Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 831: Chapter 627: Hill’s Favorite ’Welcoming Messenger

When Purwell finished lecturing the younger members of his clan, the sky was finally filled with stars.

He summoned a Dimensional Gate to a world that, in his memory, was very suitable for a young whale at the stage of venturing out. Purwell nudged the little one away from Toril with his tail; this place wasn’t suited for naive and foolish children.

Although his current body was quite practical, and in a way, he had even gained a chance at immortality, Purwell couldn’t help but envy the little one’s body as he saw him off.

Cherish everything you have! Purwell exhorted loudly just before the Space Gate closed.

Then he plunged into the small square, getting into a loud tussle with the little fairies who had been performing accompaniment for him for a long time: Purwell was quite dissatisfied that, while he was lecturing that child, he nearly followed their singing.

Hill, however, hurriedly took up the world map and ascended the terrace. He needed to stargaze to confirm whether his judgment was correct.

List flew beside him, saying with assurance, ”Agleya City is to the northwest here; I can feel the connection with Marsha is very distant.”

Hill silently measured the stars, first calculating the position of the Great Sea, which was the southernmost part of the Ferun Great Land. Beyond a mountain range lies the Shulong Empire of the Kalartu Continent.

The Zhide Mountain, which separated the two places, was still easy to find. Apart from the far North, it was the largest glacier mountain range in the Toril World. The energy of ice and snow was easy for Hill, bearing the Ring of Winter, to identify, but he found himself quite far from there too.

He was likely in the southern part of the Kalartu continent.

Suddenly, he remembered that in this continent, the only ones who could cooperate with the Sel People were the Wo Country.

They got along quite well in the business of robbery, often working together to intercept Magic Ships and caravans on the Great Sea and the Golden Path.

Especially above the Great Sea, most Magic Ships had to stop at the Zhide Mountain Range, and Sel Wizards liked to collaborate with the Wo people who feared neither death nor poverty.

They wanted Magic Materials, while the Wo people needed Gold and Silver Jewelry. Moreover, so long as the Sel Empire’s Wizards were strong enough, no matter how many Wo people there were, they wouldn’t strike against them, so these two sides cooperated relatively smoothly in the Toril World.

It was different in the Outer Realm and the Stellar Realm. There, Sel Wizards would absolutely not work with the Wo people. There were too many strong opponents, and betrayals happened too swiftly.

The ship on which that fellow in Red Robes was definitely heading northeast.

This guy must have used a random Dimensional Gate, only able to determine the general direction.

Is there some big collaboration planned? They even sent a Red Robe of over level 20 for liaison.

Is it possible that some power in the Ferun Great Land wants to start large-scale trade with this side of Kalartu?

Hill pondered this for a while but couldn’t figure it out. He wasn’t very familiar with the other countries of Ferun.

He knew he should head west, and though unfamiliar with the terrain here, Hill felt the continent wasn’t too far away.

Purwell happily dove into the sea, swimming effortlessly westward.

Before the dawn broke, they finally saw the outline of the continent. As the sky grew brighter, the speeding Purwell quickly reached the shore.

Hill shielded Purwell’s form with mist, sitting silently in contemplation on the terrace.

What he saw was a small village, where most of the houses were constructed with bamboo, built on stilts, with roofs made of palm leaves.

Hill realized he might not have reached the Shulong Empire but rather the southern Marlatla. The Shoulong Kingdom was a bit further north, where it was still somewhat cold during winter, so even in coastal villages, the poorest homes were stone houses.

He had read many Kalartu travelogues from Ferun merchants. Hill recalled their surprise at the wealth of Shoulong’s commoners, as even those slightly well-off seemed to live in brick houses.

Perhaps this was the difference of having Nature Deities; in Toril, good wooden houses were even more expensive than brick ones.

But the southern Marlatla was different; surrounded by lush forests, most of their dwellings had bamboo and wood structures like this coastal village with an endless forest behind it.

Hill glanced north a few times, caught in contradiction.

He knew full well that if he went north, he would surely reach the southernmost Haiyuan Province of Shulong, one of the few places in the Shulong Empire open to people from other nations.

But Hill hesitated, probably because he was well aware that after reaching this empire, the highest likelihood was that it would shatter his cherished illusions.

However, a nation that did not accept slaves and was famously prosperous—it might be worth a look?

Hesitating on the terrace, Hill lifted his head to see several people rowing little sampans out to sea. Watching their dark, thin, and somewhat bent figures with strange appearances, he lost all interest in going ashore.

List understood Hill’s disappointment very well. Facing Purwell’s quiet probing, he decisively suggested they swim north.

Although further west Marlatla was the Earth Dragon Empire, which had split from the Shulong Empire, List felt confident that Hill would not be interested in that nation.

