RIAD Ch 10

“I’ll escort you to Bollaro. It’s my thanks for saving Fremin.”

Despite the chilly atmosphere lingering among the group, Rike’s offer—disguised as a favor—meant they’d continue traveling together.

Contrary to Eliah’s worries, Mason, loyal to his master, followed quietly without causing trouble.

And so, after some twists and turns, they arrived a few days later at a village near Bollaro. There, they encountered an unexpected crisis.

“Wouldn’t it be better to wait here, though?”

“No way.”

Fremin clamped his mouth shut stubbornly. His chubby, childlike cheeks puffed up in defiance. Eliah pressed her forehead, her expression troubled.

“We’re not going for fun. It could be dangerous.”

“I still don’t want to.”

“Then how about staying with your brother?”

“I need to escort the lady.”

No one was budging. The brothers were dead-set against changing their minds.

Eliah had hoped to leave Fremin at the safety of the village inn, just in case. With his brother around, it’d be simple for him to wait there briefly.

She didn’t know exactly what they’d face, but the odds of something unexpected—like in Junabi Forest—were high. There’d likely be no decent shelter, and the chance of encountering strange creatures was significant.

She wasn’t strong enough yet to fight while protecting a child. Though she figured Rike could handle it, she couldn’t help but worry.

“I won’t die. Don’t worry.”

Fremin looked up at her steadily, speaking with clear enunciation. Naturally, she didn’t find his words reassuring at all.

“If you leave me behind, I’ll sneak after you. Wouldn’t it be better to just go together from the start? Right, Brother?”

“Exactly.”

The kid even threw in a clear threat. With Rike backing him up, Fremin puffed up triumphantly. His little brain worked too well—Eliah couldn’t outmaneuver him and finally gave in.

“Fine… Rike, you handle it.”

“Don’t worry too much.”

Eliah sighed inwardly. How could this man not be concerned about taking his little brother to an unknown place? She suddenly wondered what kind of family environment these brothers had grown up in.

˙✧˖°🎮 ⋆｡˚

Bollaro was a city perched atop a massive rocky mountain. Even in the already hot season, the pale gray rocks absorbed the blazing sunlight, intensifying the heat.

The treacherous path was exactly why she’d wanted to leave Fremin behind, but now he just looked excited. Instead, it was Eliah slowing the group down.

“Ugh… haah… so hot…”

Climbing the rocks, she felt her patience wearing thin. Hiking wasn’t her hobby, and being forced into it was torture.

“Master, here.”

Kai pulled water from the bag and handed it to her. Before setting out, he’d insisted on carrying it despite her protests, and thank goodness he’d won that argument.

Kai’s once-slender frame had filled out with solid muscle over the journey, now boasting a robust physique. She’d thought no one could be more handsome than him when they first met, but he’d surpassed even that.

A sculpted face paired with a sculpted body—there was no sight more mesmerizing. Add his kindness on top of that, and her affection for him grew by leaps and bounds.

“Our Kai’s the best…”

She mumbled weakly, taking the water and drinking.

It seemed Eliah was the only one struggling, panting with exhaustion. Her obvious distress prompted even Rike to show concern.

“Are you alright? How about a break?”

“No… it’s better to keep going…”

The three sturdy men maintained steady breathing without issue, and even Fremin bounced around energetically.

‘Is it because I’m low-level? This is unfair, so unfair.’

She’d felt like she’d come to this world with some grand role, but in reality, she was the weakest link.

The higher they climbed the rocky mountain, the more the sun scorched her skin. With no proper path, scaling the unevenly placed rocks was far from easy.

She desperately missed the convenience of moving with a mouse click in the game.

After hours of battling her patience, the air began to cool slightly, and a faint mist appeared. It was as if clouds draped the mountain’s peak, shrouding the top in fog.

As they neared the edge of the mist, a cool sensation brushed against her. The refreshing chill against her overheated body was a welcome relief.

As she waved her hand through the mist, a notification window popped up before her eyes.

[Notification: You are entering ‘Bollaro, the Stone City.’]

“We’re here. We made it… Everyone, be careful.”

The tension she’d felt at the start had melted away in the oppressive heat. Eliah forced her weary body upright, raising her sword to prepare for any potential threats.

Stepping into the thick fog, there was no sudden shift to a new location; instead, the rocky path continued naturally. It seemed they’d reached the mountain’s summit, as the terrain flattened out rather than climbing further.

Alertly scanning her surroundings, she moved forward slowly. Before long, the fog cleared, revealing the scene ahead.

