Two enormous humanoid creatures led the procession—Trolls.
Their filthy hair stuck out like a hedgehog's spines, and several fleshy tendrils hung from their faces.
They were completely naked, their muscles and skin withered and barely clinging to their bodies. A layer of dirt and dust covered their grayish-red flesh.
A massive iron spike pierced through each of their bodies from back to front.
Chains were attached to the other end, dragging along the same kind of large, mobile sarcophagus seen at the Gatefront.
But the strangest thing was that the Trolls’ bellies were hollowed out. There were no internal organs to be seen, just an empty cavity exposed to the air. It was a mystery how they were still alive.
Behind them, a large group of people escorted the sarcophagus.
There were Wandering Nobles traveling together, Godrick Soldiers holding torches, and Kaidan Sellswords on warhorses, riding back and forth on patrol.
They blocked Bai Shi's path. By his estimation, by the time he reached the bridge, they would likely be on it as well.
The bridge was not wide. The two Trolls could block almost the entire path, leaving no room to run or dodge. Trying to slip past along the edge would be like making himself a living target.The enemy force was large and well-rounded.
There were highly mobile cavalry, mages who could cast spells, and soldiers with shields for close-quarters combat—a far more diverse group than in the game.
This was nothing like the Gatefront, which was full of clumsy infantry. Once a fight broke out, it would be difficult to escape.
Bai Shi rejected the idea of a frontal assault. The risk was too great.
This wasn't a game, after all. In the game, he could just run right past them without any trouble.
But now, it was unrealistic to think he could just dash past them as easily as he did in the game.
Waiting by the bridge for them to pass wasn't a good option either; the procession was moving too slowly.
The two Trolls reluctantly shuffled forward, while the Wandering Nobles, their bodies nearly rotten, limped along, falling far behind the group.
The entire procession was stretched out, and the Kaidan Sellswords patrolled from front to back.
If he waited only for the Trolls and the sarcophagus to pass before rushing across the bridge, he could be caught in a pincer attack, which would be just as bad.
To get by, he’d have to wait for the entire group to cross the bridge. That would take a long time.
So, Bai Shi decided to take a detour.
By following the shore of Agheel Lake to the right, he could bypass the people on the road and still reach the main path.
Although Flying Dragon Agheel resided in the lake, the shore was quite safe, with no dangerous monsters.
Bai Shi used his spyglass to survey the route and found a small path leading down to the lakeshore.
After confirming several times that there were no other monsters besides a large crab and a few land squirts, he set off with confidence.
—
Following the shore of Agheel Lake, Bai Shi skirted around the procession and made his way to the main road leading to the Weeping Peninsula.
Along the way, he found a Site of Grace hidden in a thicket.
Bai Shi sat down at the Site of Grace, took out his waterskin and some jerky, and rested for a bit.
He had already been through the battle at the Gatefront, sold equipment to Kalé, and saved Boc today.
It was getting late; it was already afternoon.
Bai Shi hadn't eaten all day, and his stomach was rumbling in protest.
As he chewed on the tough jerky, Bai Shi took advantage of the break to organize his thoughts.
‘The detour wasted a bit of time, and Sorceress Sellen’s place is now behind me.’
‘Anyway, learning magic isn't urgent. I’ll skip going to Sellen’s for now.’
‘I’ll just head straight to the Weeping Peninsula.’
As he recalled, the way to the Weeping Peninsula was across a bridge called the Bridge of Sacrifice.
There were a few soldiers stationed there, not many.
But what concerned Bai Shi were the defensive weapons mounted on the bridge.
It had been a while, and in the game, he had just run straight past them. He couldn't quite remember if the bridge had ballistae, catapults, or something else.
Bai Shi decided to scout the bridge first. If the weapons weren't a major threat, he would just charge across in one go.
If there were some high-powered weapons… he would just have to take it one step at a time.
To be honest, if there really were powerful weapons, there wasn't much he could do.
He seemed to remember that the Bridge of Sacrifice was the only way to the Weeping Peninsula.
Bai Shi stood up, fed Torrent some rowa fruit jerky, and patted his head.
He mounted Torrent and continued on his way.
A few minutes later, Bai Shi arrived at a sloping path.
This path was also part of the main road, but unlike before, it was flanked on both sides by high cliffs.
