I watch the busy marketplace fade away in the distance as the train leaves the station. All my teammates and our silver-haired guide watch the capital disappear from view as we leave as well.
Almost immediately, we enter a more mountainous region with heavy trees and small lakes that line the train tracks.
We’ve headed almost a full day away from the capital. I’ve never been this far away from my hometown before. Going to the capital was a big deal the first time I left, so wherever we’re headed, this is all new territory for me.
I’m not too worried about getting too far away, if anything goes south, I can just Dungeon Walk back to a number of marked locations. My MP stores have risen significantly, so even at a much further distance away, I should be able to teleport anywhere.
We’ll see…
The lush green plants and wildlife fill my vision through the wide open windows as the tall buildings fade away behind me.
It’s both exciting and nerve-wracking.
I’m pretty glad the decision was made for us, it felt like we didn’t exactly have the option to say no… If given a choice I would have said yes to this mission anyways. I’m looking forward to seeing new things, but most of all, I’m glad I get to go off on an adventure with my team again.
It still hasn’t fully hit me yet…
The fact that I’ve been gone off training for months in isolation. I’ve had Ember by my side, but it isn’t the same as being around real people.
It feels, warm.
Being around smiles and laughter is nice, especially Maria.
I look over to the blond-haired blue-eyed hunter. She’s grown a lot, but every time I look at her it reminds me of where I came from.
That tiny apartment building back in our hometown, farming goblins just to make rent. It’s only been a few months, but it feels like a lifetime has gone by…
I sit back on the large orange cushioned couch of our private room and gaze out the window.
As time goes by, Leo makes himself comfortable and we begin sharing info back and forth as a team. We talk about past quests and association-hosted upcoming events, but nothing too special comes up.
Everything about today’s mission is apparently easier to explain once we get there, so I’m still a bit left in the dark about what these “Gates” and “Sections” really are.
The silver-haired artificer seems alright. He gets along fine with all my teammates, and I don’t mind his company at all. He lightens the mood.
My only strife is his unyielding loyalty to the Association. Sure, he gets to work his dream job, but the glossy-eyed trust is a character trait that’s hard for me to comprehend…
To each their own I guess.
About 2 hours of small talk, window gazing, and interesting conversation pass before a dinging sound interrupts us coming from the metal door at the front of the private cabin.
Leo replies.
“Come on in!”
The small silver sliding door opens and a light-skinned woman with dark hair tied up in a bun rolls a small trolly covered in a white cloth and plates of food and drinks.
She greets us with a smile, letting her gaze wander over all of us, then back to Leo.
“Here’s your order Sir, it’s a pleasure to have all of you aboard today.”
The thin woman places the dishes and glasses onto the various tables around us, then bows and rolls the empty cart out without saying another word.
Leo points open palms at all of us, then at the feast.
“Well, dig it, they made this for you, don’t be shy!”
Our festivities continue as we eat up and watch the sun start to set over the horizon.
The landscape outside has been changing drastically the further from the city we travel.
Every 50km or so, we stop at a new small town and I watch passengers board and leave. The cities we pass are getting smaller and smaller and the abundance of wildlife around us is getting much thinner too.
The mountains far off in the distance are beautiful, but the dry arid land outside is something I’ve never seen in the real world before.
I’ve only experienced dungeons with landscapes like this and read about some in books. To see it out here is a whole new experience.
The sun sets behind the large orange rocks and shines through the dry trees and dry yellow plants.
We’ve made it out into a desert…
Small towns and even single-family shacks pass by as the sun finally sets. As it does, my eyes close too.
I’m not particularly tired, but these couches are very comfortable, and there’s something about transportation that makes it especially easy to doze off.
With a full stomach of food, a setting sun, and Maria’s head resting on my shoulder, I fade off into a deep sleep with only the light sound of a rumbling train to fill my mind.
Time passes.
I’m awoken by the screeching sound of brakes, the whistle of a train. Leo’s voice is the next thing to hit my ears.
“Rise and shine, we made it to the outer wall of Gate 1. Let’s go check in and get you guys situated.”
In a bit of a doze, I sit up, rubbing my eyes. My other 3 teammates are doing the same. I see the archer and the healer on the other side of the cabin and Maria is waking up by my side.
I turn to look out the window.
There’s even less vegetation than before, not a tree in sight, and hardly any mountains or plateaus at all in the distance.
Looking out the other side of the train window, I just see a few small wooden made townhouses and larger buildings. The oddity is the massive grey background that blocks the desert view.
I bite my bottom lip and squint, standing to my feet as a worker opens the train door from the outside.
I hear a man’s voice ring out as Leo jumps down and out of the train.
“Welcome to the Gate 1, Section 4 rest stop, we’ve been expecting you all. Company is scarce around these parts.”
Laughter is shared between the two men as I look back at my teammates, then jump down and out of the train myself.
As soon as I hit the small wooden platform below, my gaze rises to look at the massive sight before my eyes.
There’s a large stone wall, over 40 meters high that goes off in both directions. To my left and right, I see the solid grey wall curve off into the distance with no end in sight.
Abby, Maria, and Arie all hop out of the train behind me. I whisper under my breath.
“What is this place…?”
Dust fills the air as the others hit the old wooden train platform, and the silver sliding door shuts behind us. The man that greeted Leo hops on the back of the last cart. Before I know it, our ride has left the station and we’re all alone.
I gulp.
The morning sun is just rising behind us and the hot air of the desert is already making my mouth dry.
There’s a few small wooden structures off in the distance closer to the wall, but behind us, there is nothing at all.
Just sand and sky.
The silence is off-putting.
Arie speaks up in a sarcastic tone and begins to walk forward. He passes my left side.
“Welcome to the Dark Continent…. Home sweet home…”
With a smirk across his face, the dark-haired archer looks up at the towering wall, then begins to make his way toward the wooden buildings that are built at its base.
Abby follows and Maria looks over at me. I shrug, throwing my arms in the air, then turn to gaze up at the high wall myself.
Maria and I follow, not wanting to be left behind out in the open nothingness. Leo lets out a laugh.
“You city folks always crack me up! Come on, enjoy the peace and quiet while ya can!”
He turns to face the largest building, pointing an open palm toward it.
“Let’s head over to the official Section 4 rest area. There’s a long-time friend, short-time association worker that’ll make sure you’re taken care of there. I’m sure you’ll all get along just fine.”
I look at the 3 story building the silver-haired guide is pointing to.
It seems to be made entirely of wood, like an oversized log cabin. Its light brown coloring matches all the other buildings in the area as well as the train station’s platform.
There’s a small dirt road that leads us over to it. The closer we get, the higher the grey wall it’s built up against seems to be.
Although not high in the sky yet, the morning sun is already starting to get unconformably hot. There is not a cloud in the sky either to block the rays.
The 60-meter or so walk over to the cabin structure feels much longer than it should. Waves of heat are making the air ripple in the dirt road.
Leo opens the front door without knocking and yells through it.
“Hey, Charlotte! I got some visitors for ya!”
He walks through, turning his head back and motioning for us to follow him through.
I hear a woman’s confident voice reply.
“Leo? Haha! Is that really you? I never would have guessed you were bringing the new combat squad here. Come on in! All of ya!”