A vast rocky expanse stretched out before her. Large, taupe-colored stones littered the ground, with the occasional stump of a broken tree embedded sparsely in the earth. Despite its name as a “city,” the area was a barren wasteland devoid of any buildings.

And there, amidst it all, were moving figures.

Shapes resembling giants made of stone lumbered about.

“…I knew it.”

Sighing at the sight of these predictable monstrosities, Eliah gripped her sword. But Rike stepped forward.

“I’ll handle it.”

“No, Rike, look after Fremin. I can manage myself.”

He hesitated for a moment but nodded, seemingly convinced, and moved to shield Fremin.

A white glow gathered along her slender blade. Since becoming a Mana Expert, the light had grown sharper and more distinct.

With the mist at her back, she entered the rocky terrain, and the stone figures nearby turned toward them. They approached with slow but deliberate steps.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Their massive stone feet struck the ground, producing heavy, resonant sounds.

Up close, the stone human was even larger than she’d thought. Towering over two meters, its hulking form cast a shadow over her.

“Hah!”

As it came within reach, Eliah infused her sword with power. The sharp blade aimed for the joint between its head and torso.

Crack—!

A sound like metal clashing rang out as the blade sliced through the junction. The friction against the solid stone traveled through the sword, numbing her wrist.

Soon after, the head—a chunk of rock—fell to the ground and rolled a few times.

Thump. Thump. Roll…

Then, the stone body collapsed all at once, turning into a pile of rubble.

Ding!

[Notification: ‘Bollaro Resident (9)’ has fallen asleep.]

“Resident…? Wait, it’s a person?”

The name of the defeated stone pile struck an odd chord. A city with no trace of humans, yet these creatures were labeled “residents.” It faintly echoed the situation in the fairy forest.

‘A curse.’

Staring at the rubble in a daze, she noticed the scattered stones beginning to roll and reassemble.

“Wha—?”

Layer by layer, they stacked back together, reforming into their original shape. The reconstructed stone human stood tall again, looking down at Eliah.

Snapping out of it, she realized over twenty of these stone humans had gathered around her. Tensing her lips, she raised her sword.

Then it hit her: despite their numbers, the stone humans simply stood there, staring and pacing around her without attacking. They encircled her without hostility, as if they had no intent to harm.

‘They’re not attacking?’

After climbing the rocky mountain all day, exhaustion had already piled up. Perhaps from the prolonged sun exposure, she felt a slight fever in her body.

Eliah had no desire to provoke a fight with opponents who showed no aggression. Right now, conserving her stamina was the priority.

After observing for a few minutes, the stone humans still showed no sign of hostility.

She lowered her mana-charged sword and cautiously edged between them.

“Just a sec…”

Testing the waters, she applied a bit of pressure, and the stone humans gradually stepped back, creating a gap.

“Oh, oh… I’ll just pass through…”

Once the gap widened enough for a person, Eliah quickly gathered her group and slipped through.

Tall stone figures loomed around them, but by hurrying their steps, they escaped unharmed.

As they tried to distance themselves, hundreds of stone humans across the area turned their heads toward her. Then, in unison, they began stomping closer with heavy thuds. They didn’t seem aggressive now, but that could change. The sudden focus of hundreds of gazes sent a chill down her spine.

“Everyone…! Run!!”

Confirming this, Eliah bolted. Thankfully, the stone humans didn’t run, but the rocky expanse was teeming with them.

Desperate to avoid colliding with any, she darted through the gaps, running blindly. Her companions followed close behind, each finding their own path.

After sprinting until her breath ran ragged, a stone structure resembling a castle came into view. Amid the monotonous taupe plain, it was the only sign of human presence standing tall.

‘There it is…!’

Spotting her destination in the vast rocky land, Eliah squeezed out her last reserves of strength and dashed toward it.

“Huff… haah…”

Slowing down in relief, she heard the group come to a halt behind her with a shuffle. Approaching the castle slowly, she faced a massive gate. A plain, ash-gray stone door, devoid of patterns or carvings, it stood at least three times her height and looked incredibly heavy.

With no guards in sight, Eliah placed her hand on it.

[Would you like to enter ‘Bollaro, the Stone City: Central Castle’? Yes/No]

The now-familiar notification appeared, and as she accepted, the hefty gate swung inward.

˙✧˖°🎮 ⋆｡˚

A man descended the stairs in the center of the simple lobby.

A giant of a man, perhaps three or four times Eliah’s size, he had an odd appearance with a long, braided beard hanging down—but he was unmistakably human.

“Welcome, hero!”

Eliah was startled to be greeted by a seemingly normal person.