I looked at the mishmash of crude buildings sprawling along the edge of a vast lake.
Unlike Tranx's orderly settlement, this place seemed to have sprung up without any planning whatsoever.
Mud huts, ramshackle shacks, and larger, more imposing structures stood haphazardly beside one another, stretching along the shoreline as far as the eye could see.
And yet, there was something breathtaking about the sight. A settlement of this size, thriving in the middle of an endless desert, was a wonder in its own right. It made Tranx's settlement look tiny in comparison.
But the settlement itself soon faded into the background.
The moment I sensed the mana radiating from the lake, my attention was drawn entirely toward it.
The sheer density was staggering. It was unlike anything I'd encountered in the outside world, so overwhelming that I found myself momentarily at a loss for words.
"That's..." Strata muttered beside me.
I turned toward him. He had now transformed into a humanoid form and was staring at the lake in awe, seemingly unable to find the words to describe what he was seeing.
He stood a little over five feet tall, with wheat-colored skin and amber-colored eyes with Amber coloured hair.
I still wasn't sure whether every polymorph spell naturally produced a humanoid form or if it was simply a subconscious preference.
After all, I haven't seen anything remotely human-like on this continent.
"Yes, I know," I replied, understanding his astonishment as I turned my attention back to the lake.
The sheer amount of mana radiating from it was mind-boggling.
Even back on the mainland, I'd never encountered anything quite like this. I'd seen far more impressive places within my inheritance, of course, and I'd heard rumors of similar locations inhabited by beings far beyond my level.
But experiencing something like this firsthand was an entirely different matter.
As we drew closer, the people moving through the streets gradually came into clearer view.
The streets were crowded, with merchants calling out to passersby and groups of people gathering around shops.
Yet, despite all the activity, the settlement had a strangely bleak atmosphere. The buildings were crude and weathered, many showing signs of neglect.
The people went about their business with little enthusiasm, their faces worn and their expressions guarded, as though trouble might pop up around the corner.
I slowed my steps slightly, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.
There were all kinds of beings here, many of which I couldn't identify even with the knowledge I'd gained from my inheritance.
I even spotted creatures resembling grasshoppers walking on two legs.
"Hey..."
A voice suddenly came from beside Strata, pulling me out of my fascination with the place.
"New here?"
I turned toward the owner of the voice.
The stranger towered over both me and Strata.
An Orc, huh... Now that's a familiar face.
But a chubby one dressed in colourful clothes wirh friendly-looking green face is really first for me.
Back in the wild, I'd seen all kinds of Orcs. Skinny ones on the verge of starvation, muscular ones, and everything in between. But this was something new.
"Yes," Strata replied, after glancing at me.
Apparently, he had mistaken Strata for the older one and completely ignored me.
"Came here after hearing the rumours?" the Orc asked, his eyes bright with curiosity.
"Yes, thought of checking it since I have plenty of time to spare."
The Orc blinked and looked me over, seemingly surprised that I'd answered.
"Would you like a guide? I can show you around."
"And how should I pay you?" I asked, curious whether a settlement like this had developed a currency of its own.
" With these," he replied, as he pulled out a small blue crystal.
Oh, mana stones.
They are essentially condensed mana, commonly used to replenish one's depleted mana reserves without having to wait for them to recover naturally.
Come to think of it, it made perfect sense for a settlement to develop around a mana sanctuary. With such an abundant source of mana nearby, these stones were probably quite common.
"But since you're new here, I can make an exce—"
"You don't need to worry. I have some of those on hand," I interrupted.
I conjured a small ball of water in my palm and traced a rune across its surface before channeling mana into it.
<Displace>
The water vanished, leaving several blue crystals in my palm, still dripping wet.
Ever since my reincarnation, I'd dreamed of having a space ring. Unfortunately, there was nothing of the sort in my inheritance, nor had I come across anything similar in all my years of living.
So, I decided to improvise.
Using the spells in my arsenal, I'd managed to create something that served a similar purpose. The water-attribute Displace spell allowed me to transfer objects between two locations, provided I'd carved the corresponding runes at the destination beforehand.
In this case, that destination was my old cave.
In effect, I'd created a storage space in the real world that I could access whenever I wanted, as long as the items were submerged in water at the source and I had access to water at my end.
"That's impressive!" The Orc's eyes widened as he stared at the mana stones in my palm.
His gaze shifting between the crystals and me. Still, he seemed to have enough sense not to pry into something that wasn't his business.
"So, how much will it cost to hire you?" I asked.
