Book 11: Chapter 27: Balduran’s Trail

“Alert: Black Iron Team No. 5364, you have discovered a relic belonging to the legendary pirate Balduran, activating an exploratory Otherworld Mission.”

“Balduran’s Trail (Task Difficulty Unknown): This is a medium-sized exploratory plot based on subsequent findings. Apostles must follow existing clues to search and obtain further definitive evidence.”

“Mission Objective: Carefully search the area where the person’s belongings were discovered. Learn of the legendary pirate Balduran’s past deeds and other historical records from the relevant era.”

“Mission Reward: As a temporary exploratory plot, real-time rewards will be issued based on historical artifacts obtained by apostles. Additional exploration progress contributes to cumulative future benefits, with rewards distributed according to each apostle’s contribution rate.”

“Alert: The world time consumed by this mission is not counted towards remaining stay duration. After completing the mission, remaining stay time will be recalculated or reset when apostles leave this area.”

“Alert: This world mission is non-sharable. No other teams have joined the relevant competition!”

“Finally, a moment to catch our breath!” Thoughts of relief simultaneously flashed through Qin Lun’s trio’s minds.

The next instant, they gratefully saw their remaining stay time not only halted its countdown but also increased slightly. Hill did a quick mental calculation, realizing the extra time was exactly what they had lost in the Death Lands before.

In other words, Star Void gave them a little ‘discount’. Instead of starting the mission time now, it considered their time in the Death Lands from day one as part of executing “Balduran’s Trail”.

Their total remaining stay time was now about ten days. The time spent so far mostly covered their days in Baldur’s Gate and the journey to the Death Lands.

“This is much more manageable now. If we find nothing here, we still have time to search for other mission leads,” Hill said happily via the Team Channel. “Qin Lun, you know what this trip into the Death Lands reminds me of?”

Qin Lun’s eyes flickered. He recalled their shared adventures and tentatively asked, “The Inner World of Nars?”

“Yep. Doesn’t it feel like Sanctuary Camp here? Powerful creatures everywhere, forcing us to tread carefully every time we hunt,” Hill nodded in response.

“The environment is similar, yes. But there’s less scheming between Apostle teams here than there. The battle level of the creatures is much higher, making it harder to control the situation,” Qin Lun replied with a wry smile.

After all, Nals World was a training ground prepared by Shattered Starry Sky for Apostles. At least the Legendary Powerhouses at Sanctuary Camp didn’t deliberately target Apostles. Here was different. Their encounters so far made it painfully clear the natives not only disliked them, but saw them as tasty meals.

“Mastashia, where should we head now?” Lago asked, his voice tinged with excitement. Unlike his companions, the Rogue craved treasure-hunting missions by nature.

“Before we start, I must warn you: I’ve never explored the path ahead. It’s completely unknown territory,” the Highland Elf’s expression was serious. “The only thing I’m certain of is this territory likely has a ruler-level swamp creature too.”

“We sensed it. Unlike the Primordial Tabanus, this one feels undeniably Legendary. My Perception keeps screaming at me to leave,” Rick tapped his temple with a helpless look.

“Good that you’re mentally prepared!” Mastashia nodded approvingly. “Alright, forget the legendary pirate for now. Rescue remains our primary goal. We head towards the canyon entrance of the Troll Claw first.”

“Of course! But… what if we happen to pass by where Balduran buried treasure?” Lago grinned mischievously.

“Then we follow adventurer rules! Finders, keepers. Share the loot equally per head,” Qin Lun’s decisive voice came from behind. “Mastashia, as the clue provider, gets an extra 20% share!”

“Guys, I’m not here for treasure!” Mastashia shook her head with a bitter smile, her tone earnest. “Don’t let greed cloud your judgment. It’s unclear if there’s any treasure, but monsters are definite. Don’t throw your lives away for loot. Harpers may not fear death on missions, but I personally hope to live a few more years.”

After a brief discussion, the team began moving again. This time, they planned no nightly rest. Deep in the Death Lands’ core, surrounded by unknown dangers, sleeping felt like inviting death by monster.

“Drink this!” Hill patted Sif’s shoulder, handing him a bottle filled with golden liquid.

