Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Lynn decisively led Hill toward the silver Moonbridge.

This beautiful magic arch bridge stood tall above the river, shimmering with a dangerous aura.

But it seemed that most people could not see this glow.

When Hill stepped onto the bridge, he felt a particular thrill in his heart; the powerful force within this magic construction, if it were to really erupt, could destroy the city for miles around.

Lynn turned to Hill and said, "Since you're going to stay in Silvermoon City, I won't drag you around everywhere. You can explore on your own in the future. If you can't find your way, just ask the guards in silver armor on the streets.

We should head to the hotel first. The auction is the day after tomorrow, and I'm worried that we won't be able to book a decent room."

He thought for a moment and then added, "By a good room, I mean one that's not expensive yet comfortable. If you want to stay in those luxury suites, there shouldn't be any problem.

Those wealthy people usually won't choose the 'Golden Oak' where we're going; they prefer the 'Gilded Rose' in the noble's district. That place is a gold pit where guests either have money or a noble title.

Adventurers still prefer the 'Golden Oak'."

He glanced at Hill and hesitated before saying, "There's also 'Stubborn House,' which attracts more common folk, typically those looking for craftsmen and artisans. The owner can make recommendations if you need to find craftsmen or repair services."

Hill nodded.

Lynn no longer mentioned anything about what to do if Hill ran out of money.

He touched the shield-shaped pendant hanging in front of him; it seemed this item was indeed quite useful. Lynn seemed to believe that even if Hill ran out of money, he could still find a good job.

After descending from the Moonbridge, they entered a bustling commercial street.

Lynn led him around two corners and into Dancer's Mask Lane, where they saw the five-story 'Golden Oak.'

It was the tallest building nearby, likely due to the diverse races of its guests, with each floor being over four meters tall.

Hill soon understood why Lynn had brought him to stay at this hotel.

The faint scent of herbs, fern plants on the window sills, and the giant oak in the courtyard taller than the building itself were all imbued with the essence of the Elf Forest.

After entering the hotel, Hill learned that the owner was a follower of the Goddess of New Sprouts, Xionlia.

The symbol of the 'Golden Acorn' appeared in every corner of the hotel.

The two receptionists behind the front desk, both half-elves, exuded a gentle temperament and were surrounded by healing aura, telling Hill that they were apprentices of priestesses who worshiped the Lady of the Woods.

However, the atmosphere surrounding the hotel belonged to a twelfth-level druid.

"Welcome to the 'Golden Oak'!" a receptionist in a green chiffon dress greeted joyfully. "I'm Rosabeth. Do you have any preference for rooms?"

She brought out a thick booklet: "You can also see if other rooms are more interesting~"

Lynn handed the booklet to Hill, turned to Rosabeth, and asked, "Is Room 312 available?"

Rosabeth looked up quickly and said with a smile, "It's available~ Would you like to book it?"

Lynn nodded and took out three gold coins: "Book it for three days."

Rosabeth swiftly handed over the key to Lynn. Hill turned to look and saw that it was a magic key, the kind where there is only one key for one lock.

If the key is lost, the lock must be replaced too.

But for those staying in the hotel, such a key did indeed offer some degree of security.

Hill, who was initially hesitant, also quickly booked the top-floor luxury suite with an attic, also for three days.

Hill felt he should have some gains at the auction.

"Dear guest~" Rosabeth's face bloomed with a smile: "The luxury suite, for three days, will be 15 gold coins."

Hill counted out the gold coins effortlessly and received a more exquisite key.

Lynn laughed and said, "I'm going to sort things out in my room. I'll be out visiting tomorrow and to collect the invitation to the auction; you can have fun on your own! However, don't leave the hotel after noon the day after tomorrow; make sure you wait for me."

Hill nodded in agreement.

The rooms at the 'Golden Oak' carried a rustic charm, even their so-called luxury suites conveyed a warm, simple style.

Hill liked the oak tree in the courtyard more.

Sitting in the attic on the top floor, he could directly touch the branches that reached inside, and through the window, he could see the patrons dining at the tables under the courtyard lights.

Most of them were elves and half-elves, with a few humans also present, all donning mage robes.

Inhaling the faint fragrance, Hill slowly succumbed to sleepiness.

He didn't leave the attic, and with the company of the oak tree and atop a thick woolen blanket on the floor, he fell asleep.

He had a very long dream, perhaps not a beautiful one, but it helped Hill understand Silvermoon City better.

When this tree was planted, Silvermoon City was still called Silvermoon Town. It witnessed the visits of Melikai and Xionlia.