"One should be enough," he replied, finally tearing his gaze away from the crystals.
"I see. Here, catch." I tossed one of the crystals toward him.
He caught the crystal and slipped it into his pocket.
"Follow me. I'll explain how things work around here as we go."
With that, he turned and started walking, motioning for us to follow.
"Now, the first thing you should know is that there's no single authority running this place. Different groups control different parts of the settlement, and each keeps order in its own territory."
He glanced at the buildings around us before continuing.
"Things weren't always like this, though. Back in the day, a few groups tried to take over the whole settlement. Didn't work out too well for them. They fought each other so badly that the shores practically ran red with blood."
He gave a small shrug.
"Eventually, the bigger groups agreed to divide the settlement among themselves. Didn't put an end to the fighting, though. New groups kept popping up, and the same old story played out all over again."
He gestured at the mismatched buildings lining the street.
"That's why everything looks so jumbled up around here. Every group builds things its own way, and whenever one gets wiped out, whoever takes its place does the same. It's been going on for ages."
He paused, giving us a moment to take that in.
"Go on," I said, narrowing my eyes.
The Orc chuckled, seemingly amused by my reaction.
"Anyway, most of the people you see around here came for the same reason you two did. They heard the rumors about this place and hoped to grow stronger by making use of the blessed land."
He shook his head with a wry smile.
"But things aren't always that simple. Once enough people started gathering, fights over land and resources became common. Before long, there was murder and pillaging everywhere. That's when the major groups finally stepped in and agreed on some rules to keep things under control."
He scratched his cheek before continuing.
"I won't bore you with all the details of how things got to this point. What's important for you to know is the protection fee."
"There's no one in charge of the whole settlement, so unless you're strong enough to keep trouble away yourself, it's best to pay one of the local groups a small fee every few days. They'll deal with thieves, troublemakers, and anyone who gets a little too interested in your belongings."
He flashed us a grin, as though it were the most reasonable arrangement in the world.
"Think of it as paying for peace of mind."
Right. A tax by another name...
To think I'd come across something like this before the settlement had even developed a proper system of governance was amusing in itself.
"And where do those who can't afford such a luxury reside?"
Judging by what I'd seen so far, I doubted I'd need any protection from the locals. I hadn't sensed a single lifeform in the settlement with a mana signature powerful enough to pose a threat to me.
"Most of them cluster to the abadoned zone--"
The Orc paused, then glanced at me as he caught on to what I was getting at.
"Are you sure about it?" the Orc asked with hesitantly. "If you decide to live out there, don't expect much help if trouble comes knocking. And if you do end up asking for protection later, they'll charge you extra. It's their way of teaching newcomers a lesson."
"Yes."
The Orc seemed troubled by my answer.
"Here."
I tossed several more mana stones into his hand.
The moment he saw them, his expression changed. He quickly pocketed the stones, glancing around to make sure no one had noticed.
"Follow me."
He set off again, weaving through the crowd.
I followed, taking in the surroundings as we went.
At first, the streets remained crowded, lined with small shops and makeshift stalls. But as we moved farther from the bustling center, the crowd started thining. The calls of merchants grew distant, replaced by the occasional shout or the clatter of tools from somewhere nearby.
We continued onward, leaving the last of the busy streets behind.
The buildings grew farther apart, and the paths between them became increasingly uneven. Here and there, entire structures had partially collapsed, their remains left scattered across the ground.
The farther we went, the more neglected our surroundings became. Eventually, even the few well-maintained buildings disappeared, leaving only weathered structures with cracked walls and aging roofs.
"Here," the Orc said, gesturing toward the area ahead. "This place used to belong to a group that got wiped out in a fight with another group. Happened a long time ago. Since then, the groups on either side have been using it as a buffer zone between their territories."
I looked at the mud-built structures before me. Most were barely standing, their walls crumbling and their roofs on the verge of collapse.
"You won't have to worry about protection fees here. Though, that's probably the least of your worries..." He trailed off, glancing toward a shadowy corner where I sensed several presences lurking.
"That one. I'll take it."
After looking around for a while, I pointed toward a fairly large structure that had managed to withstand the years of neglect.
"Are you sure?" the Orc asked, eyeing the building uncertainly.
I tossed him a few more mana stones, quickly dispelling his hesitation.
"And get some people to fix it up. Don't worry about the cost. I'll pay you extra for the trouble."
With that, I turned my attention back to the building.
It looked like I'd found myself a place to stay for a while.
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