The others were strong fighters, unaffected by days without rest. Only Sif was ordinary. Fear and constant fleeing had exhausted his body and mind. Bent low, he struggled to keep up, his face deathly pale.

Sif took the bottle without question and downed it all in one gulp.

Soon after swallowing the golden potion, warm energy flooded his core, circulating through him. His spirits lifted instantly.

“What was that? It worked fast!” Sif hesitated before asking.

Faerûn had potent magic and alchemy. Potions enhancing humans were rare and expensive, while cheaper, harmful stimulants were common. Sif wasn’t worried about poison; he just hoped for a cure later.

“Don’t worry. Sacred water from my church,” Hill, sharp as ever, knew Sif’s concern.

“Right! You always said you were a Priest. Which church?” Sif asked curiously.

This time, Hill only smiled. His church didn’t exist in this world. Normally, he might borrow a Faerûn deity’s name, but with the knowledgeable Harper Master nearby, lying was risky.

“One bottle costs over twenty thousand. No side effects, I promise,” Rand sighed. Hill gave Sif a compound restorative: Shattered Starry Sky’s High-Concentration Holy Water blended with queen bee golden honey and carbon-based protein pills. They’d mixed it themselves to restore health and mana, the holy water also countering mental fatigue.

This potion worked less effectively on Plot Characters – lacking Law Bodies – than Apostles. But it perfectly restored an ordinary human’s stamina and mind, costing over twenty-thousand Shattered Crystal.

“Twenty thousand? Silver, or gold?” Sif’s eyes widened like a curious little baby.

“Keep up! No more questions!” Qin Lun chuckled, pushing the noble youth forward to follow their departing companions.

As they journeyed, they noticed differences between these Death Marsh swamps and areas they’d crossed, like the Dragonfly nests or Primordial Tabanus territory.

Other swamp zones had muddy pathways connecting lakes. Here, lakes were vast. Dense mist often hung over the water, hiding paths ahead.

They frequently found paths ending midway, forcing painful backtracking. Routes forward were submerged, sometimes revealing Water Wraiths staring at them with cold gleam from beneath the surface.

Night deepened. As time passed, Mage Winnie illuminated the gem atop her staff with Light Spell. Risking attracting any nearby Legendary creature seemed better than the immediate danger of an unclear path.

After hours of detours, Mastashia lost all sense of direction. No one knew if they were headed correctly anymore.

“Listen! What’s that sound?” Lago suddenly stopped up front, signaling a halt. He listened intently, holding his breath.

“Hearing things?” Winnie snapped irritably, weary. Maintaining even a single Light Spell all night drained her significantly.

Qin Lun and his companions offered mental energy restorative potions, but she wasn’t Sif. While slight effects helped ordinary people immensely, they were negligible on powerful Plot Characters.

Pouring an ounce of water into a cup shows; into a pond, it vanishes. Supplying too much was impossible – their items cost thousands of Shattered Crystal each.

“Quiet! He’s not joking!” Rick silenced Winnie with a stern look. Everyone froze, afraid to disturb the Rogue’s keen hearing.

“Qin Lun, see anything?” Rand whispered in the Team Channel.

“Can’t see. Staring Aura has a range limit. The sound he hears must be distant… or underwater!” Qin Lun’s eyes suddenly sharpened as a possibility struck him.

He’d noticed earlier: near Water Wraith-filled lakes, his Staring Aura, normally effective up to 200 meters on land, could only penetrate about ten meters underwater.

“Mastashia, in swamps… are there non-amphibious, aquatic Legendary creatures?” Qin Lun frowned, turning to the Highland Elf.

“Why do you ask?” Mastashia thought hard. “Generally, amphibious monsters thrive better here. Like the Primordial Tabanus we met, or Ancient Hydras, marsh dragon lizards. Swamps aren’t oceans; shallow water can’t support massive pure aquatic Legendaries. But we can’t rule it out entirely.”

“So… it’s possible?” Qin Lun’s gaze hardened as he looked towards Lago. The Rogue was still crouched by the water’s edge, listening intently. What Qin Lun saw instantly paled his face.