Cast your sacred vote and make me burn! Thank you...
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Soon, under the guidance of Deck and El, we were already walking towards what Deck said was the Rogue Encampment's West Gate. Alright, a Wooden Fence Wall is one thing, but there isn't even a Moat. It seems the Rogues are really quite confident, huh?
As we approached the West Gate, the bustling crowd gradually increased. Most of these Commoners were chasing some unknown animals outwards. These animals came in all shapes and sizes; some looked like pigs, some like cows, some like chickens, and some were quite strange, like pig-cow hybrids, some covered in long fur, resembling enlarged pugs...
These unknown animals were the main source of meat for the entire Rogue Encampment. The Blood Wasteland wasn't very suitable for farming, only barely managing to grow some tenacious crops like Wheat. Other vegetarian foods and fruits were mostly transported from the commercial capital in the east—Lut Gholein. Things like Red Fruit (a fruit similar to apples), Mololo (a food similar to potatoes), etc. These were luxuries for the Commoners of the Rogue Encampment, rarely eaten more than a few times a year. Coarse Wheatcake, Meat Soup, Cheese, plus Wild Vegetables gathered from outside, were their daily staple foods.
These vast groups of unknown animals heading out from the West Gate were the main food source for the Rogue Encampment. They were all herbivores, so the Commoners would lead them to the outer areas around the Rogue Encampment to feed. Some small-scale breeders would return before nightfall, while some large-scale farm owners would simply camp outside. They brought tents and food, and would set up simple wooden stakes early on, then use ropes to fence in large numbers of Poultry.
The main Quest for Rogue Archers like Deck and El was to protect these Commoners and Poultry from Monster attacks. Summer was fine; the Wild Grass grew lushly, and these herders only needed to wander around the Rogue Encampment for a while with their Poultry to find enough food. In their leisure time, the owners could also pick some Wild Vegetables to improve their digestion. But winter was troublesome; large numbers of plants withered, and these herders had to go very far to feed their Poultry. This was also the time when their responsibility as patrols was heaviest and most arduous.
The preceding paragraph was a detailed explanation given by the kind Deck, who was leading the way, due to my ignorance.
The Commoners coming towards us looked at the four of us with eyes full of awe and worship, and quickly whipped and pulled their Poultry to the side to make way for us. For a moment, sounds resembling chicken clucking, dog barking, pig squealing, and sheep bleating were incessant. I have to say, this feeling of being revered was really damn satisfying...
Under their guidance, we quickly arrived at the foot of the West Gate. Looking up, the West Gate was about 10 meters wide and 8 meters high. Although the gate itself was made of wood, a closer look revealed iron plates embedded within it. Ten Rogue Archers stood imposingly on either side, appearing particularly solemn. Regarding this, I couldn't help but sigh that even though the world was different, both humans and Rogues had such a strong sense of 'face' when it came to gates. What's the point of making your main gate so magnificent? Doesn't it just highlight how shabby the surrounding wall is? What's the use of an 8-meter-high gate? For two Barbarians and a Druid in Werebear form to play stacking on top of each other?...
Clearly, Lars and the other two had decent prestige in the Rogue Encampment. The ten Rogues guarding the gate immediately lowered their proud heads upon seeing the three of them approach, their eyes full of starry worship. However, the look they directed at me turned to confusion.
Damn it, one day I'll make your eyes burst with real stars when you look at me.
...
...
The moment I stepped through the gate, I was stunned by the sight before me.
What would you feel if you walked through a quiet passage, opened the door ahead, and suddenly found yourself outside the Maracanã Stadium, capable of holding 200,000 people, with the World Cup final in full swing and the crowd roaring?
I don't know how to describe my feelings at that moment. Perhaps from the perspective of others, I looked completely like a country bumpkin entering the city.
In this plain enclosed by Wooden Fences, countless tents were densely packed like sand. These tents varied in size; the small ones were similar to the tent Lars had lent me along the way, while the large ones were nearly a thousand square meters, taller than a five-story building. People constantly went in and out of the wide, embroidered cloth doors. Some smaller-scale vendors simply spread a layer of coarse cloth in front of their tents and displayed the goods they were selling on it.
The distribution of tents wasn't entirely without pattern. Although it looked chaotic, and indeed it was quite chaotic, you could still find a network-like structure, like a spiderweb. Everyone consciously left pathways open, after all, if there were no paths around where you were selling things, who would specifically come to buy? The essence of "to get rich, first build roads" was perfectly demonstrated here.
Seeing these countless tents, I finally understood what Lars meant when he said the residents of the Rogue Encampment were highly mobile...