The inn became a gathering place for the followers of the Goddess of New Sprouts because it received Xionlia's blessing when it was still a sapling.

Its fruit could restore a bit of vigor to beings of the Kind Alignment and heal some of their wounds.

And, the acorns could be preserved for as long as three years.

Following the oak tree's memories, Hill saw the lengthy history of Silvermoon City, even those deities from the memories that had faded away.

But whether they no longer existed, or had returned to their own Divine Kingdoms, they all noticed Hill's gaze.

Although Hill was clearly situated in another time and space, he still received a glance back from each of them.

Naturally, the deities of the Nature System were very interested in Hill, and the Unicorn Goddess even came up close to have a careful look at him.

Hill smiled stiffly, the unicorn who had come over to work next door was actually an incarnation of this goddess!

Even though he had long known the Unicorn Goddess was a bit simple, facing a deity so guilelessly simple still felt somewhat surreal.

The other deities just took a cursory look at him. Whether they were human or Beastmen, Hill was surprised that so many deities had quietly visited Silvermoon City.

Including some from the Evil Faction, though they had not done anything specific, they had observed the battles that had nearly destroyed Silvermoon City several times.

The Goddess of Magic need not be mentioned, as she was almost a constant presence alongside Silvermoon City to this day.

Especially the recent one, with her long black hair trailing behind, wearing a simple yet elegant dark silk robe embellished with gemstones on a netted waistband, and skin so clear it seemed to glow, Mystra.

She even greeted Hill politely.

And the former Mistrala, transformed into a big Light Ord, seemed a tad careless in the oak's perception, doing things halfheartedly, even when dealing with her Chosen, with an air of distrust.

Perhaps she was considering how to sneak back to her own Divine Kingdom through Guardian God Heim's defenses?

Hill only woke up slowly when he saw the frequent change of City Lords and various meetings held by Elaströ related to the Silvermoon Alliance in recent times.

Despite the drain on his spirit, the Golden Oak Tree helped him recover quite a bit, with its light fragrance lingering around Hill.

Hill promptly cast a Nature's Blessing in response.

The Golden Oak Tree shook happily, its branches and leaves rustling energetically.

Branches stretching into the attic swiftly bloomed and shed leaves, finally yielding hundreds of acorns that fell onto the floor of the attic.

Looking at the tree branches proudly waving in front of him, Hill couldn't help but laugh. After thanking the oak tree, he began to pick up the acorns one by one.

He didn't even overlook the leaves, collecting them all—leaves naturally shed by an oak tree of over a thousand years were excellent spellcasting materials.

Having planned to browse the university area, Hill looked up to see it was already noon and decided to just stroll around the nearby shops instead.

He had noticed the day before that there were many bookstores and gift shops on the commercial street, an excellent opportunity to purchase some books he didn't yet possess.

Hill planned to acquire all the books available on the market and then go to the university's Great Library to copy others.

Otherwise, it would just take too long.

Should he one day possess a decent Half-plane, Hill hoped to create a Great Library filled with countless books within it.

Like Candlekeep, the most famous library on the Ferun Great Land.

Once Agleya's matter was settled, Hill was determined to travel across the entire Toril World, not merely wander about the Ferun Great Land.

Of course, dealing with Agleya would have to wait until the year was over.

While Hill hibernated in the Dimensional Space during the harsh winter, the year 1373 of the human calendar had already arrived swiftly amidst snowstorms.

Hill saw in the oak tree's memories people's greetings for the newest year, with Silvermoon City almost holding three days of non-stop festivities.

Even the 'Golden Oak Tree', fond of tranquility, hosted a very country-style concert in the courtyard.

Sadly, the most troublesome times were on the horizon. Hill remembered the pair of Ancient Dragons from The North couldn't avoid the calamity, but it seemed Aslaxo had stopped their mad infighting.

Hill wasn't afraid of these Giant Dragons; he knew that if he built a sufficiently strong Magic Tower, he could even suppress an Ancient Dragon gone berserk.

But he didn't wish to waste his energy every so often on a crazed dragon that came looking for trouble while he was building his territory.

Unless he chose to establish his domain in a more desolate place rather than seeking a spot around Sword Bay.

Hill wouldn't do that; he intended to spread the Name of God of Agleya, and intelligent humanoid creatures were his target.

Sea creatures would indeed surrender more easily, but their simplistic thinking exaggerated their fear of terrifying beings. The image of the Goddess of the Sea Anbor eventually took shape due to those creatures.

Hill certainly didn't want his own beautiful and lovely daughter turning into a crazed woman draped in seaweed and garbed in shell clothing after a period of his absence.