Chapter 15:A City, or a Trap?
Peter's gaze settled on the massive wooden structure stretching endlessly to both sides, its far ends swallowed by the horizon. His first thought was that they had arrived at the city mentioned by the woman he had sent to the afterlife. But just as easily, it could be an outpost or a hunting base used to track local wildlife.
'Only one way to find out.'
Turning to Selene, he found her kneeling on the ground, staring silently at the palisade. After a brief pause, he spoke.
"Alright, five-minute break. Drink some water and rest up. After that, we're heading inside."
He pulled a waterskin from his bag, taking a few measured sips. A moment later, Selene followed suit—only to gag the instant the liquid touched her tongue.
"What the hell?! It tasted fine before, but now it's disgusting and bitter!" she exclaimed, face contorted in disgust.
"That's just the leather. Water stored in a waterskin absorbs its taste over time. There's no way around it unless you have a different container," Peter explained, unfazed. He'd endured far worse in both taste and quality before.
Watching her grimace, he mused, 'Maybe this will teach her to ration her supply better.' He had a few bottles of mineral water tucked away—brought from the real world before arriving in Ether—but he preferred to save those for emergencies.
Selene stared at him as if expecting a better solution, then shifted her gaze to the waterskin in her hands, now looking at it with open contempt. Peter, however, had already lost interest in the exchange. His focus was on the palisade, scanning the walls for signs of movement.
That was when one of his aspect-related abilities activated. His vision sharpened, details snapping into focus with unnatural clarity. For a brief moment, he marveled at its effectiveness. But even with its aid, he couldn't spot a single guard on the fortifications.
'That's not a good sign.'
There was no more to learn from a distance. Five minutes were up. Peter turned to Selene.
"Alright, let's move. Time to see what we're dealing with."
They were still about a hundred meters away. As they followed the path, the trees thinned, and within moments, the forest gave way entirely. Only twenty meters remained between them and the wall. That was when Peter spotted it—a narrow passage, two meters high and three meters wide, leading inside.
The absence of guards gnawed at him. He considered the possibility of an ambush. Perhaps they'd already been seen, and the defenders were simply lying in wait.
As they drew closer, Selene studied the towering walls with evident curiosity, seemingly intrigued by their origin. Peter, however, paid her no mind. With no other option available, he strode toward the passage, silently motioning for her to follow.
The wooden structure was old and weathered, held together by pegs instead of metal nails. Several logs bore deep claw marks—evidence of past encounters with local predators.
As he stepped through the passage, muffled voices reached his ears. His eyes flicked across the interior, quickly assessing the layout.
This wasn't an outpost.
It wasn't a city either.
Before him stood a seemingly endless wall, stretching as far as the eye could see from west to east.
'Why would anyone build a palisade separating the forest from the plains when there's nothing out there?'
He was right. Beyond the wooden barricade, the grasslands stretched into the distance, utterly barren—except for a single small house on the left side of the path. The light flickering in its window suggested someone was inside.
And speaking of people—
The moment he and Selene stepped past the threshold, a sharp hiss cut through the air, and the murmured conversations inside the house fell silent.
Peter signaled for Selene to stay behind him.
Then, he called his weapon.
Darkness coiled around his hand, devouring the sunlight before solidifying into the shape of a blade. As the weapon fully formed, the door to the house burst open, and five armored figures rushed out, weapons drawn.
They moved fast, fanning out into a loose defensive line. Their leader, emboldened by their numbers, took a step forward and barked,
"Hey, you! Who the hell are you, and what do you want? I don't know your faces—so you're not city guards, and sure as hell not hunters."
"His tone carried an edge of arrogance, which mildly irritated Peter—but he let it slide. He exhaled slowly, keeping his stance relaxed as he answered evenly,
"We're not looking for trouble. So lower your weapons… Oh, and let's not forget the two archers inside the house," he called out, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
Selene stiffened beside him, instinctively glancing toward the windows. The guards' leader also hesitated, caught off guard by the remark. After a beat, he raised his hand, signaling his men to stand down before barking an order toward the hidden archers.
Peter wasted no time.
"Much appreciated. Now, as for your questions—we're new here. Just looking for shelter and information. Think you can help us with at least one of those?"
A faint smirk played at his lips as he spoke.
Seven armed warriors stood before him. Unlike the bandits he had recently dealt with, these men weren't mindless thugs. A direct fight wasn't an option. This called for diplomacy.
The leader's shoulders relaxed slightly at Peter's words. If they were new to Ether, they couldn't be much of a threat. No one arrived in this world unknown and strong.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he exhaled and said grimly,
"Well, I've got good news and bad news. The good news? Since we're part of the city guard, we can point you in the right direction. The bad news…?"
His expression darkened.
"You've landed in a godforsaken fragment of Ether that no one from the real world has ever heard of."