City of Hope

The woman made a beeline through the forest,, running down the mountain so fast she nearly fell multiple times. Every few seconds, she would look behind her in fear, terrified that she would see that monster stalking her down But once she was forced to stop from cramps, she heaved a sigh of relief. *It seems that beast didn't follow me. What was it though? I've never seen something like that in any books. It was eerily similar to a Human in body, but its face was completely bizarre. I need to report it to the priests!*

After catching her breath, the woman sat up and began her journey down the mountain again. Several minutes after she left, Endyr stepped out from behind the trees and traced the woman's path with her eyes. After catching her trail, Endyr started tracking her once more. Always be sure to stay out of range, Endyr stalked the woman for another ten minutes before reaching civilisation. The forest thinned out, allowing the golden roofs and walls of the city ahead to become visible. They had arrived at the suburbs of the city Endyr saw earlier, and hopefully where she would find answers and a way to leave this place.

The woman rushed towards the gate, where four figures stood lazily in bronze armour. All mem, they were leaning against the wall and talking amongst themselves casually. Their weapons were in their scabbards, and their posture was extremely vulnerable. None of them were older than thirty either. However, Endyr's disdainful assessment took a U-turn when she realised what Tier these guards were.

'Epic Tier?! No, only one of them is. But the other three aren't far off it. Where in the name of Infinity am I?! Is this really Astoria?'

Endyr was shocked and even terrified by the strength these guards possessed. More so, if even the grunts held such power, how strong would their superiors be? Suddenly, Endyr remembered that Dragon rider from earlier. She had pegged him as at least a Sovereign just by his senses, but now she felt he could be even higher up the totem pole. She begun second-guessing her decision to follow this woman, or not simply killing her outright. 'Not that it matters though' she realised. If I die, I'll likely just return to that mountain again.'

 Settling her unease with the prospect of simply resetting upon death, Endyr watched as the woman frantically conveyed her tale to the guards. While they didn't look particularly interested, one of them nodded several times and gestured for her to move through. She vanished from Endyr's view behind the golden walls as the guards resumed their posts without any change from before. Having arrived at civilisation, Endyr began to plan her next move, and so she retreated further into the woods to think.

'Getting past those guards is likely impossible. I struggled to deal with those Grandmaster Vampires, and the have an Epic Tier existence with them. The walls are pretty high, but I should be able to scale them in the right spot. The question is if they have alarms or sensors installed. They might not, since they would go off every time a bird or animal touches them, but maybe the alarms are set to only trigger for certain weights. Could I dig under the walls instead?'

As Endyr went over her possible avenues, she also tried to figure out any counter measures in place. The biggest problem was that she had lost contact with the System, and her Skills with it. She knew not what Rank or Tier her current vessel was, or what powers it possesses. As she focused inwardly and tried to make something happen, she felt pressure build up between her shoulder blades. Accompanying the sensation was itching, which quickly turned to burning. Just as Endyr felt her nerves cry out in protest, the feeling vanished with a tearing sound. 

Endyr fell over as an additional weight appeared on her back, and she felt her brain shift in her skull. The world spun as Endyr felt nauseous, and she felt like throwing up despite having no mouth or even oesophagus. The discomfort vanished as suddenly as it came however, as Endyr became aware of a new understanding about her own body...and an additional limb. As Endyr looked over her shoulder, her vision was occupied by two pairs of sleek black wings the same colour as her scales.

Reminiscent of a Dragon's wings, her wingspan was slightly more than nine meters as was big enough to wrap around her body twice. They weren't made from any leather Endyr knew though, and seemed more to be forged from stone instead. Yet it possessed grooves and ridges like flesh, so Endyr wasn't sure what to make of it. The edges had black spikes that gleamed dangerously in the amber sunlight, and Endyr subconsciously knew that they could tear through plated steel like a hot knife through butter. 

'Well' she thought as she raised and lowered her new appendages. 'Flying over the walls it is then, I guess.'

Through the new additions messed with her balance, she quickly got the hang of walking again. With the wings' appearance, a "manual" had inserted itself in her brain too, and she knew how to fly at least somewhat adequately. At least good enough to get me over those walls. I know how to retract my wings too, which is handy.'