Seeing my dazed look, Deck smiled and said, "The West Gate area is the Commercial District, so it's naturally more bustling. The other three areas are Residential Districts, and the Camp in the Central Area is the paradise for most Class Holders."
Deck and El parted ways with us at the entrance. After all, their Quest was patrolling, and personally escorting us this far was already a very grand treatment.
The four of us remaining slowly walked along a relatively wide and empty main road. This road seemed to be a main artery of the West District, and the people on it were particularly crowded. Fortunately, given our status, people on the road would actively make way for us. Putting aside respect, even if someone had no good feelings towards Class Holders like us, they wouldn't dare walk too close to freaks like us. Who knew if accidentally brushing against us might leave their fragile bodies with permanent injuries or something...
So, whether they respected us or feared us, they all consciously stood to the side. The difference was that those who respected us saw us as moving idols, while those who feared us saw us as demons wreathed in fire...
"My dear Wu, what are your plans now?" Lars turned his head and asked me.
I shrugged, indicating that I didn't know either, and would just take it one step at a time.
Damn it, how did I unconsciously pick up that shady Knight uncle's signature move?
"Why don't you stay at my place for a few days? I'm sure my wife will treat you to the most delicious food," Lars invited me with a very enthusiastic tone.
I didn't answer Lars immediately, first looking at Doug and Geoff.
"We don't have any plans either. Right now, we just want to go to the Central Area for a few drinks, and then find an Inn to stay at."
I thought about it and declined Lars's kind offer, deciding to follow Doug and Geoff instead. After all, Lars had been away for three months, and it would be better for him and his wife to have some time alone. I didn't want to be a third wheel and then hear sounds unsuitable for children at night.
Seeing my firm attitude, Lars didn't insist. After agreeing on a time and place to meet, he parted ways with us at a fork in the road.
After Lars left, Doug became more unrestrained. His left arm was draped over Geoff's shoulder, and his right arm, due to the height difference, simply rested heavily on my left shoulder.
"Haha~~ After more than three months of crappy days, today we're going to drink to our heart's content!"
Doug got carried away when he got excited. His raspy voice instantly drowned out the surrounding noise. Even I, who thought I was used to it, got a headache again.
After walking for about half an hour, the surrounding tents gradually became fewer. A few scattered tents were pitched around, and there were far fewer pedestrians. However, there were more people dressed in strange clothing. They seemed to intentionally keep their voices low, even whispering into each other's ears when they spoke, adding a touch of eeriness and oppression to the atmosphere here.
"Because it's near the center of the plaza, most of the people living here are Class Holders, so there are naturally fewer people," Doug said loudly, completely disregarding the surrounding atmosphere. His voice was particularly jarring in the eerie atmosphere, causing the people around to look over. Geoff and I quickly moved two steps away to show we weren't associated.
I looked carefully around. Indeed, as Doug said, the strange crowd around seemed to be growing. They were likely wearing some Equipment, and you could tell at a glance that they were Class Holders like us.
Why did I say they were strange? This referred to their clothing and Weapons. Look at that one there, a thin build, a gloomy face, a cold expression. He was wearing Cloth Armor with unknown Attributes, probably thinking it wasn't cool enough, so he dyed the Cloth Armor black and draped a black hooded ordinary (non-Equipment) Cloak over it, pulling the hood over his head. He indeed had a bit of a Necromancer vibe, but then look at what he's holding in his hand?? A gleaming small Hand Axe, clearly an essential weapon for murder, arson, robbery, and looting.
This Necromancer vibe, when paired with the axe in his hand, took on a different flavor. How to describe it? If he were my superior, I'd say, "Lord, look at your attire. It has both the elegant coolness of a mage and the passionate heroism of a warrior, perfectly blended together. Heavens, anyone can tell at a glance that you are definitely a peerless expert of Magic-Martial Dual Cultivation!"
If he were my subordinate, I'd tell him to leave without a second thought. With that getup following behind me, I wouldn't even dare go out...
Alright, alright, I admit I shouldn't mock them. After all, this isn't a Game, and Equipment doesn't just drop everywhere. Weapons, especially mage-type Weapons, are incredibly hard to come by. This is easily evident from these Class Holders. Not to mention that Necromancer brother who looked like a bony butcher with his Hand Axe, there was also a Paladin who just passed me, wearing blue Leather Armor. You could tell from his aura that his Level wasn't low, but the Weapon he was holding was still the rough Wooden Club given out for free when he became a Class Holder, one for each person.
And that beautiful Amazon standing next to the fruit stand on the right, OMG, the Spear in her hand was clearly no ordinary item, but paradoxically, she was wearing the same Daily Clothing as me...
(end of chapter)