Finding Civilization

"We did it!" Elaine shouted in joy.

"We sure did. You guys did great, but where did that come from?" Jason couldn't hold back his surprise as he asked.

"Especially you, Julie? What did you even do?" He added as he asked excitedly.

The man was happy that they were still alive, but it seemed rather strange that they changed so much.

Just a day ago, they were afraid to face much easier opponents, yet today there was no hesitation. Was it entirely due to their selecting a class?

Jason seemed concerned.

"Well, you didn't want us to talk about our classes, but I think it's best if I talk about mine now." Julie stepped forward with a huge smile on her face.

"I actually unlocked my first skill by not speaking for the last hour. It's the downside of my class, yes, but if I don't discuss it with you guys now, I'll never be able to discuss it…" She went on to explain that her class had a negative, which Jason expected.

"Basically, I'm not allowed to speak but can only make instrumental noises and beats with my mouth. I'm like a beat-boxing bard..." Julie continued explaining her class to the best of her knowledge, which wasn't much.

The information revealed that she unlocked a skill that improved her group's attack and movement speed as long as she "kept the beat and danced."

"That's a rather peculiar way to go about things, don't you think? Are you really satisfied not being able to speak?" Jack interjected.

Julie just nodded her head.

Not wanting to allow any drama to start, Elaine quickly jumped in, "Guys, I'm a frost mage!"

"A what?!" The three recoiled in shock!

Elaine explained her class, mostly to avoid any potential danger to her allies. It turns out any attack she used would have added frost damage, even a thrown rock.

She couldn't control the ability at all after she released the attack, so it was important for the group to know about the ability to avoid getting caught up in it.

Jack sighed, "I was so adamant about being the leader because I gain additional defense for all of my followers in a group. My first skill allowed me to transfer that defense to any item, like a tree branch."

Jason didn't miss how Jack hadn't disclosed how he unlocked his ability. The girls had briefly talked about their unlock conditions, but he was silent.

"So, how about you?" Jack stared at the dumbfounded Jason who was looking for an excuse to not disclose his secrets.

"Don't push it Jack, we all know you left stuff out, if Jason doesn't want to talk about it let him be!" Elaine quickly came to Jason's defense.

It took a little bit of convincing, but Jason promised to let them know as soon as he unlocked a skill. He just didn't want to bother them with his unlock conditions, as it was a problem for himself.

The group eventually let it slide and moved on to the next topic at hand…

Deciding that the corpse may be worth something, they had agreed to store it in Jason's fanny pack.

They had enough food for the time being, so they didn't want to waste the resources to make any more cookies. It wasn't obvious as to how they would be acquiring financing in this new world, and Jason was confident they would need some sort of money.

Jason brought out some cookies for the group and shared them while they rested.

'So, do you have any idea which direction we should go to find a town?' Jason was exhausted but seemed to have enough mental power to communicate with the system.

[You can find a village if you head downstream from this location, it is closer, but there is also a city if you go upstream.]

[I highly recommend you head upstream. It may take until sunset to get there, but it will be most beneficial.]

Jason sat down and pondered on his choices. He could feel a headache starting to approach and it made him wonder what his total limits were—he would have to experiment with that.

He nibbled on his cookie as he talked to Elaine, Julie, and Jack about heading upstream. He didn't mention the city, but rather focused on convincing them that's where a civilization would settle.

Even if they couldn't find a town today, they would be able to find clean water.

Following the river upstream, they kept a distance from it so they didn't stir any creatures that may be hidden beneath the depths.

Thankfully, They didn't encounter any more hostile beasts and only saw timid animals that reminded them of their old home. Familiar critters like rabbits, birds, and squirrels littered the area as they trekked.

"Jack! Jason! Look at that!" Elaine exclaimed as she jumped for joy!

The sun was beginning to set, but on the horizon they saw a large wall surrounding buildings that were lit up sporadically with torches. On a large hill toward the back of the city, there was a sizeable medieval-style castle jutting out into the sky.

"Ha! I knew we'd find it." Jason let out a chuckle as he looked back at the group.

"You act like you knew a city was up here! You just got lucky Jason…" Jack didn't seem to be pleased that Jason's suggestion led to the discovery.

"Guys! Quit fighting. What are we going to do about tonight, wouldn't it be dangerous to stroll into town after dark?" Elaine asked as Julie nodded her head in agreement.

"We may as well camp out here one last time. It's not like it'll be the end of the world." Jack suggested.

He knew where the conversation was headed and wanted to be the one to make the obvious suggestion this time.

"I agree with Jack, for once." Jason added, smirking.

"In the morning we can find out the requirements for entry and see what the situation is." Jason sat on the ground as he suggested "I'll take first watch."

After splitting up some more rations for everyone, the group settled down and were preparing to sleep for the evening. Suddenly, a mysterious voice broke through the void of night

"You don't have to stay out here all night, you know."