Straightening up, Endyr made her way back towards the wall, but a different part of it. She didn't dare scale the wall in front of its defenders after all. She had to deal with flight discomfort as her new wings smacked against the branches as she walked, but it was only a slight drag behind her. Her wings were tougher than they looked, and she didn't feel the scrapes. 

Soon, she left the trees behind and arrived at the golden wall. Craning her neck, she failed to see any guards or patrolling sentries. Rather than make her happy though, she became more weary. She doubted the people of this town would be dumb enough to simply trust the wall t keep others at bay, and if they had no one watching over it then there must be other safety measures in place such as alarms, arrays or sensors. She hesitated just before the wall, but when her instincts stayed still, she placed her hand against it.

Endyr tensed and prepared to jump backwards, but nothing happened upon making contact. Figuratively frowning with her non-existent mouth, she placed her other hand on the wall and flexed her claws, causing them to extend and dig in. After making a solid foothold, she stabbed holes for her feet and began to climb with shaky steps, her amateur posture plain to see. Moving slowly and carefully, she was halfway up the wall when she remembered her wings. 

Why the fuck and I climbing when I can climb?' she scowled, before resuming her task. 'Forget it, I'm nearly at the top anyway. I guess I've already adapted to a Human vessel to the point I subconsciously deny other avenues.' 

Endyr had possessed wings in the past and thus knew how to operate them even without the "manual" that somehow appeared in her mind. But despite her incredibly short time as a Human, her experiences as such had eroded the collective weight of her time as a Denizen of Infinity. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Endyr associated more with Humans that her original Race now. 

'This phenomenon cannot be natural. The System? I suppose my current self does have no need for such information. Since my current mind and soul are infinitely weaker than my peak, I'm only able to hold so much knowledge. Trimming the fat is a good move then. However...'

No matter how beneficial the reason ultimately was, Endyr did not like being tampered with. She held her mind and soul in utmost sanctity, and anyone who dared to intrude upon them was her enemy. 'This better not be permanent' she warned the System, as she reached the top of the wall.

With a final heave, Endyr pulled herself up over the ledge and onto the track of the wall. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she turned and looked over the towering city of gold that was even more spectacular up close. It was without a doubt, the most beautiful thing Endyr had seen since her reincarnation. Even more expansive than Sky Cross, every inch of the city seemed to be carved from either gold, silver or ivory. Towering spires jutted out of the grounds, and roads big enough to fit two houses wound themselves around the blocks. A river that flowed with liquid sunlight ran through the centre, with its source seemingly being the palace at the mountain peak. 

From here, Endyr could see people bustling and moving about. The vast majority were Humans, though some Beastkin and Elves were also visible. Directly below her was a collection of houses, and to her left was the gate the woman had entered through. Said woman was nowhere to be found, having blended in with the crowds upon entry. Not that Endyr was concerned about her any longer. 

As Endyr focused Mana into her eyes, her vision expanded. Different hues and colours appeared before her as she took in the atmosphere surrounding this city. From what she could see, there was an abundance of Light, Life, Nature and Soul Mana, with the main source being the golden river. However, her scan also revealed a new building ion the distance. It was a smaller copy of the palace atop the mountain peak, down to every detail albeit less lavish. The city inhabitants seemed to be moving towards this building in their droves, forming a sea of bodies as they inched closer.

As Endyr observed this, she was distracted by a sudden dinging in her ears, one she was now familiar with. She turned her head and was met with the expected light blue screen floating before her eyes.

[New Quest Issued!]

[Quest: Explore the City of Hope!]

[Description: Due to an unexpected encounter with {▮▮{ERROR▮▮▮{ERROR ▮▮▮▮{ERROR▮} you have been cast into a strange place in a strange body. Investigate the source of this anomaly and return to your original location/state.]

[Rewards: 15 Authority Points, Fragmented Past: ▮▮▮▮▮▮ {ERROR ERROR}]

[Penalty: {ERROR ERROR}]

[Note: It is heavily advised you do not fail this Quest. During the duration of this Quest, Host may use certain features of the System for free]