Chapter 14 of 100

Chapter 14

13 min read3,179 words

Chapter Fourteen

To be honest, the central area of the Rogue Encampment, which is a paradise for career changers, is essentially no different from the Western District. It's just a place for buying and selling and entertainment. The only difference is that it is cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing, unlike the Western District where tents are haphazardly set up everywhere.

Walking down the street paved with large blue stones, I couldn't help but look at the wooden houses on both sides. Most of the items sold here are related to career changers, such as sturdy tents and food that can be preserved for a long time, like the salted fish hanging at the store entrances and the jerky that Doug eats, which are all available for sale.

There are also many inns. Generally, unmarried male career changers, especially barbarians, tend to be quite messy. I have a deep understanding of this. During the half-month journey, when we occasionally found a water source, Lale and I would run to wash ourselves, but the two barbarian brothers never touched water. At most, they would reluctantly wipe their bodies a couple of times under Lale's angry gaze. I think if it weren't for their solid muscles, which are hard to bite, they would have been crawling with fleas by now.

Therefore, although they have tents, these career changers who are not short of money prefer to stay in a cleaner inn. Perhaps, I should also find a cheaper inn later.

However, the legendary magic item shop I've been eager to see has eluded me.

"Hey, young man, can you come over here for a moment?"

While I was walking aimlessly with a puzzled look on my face, a gentle and elderly female voice sounded not far from me. Although the words were vague, and the owner of the elderly voice might call most people on the street "young man," I felt she was calling me. It was a very peculiar feeling, and I couldn't describe it. Anyway, I stopped and looked in the direction of the voice.

It was an ordinary old woman, wearing a nun's habit that many common women like. She had a few deep wrinkles on her forehead and around her eyes, and she looked to be about 50 or 60 years old. From the contours of her face, I could tell that she must have been a remarkable beauty in her youth.

She didn't look as old as her voice suggested. I guessed that her long-term high status had formed a deep, hoarse tone, making her voice sound particularly沧桑 (weathered).

The most striking feature about her was her pair of pale eyes.

Considering her attire and the respectful looks from the proud career changers on the street, I could swear, by the honor of a Druid, that this was undoubtedly Akara, the actual manager of the entire Rogue Encampment and known as the mentor for newcomers in Diablo.

"Hehe... young man, can you come over and chat with this poor old woman for a while?"

Akara, hunched over, waved her free hand at me, and the smile on her face reminded me of my late grandmother who doted on me the most.

"Sure, sure..." I involuntarily walked towards Akara, who then slowly turned and walked into a small alley.

Following behind Akara, I walked a few twists and turns for about ten minutes, finally arriving at a small open space.

Actually, calling it a small open space isn't quite right, as there was a gray tent set up on the ground. However, the tent was so small that it was easy to overlook on this not-so-large open space.

"Young man, if you don't mind the old woman's humble home, come in and sit down."

Akara nodded at me and then crawled into the tent. I naturally followed her inside.

Once inside, I was surprised to find that the space inside the tent was not as narrow as it looked from the outside. In fact, it was several times larger. I had been worried about whether there would be enough space for me to sit.

"Young man, come, sit down." At some point, Akara had brought over a cup and gestured for me to sit on a wooden chair beside her. She then handed me the cup and slowly walked to the opposite chair and sat down.

I curiously examined the cup Akara had given me. It contained a light green liquid, which was steaming hot.

This can't be tea, I thought, and eagerly took a sip.

The water was a bit hot, almost scalding my tongue when it first touched my mouth, but it instantly turned into a cool sensation that slid down my throat and spread to my limbs and brain. This strange feeling lasted for a long time before gradually fading, leaving me feeling refreshed.

This isn't tea, but it tastes better than the best tea.

"Hehe~ Young man, how does it taste? This is a refreshing potion I made myself," Akara said with a smile.

"Um, it's the best thing I've ever tasted," I nodded sincerely, looking at Akara. I was still puzzled about why she had called me over, but it was a good opportunity to ask her some questions, like the one about Andariel's resurrection that I had discussed with Lale earlier.

Seeing me staring at her in silence, Akara seemed to suddenly remember something.

"Look at me, this old woman. I've forgotten everything in my old age and haven't even introduced myself. How rude of me."

"Not at all," I quickly responded.

"My name is Akara. I sell a few small things in this Rogue Encampment. I'm just an insignificant old woman, but you might have heard my name from others."

