The underground world was shrouded in darkness year-round.
Only towns and cities blessed with Sunstones were places where humans could gather, survive, and thrive.
In the human settlements of the Dark Realm, Sunstones were typically rotated and maintained on a twelve-hour cycle to replicate the daylight conditions of the surface.
However, for a small settlement like Botte Town, the grade of Sunstone wouldn't be particularly high—no bigger than a chicken's egg at most.
The larger a Sunstone, the greater its value and effectiveness. According to legend, the capitals of the five regions possessed Sunstones rivaling small mountains in size!
Once a Sunstone was lost, the entire settlement would be swallowed by darkness and the countless horrors lurking within. For this reason, the location of the Sunstone was the most strictly guarded spot in every human settlement.
Gazing at the scenery outside his window—now plunged into total darkness—Leilin let out a soft sigh and drew the curtain shut.
After casually laying down a ring of magical defensive wards, Leilin settled onto the bed and began his routine meditation.
Point after point of dark-red light was drawn from the surrounding air, converging upon Leilin's body.
Within his sea of consciousness, the silver-white crystalline structure had grown even more stable, and the fine fractures along its edges showed a clear trend of continuously mending themselves.
As for that marking seal? Under the seal Leilin had placed on his spiritual power, its milky-white glow had grown dimmer and dimmer. It would not be long before it was completely annihilated or expelled.
"Everything looks good!" Seeing this, the worry that had been weighing on Leilin's mind finally lifted.
His body then collapsed onto the bed, sinking into deep sleep.
……
Morning! Accompanied by the steady chime of a bell, a beam of sunlight pierced through the curtain's barrier and streamed into Leilin's room.
"What a rare treat to get a proper rest!"
Leilin opened his eyes in bed and felt utterly comfortable in every part of his body. The fatigue from a full month of sleeping rough and eating on the go had been completely swept away by a single night's sleep.
Thanks to his extraordinary constitution, even in his currently injured state, this level of exhaustion only took one night to recover from entirely.
"Good morning, sir!"
In the inn's dining hall, the slightly plump proprietress greeted Leilin with a warm smile as she set down oat bread and milk for his breakfast.
Several thin, sallow-faced children—cheeks still streaked with grime—hovered nearby, watching Leilin's meal with eyes full of longing.
But they only dared watch from a distance, swallowing hard from time to time, not bold enough to step forward and beg for even a single word.
Whether it was Leilin's bearing or the fine leather armor he wore, neither was something ordinary people possessed. Those kinds of people typically held considerable strength and status. The children had once witnessed a man carrying a massive iron hammer crush the skull of a kid who annoyed him with his bare, pitch-black hand!
Afterward, that killer had merely been dragged away by the law enforcement squad, locked up for a few days, fined a sum of money, and then released.
Because of that, these brats had learned their lesson: never provoke anyone who carries a weapon!
"Shoo, shoo! Don't bother the gentleman while he's eating!"
Spotting the little troublemakers pestering her important customer, the proprietress immediately shouted.
"It's fine." Leilin picked up a piece of oat bread. "Divide this among them."
"Yes, yes! The sir is too kind!"
A flicker of regret crossed the plump woman's face, but she still broke the oat bread into pieces and tossed them to the children. "You lot are lucky—running into a kind gentleman like this! Hurry up, eat, and get moving!!!"
The children shoved the oat bread into their mouths with startling speed. Instantly, a fresh, fragrant flavor flooded their entire palates. They clapped hands over their mouths, tears nearly spilling from their eyes.
Several of them squabbled almost to the point of fighting over breadcrumbs.
One older boy, however, tucked his piece of oat bread inside his clothes, apparently wanting to bring it back for someone else to taste.
That grey-spotted mushroom could fill a stomach, but its taste was truly horrifying.
And even grey-spotted mushrooms weren't something everyone could afford. Judging from the children's clothes, their families weren't exactly well-off—they might not even be getting enough to eat.
Leilin merely glanced at them before turning his attention back.
He tossed out a gold coin, which traced a bright arc through the air before landing in the proprietress's palm.
"I'm quite fond of Botte Town. I'd like to settle here. And I'm also thinking of doing a bit of business—could you tell me what procedures I'd need to go through?"
Until his injuries were fully healed and he had regained his strength as a Second-rank Warlock, Leilin had decided to lie low for the time being.
He had a very long lifespan now, after all. He could easily afford to spend a little time like this.