11 Chapter 11

Outer perimeter of Holcan region (Azgal world)

"It's almost night, shouldn't we start looking for a place to camp and prepare our food for dinner, now that we are out of that volcano area?" Scarlet asked once they had gotten out of Holcan region.

"We can't stop yet. Just a little further and you will see the place we will be staying for the night. Though it would be better for us not to eat tonight, so that we won't have too much eyes on us because of the intoxicating aroma that your food gives off." Ragnar said.

"Too much eyes? You are going to choose a place with other people?" Scar asked perplexed, but before she could hear an answer she saw a big suspended platform in front of her, one that had many cultivators on it.

"What is that? Is that a formation being used to keep a land suspended in the air? Why is there something like that here?" Scarlet asked.

"How can you suggest coming to a place, a world at that, which you don't even know the local basic knowledge needed to survive there?" Ragnar questioned me baffled.

"That is why you, someone that has visited this world before, is here." Scarlet rebuked.

It couldn't be helped that Scarlet does not know anything about how Azgal world works, the memory of the original owner of this body doesn't even have all the information one would like to know about Laimyra (her homeland), asking for it to provide details about another world would be akin to asking the impossible. And the System also didn't provide any category with such knowledge, Scarlet guessed that it would fall into the Worldly Information category, which is her responsability.

'System, don't you think that you should at least offer the basic information/ common sense of every world? That isn't really something I can trade or sell, unless if it is about the upper tier worlds, considering that maybe not a lot of cultivators have explored everything about it and those that have wouldn't give info for free, they could even spread false details about it.' Scarlet started talking to the system inside her head.

[The Host could always stay only within Laimyra, so that it won't have to incur such risks.]

Before she could continue, Nifret breaked her concentration as he started talking.

"That is because you wouldn't want to be on the ground when night falls, you can find such suspended outposts everywhere in this world between routes of towns, sects and even to illegal locations. Of course, to be able to enter this outposts you need to pay spirit stones, that will be used to keep the formation active." Nifret started informing me like an excited boy asking for praise.

"I see, why is it dangerous? And how do you know all of this? I thought that you still hadn't gone to other worlds." Scar asked.

"Dad told me about details of every world, so that I can be prepared and use them to my advantage when I visit them. He has even told me about Sathir, but since he has never gone there personally he told me not to trust the information, however it is always good to know as it could be true." Nifret said smugly.

"Enough of the small talk. We are going to enter the formation now. You two can continue this exchange of information when we are on our way to Elfcia tomorrow morning. When we are inside of it, we are going to silently make our way to where there is no one close and you two will go to sleep. That is how things are here, there is no such thing as privacy nor any laws, this formation is only to protect from what's below and outside. I will keep watch so there is no need to worry, but even so, there is no need to announce to the world that its the first time you two are getting into an outpost, so we are doing things this way. " Ragnar said as he took spirit stones from his interspatial ring and right after putting them on the formation we were taken upwards to the platform.

Scarlet could feel that all eyes turned to their group when they reached the platform, those cultivators looked like they were resting, but it was like they were ready to take out a sword any minute.

You could see small groups of cultivators and lone cultivators spread out through the platform, each keeping a distance from everyone else, so it was quite easy to find a space where there was no one close by.

Scarlet went to sleep thinking about how much money she could have made from preparing food for everyone here. Since they were all stuck here anyway, they would not be able to resist the delicious aroma. Too bad that she hadn't thought about such a situation happening, so she didn't make arrangements to bring enough food for so many people. It would be a disaster to make some food but not have a sufficient amount for everyone, of course Ragnar could take care of it, but they are potential customers. To think that because of that she would have to go hungry for the night.

****

Tomorrow morning

It was like a consensus between every cultivator there had been made beforehand, because as soon as morning came, all of them started heading out, each one in their own direction.

It also seemed like the three of us had reached a consensus beforehand as well, because we stayed behind and waited for everyone to leave first. After we were left alone, Scarlet started taking out the cooking tools and food to prepare a breakfast that would compesate not having dinner.

We ate steamed buns with meat, rice noodles, soup and pancakes.

An hour later

As we continued our way to the nearest town Scar started interrogating Nifret about this world.

"Are the towns also suspended? What happens if you are on the ground at night? What is in the ground that makes it dangerous at night? ... " Scar asked.

"Most of the towns aren't flying because they built immense arrays of formations to protect the town, but they consume much more spirit stones, they are much bigger and complex than a simple suspended formation, which is why it is expensive to stay inside a city. As for what is on the ground, you could say that it is prehistoric immortal monsters. There have been reports about their attacks since thousands of years..." before Nifret could continue Scarlet interrupted him.

"If they are that awesome and strong how did humans survive until now and were able to study and build formations?" Scarlet asked.

"They go back after they eat, and it's not that they are strong, but that they are persistent as damn and there is no known way to damage or kill them, that is why they are called immortal. You asked what happens if someone is on the ground when night falls: if they are strong enough to fend off the monsters attacks and have anough stamina to run from their endless pursuit until the night ends, them they will survive. When those things come out at night it seems like they can sense the presence of everyone if they aren't hidden by formations." Nifret said.

"So you either run or parry their attacks if you encounter them, because they can't be killed and they chase after you. No wonder even Ragnar went inside the formation." Scarlet said.

"I went inside the formation because, otherwise, I would have to worry about someone like you, that can't cultivate, and of course, only an idiot would choose to stay up running all night long. In Azgal world you probably won't find a sane person that can't cultivate that would be willing to go outside the cities. And son, you forgot that there are some desperate cultivators that would lead the monsters to outposts so that maybe their chance of survival increases. Since there are some rare cases in which the formation was overrunned by a large quantity of monsters." Ragnar said.

While we continued talking about different things about this world we reached Elfcia town.

"Ok, I think that the first thing we should buy is robes with hoods, after all you said that you don't want to have to deal with unnecessary trouble and I think that long red fur... sorry, red hair that you two have draw a lot of attention. No offense." Scarlet said to Ragnar.

"... That is fine, it would be good for you to have one. Who knows, maybe some idiot like that first human (Isaac) that came to your store would mistake you for an expert as well." Ragnar said taunting.

"Scar, after this town we should got to the Riasara Black Market, that would be the best place to buy or sell anything, there would be a lot of unique spiritual plants as well. I have always wanted to go there." Nifret said, innocently interrupting any argument Scar could have with Ragnar.

"What kind of place is that?" Scar asked.

"It is the biggest black market in this world, where almost all the illegal activities happen, and it operates like a small flying moving town. The Riasara Black Market never stays in the same place, it is always in movement, but it has some fixed coordinates, that changes every few days, where it would stay for a determined time so that new visitors may reach it. And my dad knows how and what to do to acquire those coordinates." Nifret said excited.

"I also agree with you Nifret, that place does seem like a fun place." Scar said while looking at Ragnar.

"...How troublesome, I didn't share such information with you so that this could happen." Ragnar grumbled.

We bought three long black robes with hoods, it seemed like we were going on Halloween.

And after asking around, we started heading in the direction of the biggest auction hall that Elfcia had to offer.