Chapter 49: A mysterious Inn

In front of them was a meadow, filled with short, beautiful grasses that stretched seemingly endlessly. The lush greens and delicate wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze, creating a mosaic of color. Its beauty enticed them, as they hadn’t seen anything like it before—not that such places didn’t exist in the modern era, but because they had never come across one like this.

Sakura quickly tapped out and said:

“Let’s keep moving; we can’t stay here as we have a long journey ahead.”

A bit of sarcasm laced her voice.

Gojin and Kenji took one last look at the scenery before they moved on, passing through the grasses that brushed against their feet and knees as they walked.

A few minutes later—exactly eight—they had crossed the meadow and found themselves in front of a clear path. No forest was in sight, just a wide expanse of barren land that they continued to traverse.

They walked and walked for about fifty-five minutes before entering a red lily area – Tiger lily to be specific. Nearly three hours had passed on this short journey. The ancient period was truly difficult, as there were no automobiles for fast travel. This was a literal hell.

Suddenly, they reached a cliff, and below lay a beautiful green tropical forest. The drop from the cliff to the forest floor was about the height of an eight-story building.

Sakura, displeased with the situation, let out another sigh.

“How are we going to get dow, Kenji?”

Kenji stared at the map once more. Unfortunately, there was no way around it other than to climb down, but they didn’t have the necessary equipment. Jumping down was the only option, and it was the most dangerous choice for both Kenji and Sakura. They would have to figure out how to handle it.

In front of them was a meadow, filled with short, beautiful grasses that stretched seemingly endlessly. The lush greens and delicate wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze, creating a mosaic of color. Its beauty enticed them, as they hadn’t seen anything like it before—not that such places didn’t exist in the modern era, but because they had never come across one like this.

Sakura quickly tapped out and said:

“Let’s keep moving; we can’t stay here as we have a long journey ahead.”

A bit of sarcasm laced her voice.

Gojin and Kenji took one last look at the scenery before they moved on, passing through the grasses that brushed against their feet and knees as they walked.

A few minutes later—exactly eight—they had crossed the meadow and found themselves in front of a clear path. No forest was in sight, just a wide expanse of barren land that they continued to traverse.

They walked and walked for about fifty-five minutes before entering a red lily area – Tiger lily to be specific. Nearly three hours had passed on this short journey. The ancient period was truly difficult, as there were no automobiles for fast travel. This was a literal hell.

Suddenly, they reached a cliff, and below lay a beautiful green tropical forest. The drop from the cliff to the forest floor was about the height of an eight-story building.

Sakura, displeased with the situation, let out another sigh.

“A dead end? How are we going to get past this, Kenji?”

Kenji stared at the map once more. Unfortunately, there was no way around it other than to climb down, but they didn’t have the necessary equipment. Jumping down was the only option, and it was the most dangerous choice for both Kenji and Sakura. They would have to figure out how to handle it.

“No, hell no. You expect us to jump down without knowing where we might land? Not possible.”

Gojin walked past her to the edge of the cliff and turned around, his back now facing the cliff.

“Do whatever you want; I won’t be waiting for you down there.”

He let himself go and fell right off the cliff. The two of them rushed to check on Gojin.

They noticed he had vanished, likely hanging around one of the trees below…

Wait, what?

Kenji smirked, his gaze fixed on a particular tree. He spotted a soft, muddy area beneath it—if he missed his landing, he wouldn’t be hurt, as the mud would cushion his fall.

Sakura stood up, unaware of what Kenji was planning.

She sighed and turned to say something, only to find him jumping with his blade extended.

As he reached the tall trees, he stabbed the first one for a solid grip for his next move. He then maneuvered to the second tree, pulling the blade free and grabbing onto a branch, which he held tightly before releasing. He landed softly on the muddy ground, splashing mud all over his feet.

Sakura’s mouth dropped open as she stared at him. He had just jumped from that height and landed on his feet without falling or sustaining any serious damage.

He waved back at her, trying to say something, but she could barely hear him.

Sakura said:

“Well, shadow, help me out here. I guess we have to jump.”

Suddenly, her shadow, which had been fixed onto the ground behind her, detached, slowly rising into a full figure.

It seemed to have a mind of its own, but lacking vocal cords or any human traits, it couldn’t speak—only move.

“No need to say hi; I know it’s been a while. But I need you to help me get down there. Can you do that for me?”

Her shadow responded with a yes by moving its left hand, and she understood it was an affirmative.

The shadow instantly wrapped around her feet, temporarily taking control so she couldn’t move willingly anymore. It spread up her arms, forming some kind of enhancement.

In an instant, not by her own accord, she was thrown off the cliff. From the controlled hands, shadowy tendrils shot out and stabbed into the ground, acting as a support before carefully placing her down. Kenji and Gojin didn’t notice this as they had moved deeper into the tropical forest.

The shadow detached from her after she landed, returning to its spot and following behind her.

“Good job, Squeezy!”

Squeezy? Seems like a childish nickname she had given the shadow. We doubt the shadow appreciated it.

If her shadow had a mind of its own, what else could it do? Battle for her, perhaps, or even cloak her.

“I have to catch up with those ditchers. I can’t believe they actually moved on without waiting for me to come down!”

She ran forward in a hurry, jumping over the muddy holes to avoid getting stained. She leaped over a thick log carelessly laid across a stone.

(Clearing throat…) Like I was saying.

A few minutes later, she spotted them nearing the end of the tropical forest, walking side by side. Kenji strolled playfully.

She lunged from behind, hoping to stir their fears. All was in vain, as they casually welcomed her back to the group.

She scoffed:

“Heh, both of you’re of no fun.”

They shrugged in agreement.

…..

After several hours of walking through nature and various landscapes, they finally spotted the inn. It was already late at night after their long journey; they had rested in multiple locations, with Kenji and Sakura feeling heavy and exhausted, while Gojin felt as agile as ever.

Their arrival time at the inn was perfectly calculated, right on the clock.

Sakura kept the coins given in her shadow vault. She opened it and removed only 300 coins, noting that each piece counted as 50 coins, so she had approximately six pieces in her hands, leaving her with 2,094 coins. She returned the coin bag to the vault and showed the six pieces to them.

Hands poised and spread wide, the coins resting on her palm, she asked, staring at them:

“This should be enough to last us a night in there, right?”

The two of them nodded in agreement, unsure but thinking it couldn’t be more expensive than this.

The inn was oddly situated with no other buildings around, nor did it seem like a village was nearby. It stood alone in the middle of nowhere, yet still active.

The inn had a rustic look, with some rooms’ lanterns off while others were left on. The front featured two large wooden double doors, which pushed open easily.

Just as Kenji and Sakura were about to enter, Gojin halted them.

“Isn’t it strange that an inn in this kind of location—the middle of nowhere—is still open and active this late at night? Aren’t they afraid of what might come?”

It was a valid concern. Why would an inn in such a remote area remain open so late? Wasn’t that suspicious?

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