow their saliva.
The group paid no mind to these stares.
After entering, Quito took out a Gold Coin and placed it on the table, saying to the bartender behind the counter, "Rooms for three."
The bartender was a muscular man in a white shirt; upon hearing this, he looked up at the three guests, then took three wooden keys from under the counter and handed them over, saying, "Second floor, rooms 203, 204, and 205."
Without a word, they took the keys and headed upstairs.
After they left, a group of drunks downstairs began chatting.
A sleazy-looking man with shifty eyes said, "Did you see that chick just now? Although I couldn't clearly see her face, that figure, that skin, she's definitely a great beauty!"
A man nearby slapped him on the head and lowered his voice to warn, "If you want to die, don't drag us down with you. Didn't you see the clothes they were wearing?
"Not to mention anything else, just look at that big guy who paid — he's definitely an Extraordinary Being!"
The slap snapped the sleazy man awake, and he finally realized how stupid his words had been.
Panicked, he looked up toward the second floor, seeing no one paying attention, and finally let out a long sigh of relief.
For ordinary people, Extraordinary Beings were absolutely not to be offended.
If they ran into narrow-minded types, just a few careless words like that could get them killed, and everyone would think they deserved it.
After all, this was a world where the strong ruled.
The man's words also reminded the others in the tavern, and the crowd dared not speak recklessly.
However, in a corner of the tavern, the few people dressed as Adventurers that Dusk had noticed earlier exchanged glances, then tacitly stood up and left their seats.
The leader, a bearded man, said calmly, "Boss, the check please."
...
Meanwhile, on the tavern's second floor, in Dusk's room, both Nara and Quito were present.
"Master, those people downstairs are trouble," Quito said in a low voice.
Nara also nodded and said, "They smell strongly of blood; they are not ordinary villagers."
In such a remote small town, anyone covered in the scent of blood would either be a Bandit or a Bounty Hunter.
No matter which one they were, they definitely weren't good people.
If it weren't for the two of them pointing it out, Dusk wouldn't have paid much attention to it.
Although he sensed something was off about those few, he wasn't an Extraordinary Being after all, so his perception wasn't that sharp.
Of course, outwardly he certainly wouldn't reveal any of this.
Dusk said calmly, "Ignore them for now; if they really don't know when to quit, we can send them on their way later."
"Understood," Quito also thought those few lackeys weren't worth worrying about, so he nodded and turned to leave, heading back to his own room to rest.
"Aren't you going back?" Dusk looked at Nara, who remained standing there, raising an eyebrow.
"I want to stay here and serve you, Master," Nara said, removing the veil to reveal her charming face, then stepped behind Dusk and gently leaned her soft body against his, speaking softly, "Master should not mind, right?"
Dusk said nothing, only stood and drew the curtains closed, saying, "Go take a bath."
Nara responded softly, then removed her sheer skirt and entered the room's washroom.
After undressing, Dusk followed her inside.
The washroom was small, only a few square meters, with a clean oak bathing tub inside.
Nara was filling the tub with water; her fair and delicate body looked even more graceful in the dim light.
Noticing Dusk's entrance, she said softly, "Let me serve you with your bath, Master."
Dusk nodded and stepped into the tub.
The water was somewhat cool, but since it was midsummer, it was just right.
Enjoying Nara's care, Dusk slowly closed his eyes.
Soon, he felt a warm, soft body press against his back.
As their movements grew more intimate, their body temperatures gradually rose.
As evening fell, heavy breaths and soft moans gradually filled the bathhouse.
It was like a symphony woven from desire.
...
The next day, the sun shone brightly.
Early in the morning, the three of them set off from Magus Town by carriage, heading toward Fallen Dragon City.
"Safe travels, esteemed guests!" The man who had taken a Silver Coin from Dusk the day before stood at the town's entrance waving goodbye.
Good people were rare these days; if it had been someone else in his profession who didn't rob them, they could be considered conscientious.
The carriage wheels rolled swiftly over the dirt country road.
Though it looked like an ordinary carriage, it was actually a technological product made using magic-guided technology.
At this speed, they would probably reach the capital, Fallen Dragon City, within a few days.
Taking advantage of this downtime, Dusk took out a book he had brought from the Cult of the End.
The book was titled Chronicle of the Holy Era, and it was about the Holy Era, which was the last epoch.
This was an era that came after the Cataclysm Era and the Dark Era, an era that had been ruled jointly by the Empire of Radiance and the Church of Lumina for tens of thousands of years.
Back then, the Deities could still communicate with the human race.
The then-dominant Empire of Radiance and Church of Lumina relied on the divine gifts of the God of Light to push back the monsters that had occupied the Godforsaken Continent for tens of thousands of years, banishing them back into the dark abyss.
And this Chronicle of the Holy Era told the history of that era.
To better understand this world, Dusk didn't just bring the Chronicle of the Holy Era, but also historical books about the Era of Abandonment, the Dark Era, and the Cataclysm Era.
Not only could these fill gaps in his knowledge, but they could also help pass the time during the journey.
However, what Dusk did not expect was that just as he was reading with great interest,
the carriage that had been moving smoothly suddenly jolted violently.
Before he could figure out what was going on, Quinn's angry shout rang out from outside: "Protect the Master!"
Almost at the very next moment, a tremendous explosion thundered!
"Boom!!"
The violent force hurled the carriage into the air.
At the critical moment, a faint blue flame surrounded Nara's body, and she carried Dusk up into the sky.
The carriage crashed heavily to the ground after flying several meters, and the Blackscale Steed was blown to pieces on the spot!
An enemy attack?!