Since arriving in Toril, many things were not as Hill had read in those legendary tales. The world was broadly unchanged, but the stories that unfolded were always slightly different.

Yet, the Earth Dragon Empire was indeed corrupt and decadent. Even merchants who had seen the Great Nobility of Ferun, corrupted by Devils, would gasp in wonder. List felt Hill would definitely not stand it.

No need to look for trouble for himself.

Instead, the Shulong Empire, described as similar to the Grand Tang period, might be more pleasing to Hill.

Even if it’s not his true homeland, the black-haired, brown-eyed Shulong people should offer Hill some solace.

Moreover, List glanced at the rarely despondent Hill, thinking that once Hill recognized the completely different places, it would be good for someone who always kept the life of that civil engineer in mind.

Hill silently watched the coast rapidly recede behind him, knowing well the vast differences between the Shulong people and the world of the past.

Their only possible similarity might be the black hair and brown eyes, as the Shulong people prided themselves on their fair skin.

But at least there were many cultural similarities he could slowly reminisce about.

He just wanted to have a look.

The Shulong Empire was indeed different.

Sitting on Purwell, Hill couldn’t help but mutter, as he was stopped by a divine dragon emerging from the sea upon entering the nation’s territorial waters.

Looking at its divine dragon-like figure, even though it was strangely ice-blue and very stern, Hill remained rather gentle.

”Outsider! Halt! Ahead lies the Shulong Empire! I am Ao Qing, the dragon of the East Sea. This area is off-limits.

If you wish to enter the empire for trade, register at Reception Island outside Haidong Province!”

Hill thought for a moment before asking, ”Mr. Ao Qing, how do I get to Reception Island?”

Realizing Hill was indeed clueless and reckless, Ao Qing’s tone softened, waving a dragon’s claw in front of his chest, ”Follow me!”

As an ice-blue light appeared on the sea, the divine dragon slowly submerged back into the water.

After loudly expressing his gratitude, Hill instructed Purwell to swim along the ice-blue light.

”Sir seems quite excited all of a sudden?” List asked curiously.

”Although... the people are definitely wrong,” Hill murmured, ”the dragon, however, is right! Did you hear? His surname is Ao... a dragon from the East Sea, with the surname Ao!”

List gave Hill a puzzled look, even though he knew many things, sometimes Tower Spirit’s analytical ability couldn’t comprehend what exactly excited Hill.

Hill happily reminisced about the posture of the ice-blue divine dragon for a while, unable to resist taking out his long-unused oil painting materials.

Purwell swam steadily as Hill painted the five-clawed divine dragon stroke by stroke.

Even though in this world, divine dragons didn’t hold much higher status, the Shulong Empire’s dragons were just about equivalent to Ferun Dragons.

But Hill still thought divine dragons were more beautiful.

Lizard heads and deer heads simply couldn’t compare, could they!

When finishing the last stroke amid muttering, Hill received a comment from List: ”You’d better not say these things back on the Ferun Great Land or murmur them in the Mental Sea.”

Hill couldn’t help but roll his eyes, ”I’m not stupid, and besides, Terry’s body is so beautiful! Golden and shiny. I was genuinely complimenting him.”

List noticed Hill made no mention of the head.

Those who can’t lie indeed can only choose avoidance.

They had already reached Reception Island, but on the winding, twisting waterways of the island, ships from all over the world were lined up in long queues.

Purwell leisurely joined in the queue.

Even though the ships here were truly varied in design, regardless of their shape, they at least maintained a boat-like form. Purwell and its crystal cabin on its back attracted a lot of attention.

When Hill walked to the wall, a captain with brown-black skin and dual swords at his waist onboard a vibrantly colored, tropical-looking brigantine ahead was waving frantically at him.

Seeing Hill look toward him, the captain opened his mouth wide, revealing a set of white teeth with a smile, ”Hey! Friend, where are you from?

I am Nuno Capucho from Maztika, a Peiyte.

May the jingle of gold coins bless you.”

Hill couldn’t help lowering his face. Although he knew Valkin’s fate wouldn’t be good, it didn’t mean he’d have a pleasant demeanor towards the followers of the Goddess of Wealth who had tricked him.

Especially those engaging in maritime trade who chose Valkin were likely slave traders, primarily shipping specialties and a large number of slaves from their continent to Ferun, selling the slaves to exchange for some small strange objects and then returning here to trade for a large quantity of daily necessities, jewels, and porcelain back to Maztika.

”The breeze is the best partner for merchants; may you soon find your quest,” Hill pulled a stiff smile and replied.

Given the conflict of beliefs, there was no need for further words; best to shut up and leave quickly.