MTLNOVEL CHAPTER 163 - Luminora 2.
Alex stretched his arms as he stepped out into the crisp morning air, his boots crunching against the dirt path.
The village seemed alive, with vendors already setting up their stalls.
'I wonder where they get these items from,' Alex yawned, glancing at the stalls. He had seen many of them until now, but he hadn't seen much farming in this village.
There were not enough farms or corps to extract this much, but he would find out where they got it from today. His main objective today was to get as much information as he could about the village from the people.
[None of them seem much affected by the invasion last night.] Sophie pointed out, making Alex squint his eyes.
He had noticed this yesterday as well, but despite all that had happened yesterday, there was no sense of urgency or panic among the villagers.
Even the woman who was the first to arrive after the demon was dealt with behaved pretty normally.
What he found strange yesterday was the light in the villagers' eyes when they came out. It was fleeting, but he felt as if he had seen rage in their eyes, but he couldn't be sure.
"They are all strange," he murmured, glancing at the restored fountain in the village square.
He had found out yesterday that this village was protected by a barrier. It was something that protected them from the demonic beings in the desolate, and Alex could buy it since it was more believable than the fact that they survived out of pure luck in this area.
The incident yesterday was strange, though.
Why did the barrier that never malfunctioned suddenly let a demon in?
[Do you think this is a plot?] Sophie inquired, her mind racing just Alex Alex's.
They could both tell that it seemed like too much of a coincidence. The first sane beings Alex met in the desolate turned out to be living happily, and they were humans. If that wasn't enough, they accepted him without much of an issue; it was as if they were expecting him to come.
Now, the first night he stayed in this place happened to be the first time the barrier malfunctioned.
'The possibility isn't low,' Alex replied. It wasn't far-fetched to say that this might be one of the trials for the protagonist to gain some ability.
He tried hard to find any clue about such a plot in the story only to be left empty-handed. 'If only the incidents of the desolate were described better in the novel,' he lamented, but that was all he could do.
Shaking his head, he continued his walk, and as he moved through the square, several villagers stopped to thank him, their expressions a mix of gratitude and awe. Alex nodded politely, offering reassurance where he could, but his focus was on gathering information.
It was already strange with all of them, instead of cowering in their houses, seemingly unaffected by the fact that the barrier was malfunctioning.
As Alex talked to the villagers while trying to gain all the information he could, he spotted Elyra near the blacksmith's stall, her ink-black hair glittering under the sunlight. She laughed with the blacksmith, her left arm bandaged but moving freely.
'I guess the high-rank healing potion has done its job,' Alex chuckled as he recalled her expression when he gave her the potion yesterday.
It was her first time seeing it, and for a second, she asked if he was a god or something to have something like that in his possession.
That made him wonder what kind of mountain she lived under.
"Alex!" She called out, spotting him and waving with her uninjured hand. Her grin was as bold as ever. "Took you long enough to get out here. I was starting to think you were sleeping the day away."
Alex smirked, walking over to her. "You're in high spirits for someone nearly torn apart last night."
"What can I say?" Elyra replied, crossing her arms with a cocky tilt of her head. "I bounce back fast. Besides, I couldn't let you have all the fun."
"Fun, huh?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "You mean nearly getting yourself killed?"
"Details." She waved a hand dismissively, her heterochromatic eyes sparkling with mischief. "But seriously, that was some impressive sword work. You've got to teach me how to do that someday."
That was what had actually captivated her yesterday. Alex was so well versed with swords that he could not instinctively use his rising star sword technique like breathing. His every strike is swift and precise. It wasn't without reason that he could fight enemies of higher levels with such ease.
"First, you'd need to stop charging headfirst into danger," Alex retorted, his tone dry. He didn't mind teaching it to her, as he could see potential in her. He had seen her eyes following his every move yesterday.
If he could bring someone like her with him and raise her well, he might just get a very competent subordinate.
But that was after he found out the mystery of this village. The biggest one of those mysteries was Elyra herself, grinning from ear to ear as she talked to him.
"Where's the fun in that?" Elyra shot back, her grin widening. "Anyway, you're not here to lecture me, are you? Or did you just miss my charming company?"
Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "I was actually hoping to learn more about this village. You seem to know your way around."
"Do I ever." Elyra gestured for him to follow her. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour. And maybe, just maybe, I'll share some of my secrets."
As they walked through the village, Elyra's energy was infectious. She greeted everyone they passed with a wave or a cheeky remark, her confidence evident in every step.
Alex found himself enjoying her company, but knowing that he couldn't go on like that, he decided to get to the main topic at hand.
"So, what's the deal with this barrier?" Alex asked as they stopped by a stall selling fruit. "It seems strong, but it clearly has its weaknesses."
Elyra's expression grew serious, though her tone remained light. "The barrier's been here for as long as anyone can remember. It's tied to the fountain in the square. As long as the fountain's running, the barrier holds. But..." She trailed off, picking up an apple and tossing it in her hand. "Let's just say it's not as invincible as it looks. Last night proved that."
"Do you know who created it?" Alex pressed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Elyra shrugged, taking a bite of the apple. "Some god, supposedly. The elders might know more, but good luck getting a straight answer out of them. They're as tight-lipped as a locked chest."
"Sounds about right," Alex muttered. "Anything else I should know?"
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Elyra leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Well, the villagers are focusing on you a lot more than they did on the other adventurers. It might seem good, but be careful just in case. Elders of this village are sometimes unpredictable."
Alex nodded, filing the information away. "Thanks, Elyra. You've been a big help."
He could tell Elyra wouldn't say more than that, and what he got was already more than the identical replies he acquired from the villagers.
"Don't mention it," she said with a wink before adding with a strangely serious tone. "Seriously, don't. I've got a reputation to maintain."
Alex, on the other hand, just chuckled, shaking his head as they continued their tour.
He wasn't going to do something that would make his only source of information in this village turn against him. It was not like he needed to rush things. He was going to stay here for some days, so it was alright to take things slow.