NOVEL WEB Chapter 320: Ur
The wind howled down from the icy cliffs as Ren, Lilith, and Thorn trudged the final stretch of the mountainside trail.
Snow clung to the ragged edges of their cloaks, their boots crunching through frost and gravel.
Their breath came in puffs of white against the thin mountain air, the cold biting into their bones despite the layers they wore.
Ahead of them, nestled in a jagged valley flanked by sharp peaks, the town of Ur finally came into view.
Ur looked like a fortress of stone and silence. Its buildings were squat and sturdy, crafted from dark timber and slabs of black rock pulled from the mountains themselves.
They huddled together as if bracing against the eternal chill, roofs bowed beneath decades of snow and shadow. Narrow streets wound between them like veins, quiet and watchful.
"There it is." Ren said, nodding toward the cluster of buildings with a faint smile. "Ur."
Thorn exhaled slowly, rubbing his arms. "Doesn't look very friendly."
"It isn't." Ren replied. "But this is where the Search begins. If we're going to burn our roots, this is the only path."
Lilith didn't speak. She gazed down at the town with sharp eyes, the wind tousling her snow white hair. Her expression was neutral as if she was reserving judgment until she was in the town.
As they descended the final slope into Ur's outskirts, figures emerged to greet them. Not with kindness, but hostility.
A crowd of men and women, armored in a mix of hide, rusted steel, and fur, emerged from between the buildings. Weapons glinted in their hands. They gathered like wolves, tense and silent until one man stepped forward.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, his face half-covered in old burn scars. His eyes were like flint, cold and sharp.
"Who are you kids?" He barked. "Why are you here?"
Ren raised his hands, palms out. "We've come to join the Search."
The reaction was immediate. Laughter, scoffing, and a few outright jeers rippled through the crowd.
"You think it's that easy?" The burn-scarred man sneered. "We don't accept the weak. Prove your strength or get out."
Before Ren could answer, Lilith stepped forward. Her soul energy sparked around her like a cloak of stars, the pressure making the air heavy. The crowd fell silent. Her eyes locked onto the burn-scarred man.
"I'll prove it." She said, voice calm.
"Don't kill him." Ren managed to whisper before the man ignited his arms with blinding white-hot flame, charging with a roar.
Lilith met him head-on.
What followed was so fast, no ordinary human would be able to keep up. Fortunately, everyone there with the exception of Thorn were at least Rank 5.
The man unleashed a barrage of fire wreathed punches, the heat distorting the air. Lilith dodged each punch with uncanny grace, her body weaving and twisting with the ease of one who had all the time in the world.
Then she struck once. A single, lightning fast blow to the ribs.
There was a crack, then silence. The flames died instantly as he collapsed.
Gasps echoed around them.
"Grudgingly accepted." Someone muttered at last, breaking the stunned silence.
"Fine," said a tall woman near the back, crossing her arms. "Stay. But your business is your own. No one's watching your back here."
Ren gave a respectful nod. "That's all we ask."
The crowd parted slowly, and the group moved forward through the narrow paths of Ur.
"We're in." Thorn grinned. "What next?"
"Simple." Ren matched his grin. "We pay our respects."
They headed toward the large hut in the center of the town, the biggest structure of them all. Tradition demanded newcomers pay respects to the strongest.
This was a ritual that would be quickly taught in all towns that existed on the mountain range. No one told newcomers the rules, and they were banking on that.
If they hadn't gone to pay their respects, they'd have been attacked on the pretext of them being disrespectful, but it was actually a hazing ritual. Fortunately, Ren knew of it, or blood would have been spilled.
However, before they reached the hut, the ground trembled.
A wave of silence fell over the town. People scattered like leaves in the wind.
"Back!" Ren said urgently. He raced to the edge of the town, thorn and Lilith hot on his heels.
A cloaked figure emerged from the northern pass. His presence was suffocating. Shadows stretched toward him unnaturally.
The grass blackened at his feet, and the very air warped around him. An aura of death spilled from his body in silent waves.
Ren's voice was low. "Rank 7 Knight. That's Death. No one knows his real name. But we know that he's literal death in human form. That's where the name comes from. See that aura around him? Anything caught in it dies. Immediately."
The figure walked with slow steps toward the central hut. The people of Ur watched from a distance, silent and still.
When he got there, he entered.
"That's the power of Bloodbinding." Thorn whispered wistfully.
"What about the person in the central hut?" Lilith asked.
"That's his lover. The only person who can withstand his aura. Some say it's due to her power. Others say he can choose who gets killed with his aura and holds it back from killing her. No one knows which is true."
Ten minutes passed.
Then the flap of the hut lifted.
Two figures emerged. The cloaked man and a tall woman with silver hair pulled back tightly.
Her eyes were pale and piercing. She wore no armor, only a long dark robe with a single sword strapped to her back. She looked relaxed, almost amused.
She waved casually as the man turned and departed, his aura slowly vanishing behind him.
"That's her." Ren murmured. "The strongest person in Ur. Rank 7. Equal to him."
When the aura was gone, the three of them stepped forward and approached the hut. Ren bowed deeply.
"We came to pay our respects."
The silver-haired woman studied them in silence. Her gaze passed over Lilith, lingered on Thorn, and finally returned to Ren.
A smile tugged at her lips.
"Welcome to Ur." She said. "You made it through the Gravegrove, survived the climb, and still had the nerve to walk into our town. Maybe you'll live long enough to see the end of the Search."
Then she turned and stepped back into the hut, leaving the flap open.
They followed.