Chapter 54: The Flower of the Atrium and a First Quest

Qing Yu had never imagined that Eden was the owner of this remarkably upscale inn.

Nor had he anticipated that Eden would truly make good on his word, not only waiving all their accommodation fees but also promising to specially prepare their meals.

Initially, Qing Yu had assumed Eden was merely speaking casually.

He had never expected him to actually follow through.

Beyond that, upon hearing Qing Yu’s intention to take on a bounty, Eden proactively offered some advice and even bestowed upon him a pile of gold coins, urging them to purchase powerful equipment and prepare thoroughly.

Despite Qing Yu’s repeated attempts to decline, Eden remained insistent on giving him the gold, much like a relative during festive seasons who insists on giving a child a red envelope.

Ultimately, Aldoran had to intervene and dissuade him, only then did Eden somewhat dejectedly retrieve the coins.

Nevertheless, he still presented Qing Yu with a healing wand, claiming it was a welcome gift.

However, Qing Yu secretly preferred the one Aldoran had purchased for him.

After a night’s rest, Qing Yu awoke early, grabbing his magic staff to rouse Aldoran.

He excitedly pulled at her, urging her to quickly take him to accept a bounty quest.

Since they had nothing better to do, Aldoran, after giving Thrud a few brief instructions, set out with Qing Yu.

Though dawn had barely broken, the streets were already teeming with people, their chatter “chirping” and overwhelmingly noisy.

Qing Yu and Aldoran struggled to push their way through the throngs to reach the quest reception point.

This was the very tall tower Qing Yu had observed the previous night.

Nibelungen.

Stepping into the tower, Qing Yu’s immediate impression was one of sheer “luxury.”

The towering structure was divided into numerous levels, its walls entirely crafted from an unknown transparent material—certainly not glass, but a substance far more resilient.

The walls emitted a faint blue luminescence, and periodically, crystalline flowers would bloom across their surfaces, only to dissolve back into the walls after a few seconds.

Hollowed out in the center, the walls were filled with water, where fish of various hues gracefully swam.

Through these unique walls, Qing Yu could observe the ceaseless flow of pedestrians outside, yet those outside remained entirely oblivious to the interior.

Within the expansive hall, apart from a front desk carved from sapphire, stood numerous towering crystal pillars.

Beside each pillar rested large black chests and long benches.

The pillars themselves were entirely blue, inscribed with countless names, and filled with water, each containing a single white stone.

Many people paused before these crystal pillars, dropping sheets of paper into them, which were then automatically drawn by the stones, vanishing from sight.

Aldoran explained that the first through tenth floors of “Nibelungen” served as the information transmission center.

Travelers would deposit letters into the crystal pillars through narrow slits.

The gems within these pillars were known as “Transmission Stones.”

These stones grew in pairs within the snow-capped mountains and possessed a peculiar property: once separated, they could, through magic resonance, transmit objects from the weaker resonating stone to the stronger one.

Consequently, people commonly utilized them to send letters and small items to one another.

The water filling the pillars was a magic resonance fluid, and the names carved upon the pillars indicated those awaiting their deliveries.

Beneath each pillar, corresponding place names were also inscribed.

Each day, staff members would tally the names and dispatch personnel to deliver the items.

On each floor, there were twenty thousand pillars designated for receiving items and another twenty thousand for dispatching them.

Thus, within this colossal edifice, the sheer number of staff alone was astronomical.

This was the Information Exchange Center, the largest building in the kingdom, reverently known as “The Flower of the Atrium”—Nibelungen.

However, since their primary objective was to guide Qing Yu to the quest reception area, Aldoran led him towards a device resembling an elevator.

Crafted from emeralds, this apparatus was entirely open, allowing for a clear view of its interior furnishings.

Two potted plants adorned the floor on either side, while the rest of the space was densely packed with people.

Aldoran explained that there were at least a thousand of these devices on each floor, all controlled by Servers.

When a guest stated their desired floor, the Server would use a magic stone to activate magical energy, propelling the device to the corresponding level.

In mere seconds, it could ascend beyond a hundred floors, yet passengers would experience no discomfort whatsoever.

According to Aldoran, the upper floors featured numerous open-air clearings specifically designed for flying races.

These clearings were fashioned into the shape of wings.

Whenever sunlight illuminated these wings, the magical materials composing them would unfurl, and from a distance, this spectacle of slowly spreading wings imparted an even greater sense of grandeur to the tower.

“They probably couldn’t build something like this on Earth, could they…?” Qing Yu mumbled to himself.

The technological advancement of this world was indeed peculiar; one might call it primitive, yet it boasted architecture far surpassing Earth’s capabilities.

Conversely, one might deem it advanced, but it lacked even a simple telephone.

Ultimately, it all stemmed from the power of magic.

The bounty quest reception points were located from the thirtieth to the eightieth floors.

Aldoran mentioned that the eleventh to twenty-ninth floors were reserved for currency deposit and exchange, promising to give Qing Yu a proper tour when they had more time.

Due to the sheer volume of people, Aldoran and Qing Yu were forced to abandon the elevator device, opting instead to ascend to the thirtieth floor via the stairs.

Despite this decision, Qing Yu’s exceedingly weak physical condition left him utterly drained of strength by the tenth floor.

Aldoran carried him for the remaining floors.

Aldoran’s strength was truly astonishing; her petite frame could effortlessly carry Qing Yu, bounding up thirty flights of stairs with remarkable speed.

