Chapter 57 | Goblin Meeting, Stormhaven Base
"The Goblin King has informed us about the next step," the Shaman spoke, its voice raspy and ancient. "Be ready, and don’t be taken by surprise anymore. The time of the goblins is approaching."
The Goblin Commander simply groaned, its yellow eyes burning with hatred and vengeance, vowing to take revenge on the humans who had done this to it.
Which meant that it remembered Elliot’s face, but more than anything, also Alicar’s.
He observed the scene with a bad feeling in his heart, a sense of dread settling deep in his gut.
These goblins were organizing, planning something big.
But as much as he wanted to stay and learn more, he knew he couldn’t risk being caught by so many of them, he would be overwhelmed.
So, with careful, silent movements, he retreated from the clearing and made his way back through the forest.
Alicar continued walking for what felt like hours, eventually emerging from the forest onto massive plains that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The open space was a welcome change from the claustrophobic trees, the grass swaying gently in the wind.
And in the middle of the plains, he saw it, a decently-sized human base that seemed safe and well-fortified.
He approached the gate, and as he asked the guards, they told him it was Stormhaven, the very same base that Leon had told him about earlier.
Alicar nodded, a determined look crossing his face as he stepped through the gates and entered the base.
The Stormhaven base was notably larger than Human Base #13 in the Initial Stage, as it held several distinct districts as well as proper buildings where people could rest and recover from their hunts.
Alicar looked around, but as expected, most of the awakeners around ranged from level 13 to level 17, with some level 18 and 19 scattered here and there, forming a modest but capable community.
In addition to that, there was a gate inside of the base, shimmering with ethereal energy, meaning one could leave the First Layer from there whenever they wished.
Not many knew this, but bases were mostly always built around gates, not the other way around, a fact that had been discovered through centuries of trial and error.
When humans first entered the Eternal Realm, these gates were located randomly across the landscape, sometimes disappearing and reappearing somewhere else without warning.
But thanks to advanced technology developed over decades, the Awakener Association managed to create a device to hold these gates in place, stabilizing them permanently.
Of course though, you could always find a random gate out of the First Layer by wandering deep into the wilderness, but it was extremely rare and dangerous.
More often than not, the Awakener Association advised against taking them as they could lead to a Secret Realm, a fate that many had met with tragic ends.
At the thought of that, a shiver went down Alicar’s spine: what would a First Layer secret realm even look like? It would likely be terrifying beyond imagination.
Either way, as Alicar looked around the space, he actually found Leon talking to a bunch of awakeners near a small fountain in the central plaza.
The moment Leon noticed Alicar, he quickly said temporarily goodbye to his companions and joined him with a panicked expression, his eyes wide with excitement.
"Alicar, you won’t believe it but while I was just sitting there..."
"...Your Demonic Arts skill’s level increased, yes, that was me," Alicar completed with a knowing smile, cutting him off.
His reaction seemed to be even more violent than Iris’ as he simply stood there with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Once the initial shock wore off, Leon quickly told Alicar everything he knew about this place, eager to bring him up to speed.
The Stormhaven base was actually pretty peaceful, mainly used by the awakeners who took their time to level up at a steady and safe pace.
Though there were a few people to watch out for, individuals who had a reputation for being trouble.
Leon pointed at the group he had been speaking with, a trio of well-equipped awakeners, "They’re the strongest around here and they plan to move toward deeper into the First Layer soon, so I planned to go with them."
"What about Iris?" Alicar asked, his voice carrying a hint of concern.
"Didn’t see her, she must be somewhere else I’m guessing, probably at another base entirely," Leon replied with a shrug.
"Hm," Alicar nodded, filing that information away for later.
Afterward, Leon led Alicar to the three-person group, introducing each of them as Alice, a sharp-eyed woman with a bow slung across her back, David, a sturdy man with a greatsword that gleamed with enchantments, and Lena, a calm woman with a staff that pulsed with faint healing energy.
"As I said they’re extremely strong so..."
"...Don’t flatter us too much," David said with a warm smile, waving off Leon’s praise. "Leon is only Level 15 but he’s obviously the strongest among all of us even though we’re all around level 20."
"Agreed," Alice nodded, her eyes studying Leon with respect. "His class is something else entirely, I’ve never seen anything like it."
Leon simply smiled, but while they were talking, Alicar was looking at him with a neutral expression saying "did you tell them anything?"
’Of course not!’ Leon replied with a simple head gesture, his eyes wide. ’I would be insane to do that...’
’Good,’ Alicar thought, relaxing slightly.
This meant that to the others, Leon only seemed like an extremely powerful awakener, especially with his Demonic Arts skill that made him appear formidable.
"Since you’re Leon’s friend, do you want to go with us?" Lena said, her voice warm and inviting. "I heard the forest is filled with goblins and finding a base that isn’t attacked is becoming increasingly hard..."
Alicar stared at the group with a neutral expression, thinking deeply about the proposition.
’I won’t be able to use Demonic Arts if I go with them as it would be too suspicious, though it might make it easier to reach a deeper location with their support,’ he thought, weighing the pros and cons. ’It’s a trade-off.’
"I also heard that the Awakener Association places bounties on some rare monsters, and if you bring them, you gain a ton of money and prestige!" David said excitedly, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "Look!"
He pulled out three pieces of paper which he had stored inside of his storage ring and showed them to Alicar.