Akara chuckled, her ordinary appearance and kind demeanor making her seem no different from any other old woman.

If I could be fooled by her ordinary appearance, I wouldn't be Wu Fan. Seriously, it seems like you're the only one selling magic items in the entire Rogue Encampment. If you're selling small things, I might as well not wear underwear.

Managing tens of thousands of archers in the Rogue Encampment and being able to command thousands of career changers at any time, if you're insignificant, I'm a slave who has to sell sweet potatoes for the common people.

"Um... um? My name is Wu Fan, a newly appointed Druid. It's... it's a great honor to meet you, Lady Akara. Your name has been a household name to me."

I pretended to be startled and stood up, speaking half-seriously and half-jokingly. Honestly, I do admire this old nun. Just managing the entire Rogue Encampment so well is impressive. Look at her tent and the simple furniture inside; it's clear she maintains a simple and frugal lifestyle. She doesn't even have a servant, despite her age. Isn't she like the Diablo version of Kong Fansen?

"Hehe~ Just an old woman who has been blessed by everyone, not worth mentioning."

Akara smiled and shook her head, her expression genuine and likable, unlike some leaders who say one thing and do another.

Taking this opportunity, I carefully examined this "small" shop. It was indeed very simple. Apart from a few tables and chairs for guests and another door, probably a bedroom, the remaining space was filled with large shelves and cabinets. The shelves and cabinets were lined with bottles and jars, making it look like a witch's hut. However...

"Lady Akara, why is the tent so large inside but so small from the outside?" This was the question I had been pondering since entering the tent.

Akara seemed to have already seen through my thoughts and sighed.

"It's those boring old men from the Mage Guild. They said they were trying to rediscover the space magic invented by the greatest wizard, Tal Rasha, over a thousand years ago, so they took my tent and experimented with it."

"Rediscover?"

"Yes!" Akara's voice carried a hint of sadness: "Over a thousand years ago, during the Sin War, Tal Rasha, following the divine command, used a flawed Soulstone as the core and his own life as the container to seal the Prime Evil, Baal, within himself. As a result, we faced the fierce retaliation of the resistance, while the divine... "

A layer of unfading sorrow appeared on Akara's face. When she mentioned the divine, her tone seemed to carry a strong emotion, which I couldn't quite describe, but it was definitely not respect or admiration.

"Tal Rasha, as the leader of the Mage Guild, was the most severely retaliated against. In the end, the entire guild was almost wiped out, and a large amount of data was lost in the retaliation. From then on, the magic level on the Dark Continent almost regressed to a primitive state, and everything had to be rediscovered."

The沧桑 (weathered) tone made this almost public secret even more shocking when spoken by Akara.

"..."

Realizing I shouldn't have brought up this topic, seeing Akara's sad face, I didn't know what to say. At this moment, any words of comfort would seem weak and powerless.

"Oh, why did I suddenly start talking about these things? Look at me, this old woman. When I get old, I just like to talk about boring old stories." Akara's expression changed, and she returned to her cheerful smile.

"Those old men from the Mage Guild took my tent for their experiments and returned it like this. They said they succeeded halfway, making the inside of my tent larger, but they couldn't find a way to restore it to its original size. So, it has to stay like this." Akara said with a hint of complaint.

"Isn't this good? A larger tent is more comfortable to live in." I was puzzled; I hadn't heard of anyone complaining about their house being too big.

"What does an old woman like me need such a large tent for?"

Akara smiled and shook her head. "Don't think that I need so much space just because my shelves are full. The old tent was just the right size. Now that it's so large, I have to buy empty bottles and jars to fill the space, so customers don't think there's nothing good to buy here!"

I looked around the shelves again and found that many of the bottles were indeed empty, and the jars were made of clay, making it impossible to see what was inside.

If what Akara said is true, those old men really did a good deed with bad results. I couldn't help but sweat. I guess those magic enthusiasts did this on purpose. After all, Akara is the leader of the Rogue Encampment. If her house looked too shabby, even if she didn't care, others might have opinions. I remember Lale saying that researchers, old eccentrics, and face-conscious people who love to argue pretty much sum up the behavior of those old men in the Mage Guild.

I suddenly thought of the luxurious but unattractive West Gate, which must also be the work of those old men. Really, couldn't they focus their energy on something more useful?

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