Chapter 34: Black Tide

Noticing Raine's gaze, Kaelin stopped in her tracks, her wine-red ponytail swaying gently in the breeze. "This time, I really have to thank you." She looked up at him. Her emerald eyes, usually sharp and spirited, appeared much softer at this moment. "If you hadn't shortened our travel time to the absolute limit, Matthew and the others wouldn't have survived, and we would never have found that cave."

As she spoke, her head drooped involuntarily, her gaze falling on the mud-spattered tips of her boots. She was clearly thinking of that impassable Magic Barrier again. With Raine's help, she had finally taken a massive step forward, only to be blocked by the barrier in the end.

"Do you need help?" Raine asked calmly, seeing through the dejection she tried so hard to hide. He could sense that whatever lay hidden behind the barrier was of utmost importance to her.

"I've troubled you enough already," Kaelin said, pursing her dry lips and trying to make her tone sound firm. "I'll find a trustworthy and suitable Caster as soon as possible. There must be a way to open that barrier."

Yet she lacked confidence in her own words. In this remote border town far from her homeland, finding a Caster who was both trustworthy and capable of breaking an ancient Magic Barrier was easier said than done. Sarah? Unstable Magic Power was a massive taboo when breaking a Magic Barrier. And what about that middle-aged Mage Professional who exuded a powerful aura just now? The man probably wouldn't even give it a second glance. Forcing a smile that looked rather strained on her pale face, she asked, "Where are you planning to go next?"

"I'm going to find a Leather Armor Craftsman to process this." Raine patted the rolled-up hide in his backpack. He stepped forward and waved casually at Kaelin. "If you need a hand, you know where to find me."

Kaelin watched Raine's tall, retreating back. She stood there for a long time before nodding vigorously and murmuring a soft agreement. In this remote town of a strange country, this dark-haired young man was perhaps the only support she could currently reach out to.

After parting ways with Kaelin, Raine first went to Robert's Fallen Stone and Rib Armor Shop. The moment the door opened and the red-nosed owner caught sight of Raine, he recoiled almost reflexively. He subconsciously reached out to protect his ribs, looking exactly as if an old wound had started acting up again, his face written with the nervous dread of "Why are you here again?"

"Don't be nervous, Mr. Robert." Finding it somewhat amusing, Raine softened his tone. "I just came to ask where I can find a skilled Leather Armor Craftsman in town. I have a special hide that needs processing."

"Oh! Looking for a Leather Armor Craftsman! You've certainly asked the right person!" Robert was visibly relieved as he pointed generously toward the east. "Go find Old Henry at the Guardian Leather Shop! His craftsmanship is the most solid in town, but..." Lowering his voice, he revealed a lingering fear on his face, despite the trace of respect for Old Henry in his eyes. "That old guy has a bit of an eccentric temper. He's not an easy person to get along with."

Following Robert's directions, Raine passed through several increasingly quiet, ancient alleys. Among a row of old houses, he finally found a remarkably inconspicuous shop. The storefront was so low that one had to duck slightly to enter, and the wooden wall panels were blackened from years of exposure to the elements, even showing fine cracks in some places. An old wooden signboard hung in front of the door, swaying in the wind with a loud CREAK. The paint had chipped off so much that the words were barely legible, though one could faintly make out the words "Guardian Leather Shop."

[Mottled Town • East District • Guardian Leather Shop]

[Description: A family-run shop operated by "Catty Henry." His family has resided here for generations since the end of the Black Tide War five hundred years ago.

His ancestor was a warrior of the Alliance Army who participated in ending the Black Tide. After the war, instead of returning to his homeland, he chose to stay in Mottled Town, adjacent to the Demon Shadow Forest, as both a place of rest and a vigil.

Old Henry is the best Leather Armor Craftsman in town. The downside is that his tongue is tougher to deal with than the Leather Armor he makes.

It is said that the origin of his nickname comes from his youth as an Adventurer, when he spent an entire night up in a tree and literally cursed a Bear Goblin to death after it had chased him for three days and three nights.]

"The shop owners of Mottled Town really have more personality than the last," Raine chuckled helplessly before refocusing his thoughts.

The mention of the Black Tide War in the description triggered fragments of memories in his mind. It was a terrifying calamity that swept across the entire continent, as endless black mist suddenly surged from all over the world. It flooded plains, devoured towns, and blotted out the sky wherever it went. Even the sunlight high above was reduced to a dismal, ashen gray. People called it the Black Tide because it was like a black flood that never retreated. Bound within the Black Tide was highly twisted Negative Energy. Affected by this, Magical Beasts underwent horrifying mutations and began madly attacking towns and cities everywhere. Later on, even dead corpses could be resurrected.

Before all this, the Demon Shadow Forest before him had a beautiful name: the Jade Forest. It was precisely because of the Black Tide's corruption, which filled the woods with poisonous miasma and lurking demonic shadows, that the people of that time renamed it the Demon Shadow Forest, a name that had been used ever since.

It was a war that determined the survival of all races. At the time, the Five Human Countries set aside their past grievances. The Kings personally drew their swords and swore oaths, signing the famous "Ebb Tide Accord" and forming the massive Human Race Five Nations Alliance Army for the first and only time. Countless warriors, Mages, and Priests answered the call, fighting alongside Elves, Dwarves, and other allies who were equally threatened.

It was a cruel era, but also an era of heroes. Advancing wave upon wave, they paid the price in blood and life to finally destroy the source of the Black Tide hidden deep within the Demon Shadow Forest, as well as the other sources across the continent, bringing this terrifying Nightmare to an end.

"So Old Henry is a descendant of an Alliance Army warrior from back then." Raine looked at the old, mottled wooden door before him, a sense of respect welling up in his heart. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open.

CREAK. Accompanied by the sound of the opening door, a rich scent of leather rushed against his face, wrapped in the roasted aroma of burnt potatoes. On a small stove next to the workbench, two golden-brown roasted potatoes were steaming. Sitting by the stove was a skinny, gray-haired old craftsman.

Without even looking up, he shouted in a hoarse voice, "If you're buying Leather Armor, look to the left. If you're repairing leather goods, wait on the right. If you're asking for directions, go out and turn right; there are a few old ladies sunbathing there who have absolutely nothing better to do.

"If you're trying to sell Magic Tanning Agent, you can leave right now. That stuff makes the leather delicate, just like those pampered noble lords!"

Raine didn't reply immediately, his gaze entirely captivated by an old Kite Shield hanging on the wall. A faded, ancient crest was stamped onto its battered and pitted surface. It depicted five soaring Griffins, their wings, beaks, and talons drawn so vividly that they looked exactly like the ones he had seen in the nest not long ago.