No, it was more like a road carved out of the mountain itself. It was very narrow.
And at the end of the path was the Bridge of Sacrifice. “This terrain is perfect for a cavalry charge.”
Bai Shi spurred Torrent on, charging rapidly toward the bridge.
The soldiers standing guard in the distance spotted him and shouted a hoarse warning.
“Enemy attack! Fire!”
“*Swoosh—Boom!*”
A crossbow bolt landed in front of Bai Shi. Though he managed to steer Torrent away in time to avoid a direct hit, the large rock tied to the arrowhead exploded upon impact.
The massive shockwave almost knocked Torrent off his feet.
Feeling the searing heat, a cold sweat broke out on Bai Shi's forehead.
‘Damn, explosive ballista bolts, and they’re accurate, too. How the hell am I supposed to play this?!’
Before Bai Shi could finish his complaint, the next bolt was already on its way.
Without a second thought, Bai Shi turned around and fled.
The sound of explosions and soldiers’ shouts erupted behind him, but it was no use. Bai Shi was already gone.
—
“Damn it, they fire every few seconds. With that distance, I’d have to dodge at least a dozen bolts.”
“One hit and it’s probably over. How am I supposed to get past this?”
Bai Shi returned to the Site of Grace to think of a countermeasure, while also helping Torrent by shaving off the burnt fur on his rump.
Torrent couldn't see behind himself and looked at Bai Shi anxiously, as if asking if he had gone bald.
Seeing that more than half of Torrent's rear was now bare, Bai Shi could only tell a little white lie to soothe his companion's feelings.
“Hmm, it’s fine, you’re not bald. It’s just a little singed. After shaving the fur, it’s just a tiny bit shorter, really.”
Torrent looked at Bai Shi with teary, wide eyes, then licked his face with his tongue.
The little steed knew everything, of course, but he didn't say a word. T_T
Realizing he’d been found out, Bai Shi chuckled awkwardly.
After comforting Torrent, Bai Shi began to think of a way to break the deadlock.
A frontal assault wasn't impossible, but the risk was too great. If he got hit by the blast, he still had his crimson tear flask, but if Torrent got hurt, that would be bad.
Bai Shi replayed the details of his approach in his mind. Suddenly, something he had overlooked popped into his head.
“Right, the spiritspring!”
Bai Shi quickly stood up from the Site of Grace and led Torrent up the mountainside.
After killing the three soldiers blocking the path, Bai Shi reached the Forlorn Hound Evergaol at the top of the mountain.
He wasn’t here to challenge the Bloodhound Knight. He went straight around the evergaol to the edge of the cliff.
To his left, he could look down on the Bridge of Sacrifice from earlier. To his lower right, on the edge of a different cliff, a column of swirling spiritual energy shot straight into the sky.
“Heh, just as I thought. It’s still here.”
Back when he was playing the game, Bai Shi had wandered here by chance. On the map, it looked like a small forest where a group of demi-humans were gathered.
Across from the spiritspring, the pillars of a giant ancient ruin still stood.
By using the spiritspring to jump over the great sea that separated the two landmasses and landing on the ruins, he could follow a small path along the cliff on the other side and reach the area behind the Bridge of Sacrifice.
In the game, Bai Shi had only made the jump once before relying on fast travel, so he had forgotten about this alternate route.
It was only when he remembered the spiritspring he passed while charging down the slope that Bai Shi recalled this “shortcut.”
He remembered the excitement and joy he felt when he first discovered this new route, and it was the exact same feeling he had now.
Bai Shi rode Torrent, maneuvering along the cliff's edge, all the way down to where the spiritspring was located.
Looking at the massive pillars of the ancient ruins on the other side, Bai Shi estimated that the pillar and the horizontal beam behind it were very wide, broad enough for four or five people to walk abreast. As long as he aimed correctly, he could easily jump across.
Bai Shi patted Torrent's head.
“Can you make it, Torrent?”
Torrent snorted dismissively, seemingly annoyed that Bai Shi would underestimate him.
Finding his position, Torrent took two steps back, then charged forward on his own. With a leap, he rode the spiritspring high into the sky.
“Woohoo, we have liftoff!”
“Aaaah! You two fools, what if you fall?!”
Bai Shi felt something suddenly wrap around his waist. Was that Melina’s voice he heard by his ear?
It was probably just a hallucination.