‘No wonder whenever Qing Yu desired her, Aldoran would indulge him numerous times, never ceasing until he, beneath her, was utterly depleted, unable to even utter a sound.’

Fortunately, Aldoran was wealthy enough to procure many invigorating foods for Qing Yu.

‘Otherwise, his body would truly break down.’

The thirtieth floor was adorned with a refreshing aesthetic, featuring numerous potted plants.

The ground was even carpeted with delicate pink crystalline flowers, and instead of water, the spaces between the walls were filled with vibrant green grass.

Quirky small creatures scurried across the lawns, while multicolored butterflies fluttered among the blossoms, creating a scene of vibrant life.

In the center of the hall, numerous consultation desks were arranged, behind which sat beast-eared valets, smiling warmly as they answered guests’ inquiries.

Bulletin boards crafted from sky-blue gemstones filled the hall, displaying detailed information and rewards for various bounty quests.

Each board featured a red stone; upon accepting a quest, one would remove the stone, which would then automatically transform into a wristband, coiling around the person’s wrist.

Concurrently, the bulletin board would automatically switch to green.

People constantly came and went, registering, accepting, and submitting bounty quests, causing the bulletin boards to incessantly cycle between blue and green, creating a bustling spectacle.

Qing Yu and Aldoran navigated through the surging crowd, Qing Yu excitedly glancing left and right, his eyes sparkling.

Had Aldoran not been by his side, he would have long since plunged headfirst into the throng.

He seemed curious about every single quest, invariably craning his neck to examine each one he encountered.

“Capture goblins harassing Mel Village, or acquire five pairs of saber-toothed elephant tusks, or brew five jars of magic resonance fluid…”

Qing Yu read through the quests one by one, as if he wouldn’t rest until he had perused every single one.

Aldoran remained by Qing Yu’s side, accompanying him through each task and patiently awaiting his decision.

With a “thump,” just as Qing Yu was engrossed in reading a quest, he bumped squarely into someone.

“Ah, my apologies, my apologies, I was careless,” Qing Yu hastily apologized, looking up at the person.

But upon seeing them, Qing Yu froze.

With long red hair framing a wisp of yellow bangs, dark skin, a tall and robust physique, and golden pupils, it was precisely the woman Qing Yu had bumped into earlier at the pass.

The same individuals still followed behind her.

Upon seeing Qing Yu, she clearly recognized him as well, yet the woman merely glanced at him, casually stated that it was “nothing,” and then continued with her own affairs.

The woman also appeared to be searching for bounty quests, and Qing Yu surreptitiously peeked at the one she was examining.

“Eliminate Bandits: Detailed information stored in stone, bounty twenty gold coins, issuer Olivia.”

Following this were the bounty’s deadline and various notes.

Qing Yu merely glanced at this bounty notice before moving on; apprehending bandits was an utterly impossible feat for him, and he was acutely aware of his own limitations.

Consequently, he pulled Aldoran towards other quests, meticulously searching for tasks suited to his abilities.

Qing Yu had but one requirement for a quest: that he could complete it entirely independently, without relying on anyone else’s strength.

Nonetheless, most quests appeared exceedingly difficult to Qing Yu; even those prepared for nascent adventurers were beyond what he dared claim he could accomplish.

Thus, through continuous sifting, Qing Yu finally discovered a quest to his liking as night approached.

It was a task to capture slime larvae, with a paltry reward of merely one hundred copper coins.

Because the quest’s difficulty was exceedingly low and its reward scantier than a mosquito’s leg, no one had bothered to accept it, thereby presenting Qing Yu with an opportunity.

To acquire the quest, one first needed to gently inscribe the quest-taker’s name on the bulletin board.

Then, the stone on the board would be removed, transforming into a wristband that coiled around Qing Yu’s wrist.

“The wristband has a storage function,” Aldoran explained, seeing Qing Yu’s expectant expression, as she imparted some fundamental knowledge.

“Once the quest is complete, you’ll go to an upper floor to submit what you’ve obtained, and after the staff confirms it, you’ll receive your corresponding reward.”

Qing Yu’s face beamed with happiness; no matter what Aldoran said, he simply nodded, grinning widely.

This was Qing Yu’s first time accepting a quest, and he incessantly rubbed the wristband with his hand, chuckling with an utterly endearing expression.

“Alright then, since you’ve accepted the quest, I’ll go with you to find slimes tomorrow,” Aldoran said, feeling a warmth spread through her heart as she observed Qing Yu’s joyful demeanor.

“Mm! Okay!” Qing Yu readily agreed, then abruptly changed the subject.

“However, Aldoran, may I make a request?”

“Of course.”

“Then I hope, Aldoran, that tomorrow you’ll simply watch me the whole time, and *not* help me! Can you?” Qing Yu looked at Aldoran with eager anticipation, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

Aldoran nodded, and Qing Yu immediately burst into cheers, his joyful laughter swallowed by the clamor of the crowd.

By the time they finished dinner and returned to the inn, it was almost eleven o’clock.

Despite the late hour, Eden remained seated quietly in the lobby, engrossed in a book, seemingly oblivious to Qing Yu’s boisterous joy.

Qing Yu was exceptionally exhilarated that night; restless, he had made demands on Aldoran at least three times after returning to their room and showering.

Only after Aldoran had satisfied him did he finally fall into a deep sleep within her embrace, eagerly awaiting the next day’s adventure.