blacksmithoftheapocalypse
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1261. A dazzling place
🕑 Added 2025-02-03 17:24:44 +0000 UTC“So, what are you going to do now?” Al'zalsar asked after they just passed through the hell gate and returned to Urth. The blacksmith stretched his body, feeling the weight of the mission fall off his shoulders, he did his job, and now it was up to others to do all the real annoying stuff, like trade negotiations.
“Now? I will take a look at how Tatzel and Puffles are doing. Then I will take a few days vacation doing nothing and afterward, it will be about time to fulfill one of my promises and start working on that artifact blueprint Nam gave me,” the blacksmith mused leisurely.
As for the other promise he made, the lady wanted robes, not armor, so it was not his problem. Seth had already talked with Neeco Boos and the tailor agreed to meet her, but he was currently bogged down with work.
The need to produce your own materials as a master craftsman was something Seth could understand to a degree. The difference was that Seth needed rare metals and was able to make them in batches, so it took a lot less time out of his work day, as compared to Neeco who had to constantly produce his own yarn and fabric to create clothing.
Especially since he was not only producing for himself but was also supporting Nädel, who was working hard to become a master himself. It would probably take a while before Dowloon would even be able to talk about her ideas and have her measures taken.
It was a good thing the cultivators were understanding and currently staying at Little Gamma as guests of Minas Mar. When told that it may take a while before they could start working on their items, they didn't seem bothered at all.
Seth would have expected Nam to push for the anti-poison token of his master, considering his condition, but even the half-rotten cultivator was ready to wait months and not just weeks for the completion of his 10-year-wage.
Apparently, the waiting period to have a master artificer on the continent to even see you was months. The actual production of a heaven-grade weapon could take years in some cases and still hold a certain chance of failing in the end.
Compared to that, they were working at express speed. Well, imagining to create a legendary weapon without the aid of system skills or his smithy, Seth could roughly understand the time frame, especially since artificing was not the same as forging.
“So, where are you going for vacation?” The sorceress asked him, breaking his idle thoughts.
This time, the three had actually planned their vacation, unlike the two weeks where they just stayed at home or at close by tree stations to recover from fatigue and mental strain.
“Oh, we chose a nice place to go to, this time around…”
…
---Spring City, TS 7---
“Woah, I love it! It’s really warm here~” Fin exclaimed excitedly when they stepped out of the System Church in Spring City. Seth also felt the warm air blowing into his face, the moment the door was opened.
Spring City, the tree station guarded by senior white, the fallen deity. Judging by the completely changed climate around the city, it was easy to tell that the white snake was recovering well, from the apocalypse in her home world and the journey to this new one.
The blacksmith did not really have the time to visit her, after her initial arrival. She had been quite busy improving the place she was put in charge of, so he didn’t have the time to see her during his last vacation.
Now, he had come here with Mina and Fin for a short trip, to enjoy the different climate. Although the Tree Stations had a milder climate than the surrounding mountain terrain thanks to the cover of the Guardian Tree Saplings and barriers, it didn't mean they ever had warm, or good weather.
While the rest of Minas Mar had either a cold mountain climate or mild regulated weather, Spring City and some of the surrounding land had an almost summery weather and climate. It was the perfect vacation spot without leaving the safety of the district.
The people of Spring City had even set up small resorts outside of the canopy of the tree, that even allowed the tourists to enjoy the view of the clear blue sky, unobstructed by the guardian flora's leaves. This was exactly the place Seth and the girls were headed after their arrival.
“Can we have some ice cream before going to the hotel?” Fin asked excitedly, spotting the many ice cafes that lined the streets of Spring City. With this kind of weather, there was no wonder these popped up like mushrooms.
“I also wouldn't mind some ice cream. I'm kind of in the mood,” Mina agreed with Fin's idea. Both girls wanted to take their time in the city to eat some ice cream and look around. Seth halted for a moment. He inadvertently waited for a third voice to demand ice cream, but it did not appear.
Then he remembered. It was impossible for the Ivicer to announce his presence because Puffles had not come along on this vacation. The Nightmare Centipede seemed busy with something lately, as he also had not accompanied the bard to the demon realms. Seth didn't know what it was, but he hoped it was nothing serious.
Tatzel would have loved ice cream, too. But the little Imugi was still asleep when Seth visited him. Although the pseudo-dragon told him not to worry, the blacksmith could only hope that Tatzel wasn't taken advantage of.
“Alright, let's go try some ice cream and look at the city on our way to the resort, okay?” he suggested, letting go of his thoughts about Puffles and Tatzel. He came here to spend time with his girlfriend and his fiance, and he wanted to make the time count.
This was their time and he wanted to focus completely on just the three of them. It was for a reason, that they wore Face-Changing Chokers made by Grant May for practice. these were items that used <Illusion Magic> enchantment to change the face of the wearer from an outside view.
They were a little flimsy and the magic was easily disturbed, but it was more than enough for their purpose of not being recognized among the people and tourists in Spring City. Since Minas Mar became the leader and landlord of their own district, and held a media-effective tournament that was broadcast across all of Urth and most of the System Worlds, they had become something like celebrities.
Hiding their faces they strolled through Spring City, taking in the vibe of the place. As one of the later Tree Stations further down the root line, TS was quite a bit smaller than places like Little Sigma or Little Gamma that had been fleshed out by Karina.
As there were not many crown scraper trees grown here, the city was dominated by buildings people built themselves, many in the style of the system empires, as they were using architectural skills offered by the system.
Spring City was much closer to how cities in Chrona looked like than the original districts, or other Tree Station that were dominated by the house trees. Together with the guardian tree and the few crown scrapers, it was probably the most otherworldly-looking place in Minas Mar, which only lent itself even more to Tourism.
“Let's take the snake to the resort,” Mina exclaimed and pointed at the unique transport system of Spring City. The Snake Busses, where the big white snakes Senior White created as her divine beasts. For a small fee, people were able to ride the peaceful snakes across the city.
There was also a special ride service to the resorts situated outside of the tree crown coverage. They were noticeably bigger and they carried cabins instead of seats. Seth was a little confused, as he expected the place to be safe.
Even if it was outside the cover of the tree and the barrier, the surrounding land was supposed to be cleansed from monsters. Was there a problem he was unaware of, or was it just a safety measure? Either way, it was good to be careful. He made a small mental note to ask Senior White when they visited her tomorrow.
For now, they rode the snake to their hotel resort in the mountains to unwind and relax for the day.
