Chapter Ninety-One: The Traveler's Box

At present, the Land of Faint Light is extremely dangerous. Once we reach the Disaster Messenger Tower, we can also send you back to the Tower of Remedies while we carry out our mission. The Witch of Crows asks whether you are willing to return with them to the Tower of Remedies.

The gathered disaster messengers all turn hopeful eyes toward you. They are very fond of hearing treasure seekers tell stories of calamity. In their view, you are a monster who could walk through the Mist City without turning to stone, and you must have seen many powerful disasters.

Disaster messengers are very fond of hearing tales about calamity, and this has to do with their training system. Every apprentice disaster messenger must submit a disaster observation report at the end of each month, or lose academic credit.

Chen Qi looks at the text.

The Witch of Crows’ pitch-black, weary eyes fix on you. Do you accept their invitation?

Chen Qi thinks it over. His body is damaged, and the Lantern Fox has also fallen into a state of exhaustion.

As the vanguard for detecting calamities, the disaster messengers possess no shortage of books, treasures, and intelligence.

It would not hurt to go.

Yes.

You sheath the long blade of the debt collector and accept the invitation.

The Witch of Crows tells you, “Welcome. Please wait a moment. We will set out once we have finished handling things here.”

You agree and lean tiredly against the wall of the ruins.

A few apprentice disaster messengers come closer, wanting to hear stories from you.

You have heard some pharmaceutical apprentices say that those disaster messengers do not actually like hearing about treasure seekers encountering calamity, but rather stories of treasure seekers being brutally tormented by calamity. The older the disaster messenger, the more they seem to enjoy such suffering. To the pharmaceutical apprentices, the terrifying Witch of Crows seems especially fond of hearing stories of the Flower Witch being tormented in the Land of Faint Light, while wearing that eerie expression that is half smile and half not.

Thoughts flicker through your mind. Leaning against the wall, your stomach growls. You look toward the giant crows in the sky; perhaps they could be made into roast crow...

Then suddenly, you feel as though you have forgotten something.

Forgotten something...

Chen Qi inventories his belongings. It seems he has forgotten his little donkey.

You are too tired to talk, so you tell the disaster messengers that you are going to fetch your mount, the little donkey.

Chen Qi props his chin on his hand. If not for the game text prompting him, he would have almost forgotten the little donkey entirely. He only hopes it has not been turned to stone by the mist storm.

“...”

A moment later.

You lean against the pitiful little donkey and watch as the disaster messengers pack away some clue items.

The disaster messengers have finished their work.

“Herbal gatherer, please come with us,” says the Witch of Crows. She taps her Crow Staff, moistens her throat, and lets out a songlike call.

From afar, you hear a long crow’s cry.

You look up. A massive shadow covers the snowfall.

A gigantic black crow descends from the high sky and lands before you.

You realize that this is a giant crow.

Every giant crow is a ruler of the skies within District 6 of the New Capital. It is said that above the heavens of this district, where strange beasts roam everywhere, there are also birds of sky-cities capable of bearing entire towns on their backs.

You keep retreating as you look at this towering behemoth, at least sixty feet tall. On its back stands a two-story house built of red brick.

When disaster messengers travel together over long distances, they ride these giant crows.

The giant crow lowers its black wings, making them into a ladder.

The disaster messengers step onto the wings and climb toward the house above.

You lead the little donkey and follow the disaster messengers into the house on the giant crow.

You enter as well. It is a house of red brick. In the center of the room stands a furnace built from magic stone, while along both sides are circular bookshelves, and every book is firmly locked in place upon them.

The heat from the furnace washes over you, wonderfully comfortable.

You hold the long blade, lead the little donkey, and sit by the window. Then you take out a cloth and wipe the bloodstains from the debt collector’s blade.

The Witch of Crows sits in her seat as well. She takes out a quill and a book and begins organizing the disaster intelligence they gathered from Mist City.

The apprentice disaster messenger you met earlier stands beside the Witch of Crows, recording information too.

The case of the Flesh-Eater is full of doubts, and she is in charge of listing them one by one.

The disaster messengers stare at you as though you were a delicious piece of meat, eager to hear the details of the mist storm calamity.

Sitting in her place, the Witch of Crows lets her gaze turn cold and says to the others, “Everyone remain quiet. This herbal gatherer has just come through a mist storm and is exhausted. Let him rest properly. Do not disturb him.”

You can feel that all the disaster messengers very much want to question you for information, but they are held in check by the stern Witch of Crows and dare not make a fuss, so they can only begin their work.

The apprentice disaster messenger who had poked your face with a feather looks at you a little fearfully and reminds you, “Please watch your step, Sir Herbal Gatherer.”

You hear the giant crow give a long cry, and then it beats its enormous wings and rises into the sky.

It is the first time you have sat in such a high place, so you cannot help leaning by the window and looking down.

In your eyes, Mist City is now no more than the size of a fingernail.

Outside Mist City, snow swirls in torrents. The Ice-Eyed Giant Deer keeps smashing trees to pieces. A gigantic snow woman floats in the air. Vast swarms of rats pour out of Mist City like a river...

You ride the giant crow toward the Disaster Messenger Tower...

After confirming nothing is amiss, Chen Qi clicks open the inventory and takes stock of the spoils from this journey.

A Soul Core, Enduring Ember, Traveler’s Box, Mist Sword Pendant, Veilbody Pendant, Mist Walker’s Garb, Mist Bell, and more.

A rich haul indeed!

Among them, the most powerful is surely Enduring Ember, whose two attribute bonuses are frankly monstrous.

In the study of spellcraft, the stronger one’s inspiration, the faster one learns and the greater the effect; and the more spiritual power one has, the more often one can use spells.

A fifty percent bonus is already a truly terrifying number.

Besides Enduring Ember, the thing that interests Chen Qi most is this so-called Traveler’s Box.

From the description alone, the Traveler’s Box has a very straightforward function: it is a storage space.

Chen Qi summons the Traveler’s Box into Earth.

It is a very small black cube, only about the size of a thumb.

The moment he touches it, he can sense the immense power contained within.

Across its surface are some intricate white patterns, as well as a tiny white dove.

Traveler’s Box: no owner bound.

This item must be bound by infusing spiritual power into it.

Chen Qi focuses his attention, pinches the little box between thumb and forefinger, and pours as much of his spiritual power as possible into the Traveler’s Box.

This requires patience and control over spiritual power.

Spiritual energy flows continuously through his blood and into the Traveler’s Box.

A moment later, Chen Qi lets out a long breath.

You have bound the Traveler’s Box.