Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 77

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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77
The carriage was unmistakably luxurious. Its craftsmanship far surpassed the surrounding buildings and the garments worn by passersby.
“Is this all you have?”
Though my eyes found it elegant, Darkness appeared decidedly unimpressed.
“I… I sincerely apologize. This is the finest vehicle our Brown Trading Company possesses.”
“What about that one?”
Beside it stood a larger, more impressive carriage.
“That is my personal carriage…”
Gold coins.
“…but from this moment forward, please use it as you wish!”
If nothing else, the gold coins he’d just received would more than cover the cost of a carriage. In other words, even if we took the carriage without returning it, he’d still come out ahead.
“We depart immediately.”
“Yes! Maron!”
“Coming!”
At Abraham’s call, the boy I’d seen earlier came rushing over.
“Take these guests to their destination and return!”
“Eh? But I’m not a coachman…”
“You know how to drive a carriage!”
“Well, I suppose I do, but…”
“Two silver coins when you return.”
Abraham whispered into Maron’s ear.
“I’ll be back shortly!”
I wasn’t certain how many silver coins equaled a gold coin, but receiving dozens of gold coins only to offer two silver coins seemed rather stingy. Yet Maron’s enthusiasm blazed regardless—apparently it was sufficient incentive for him.
Maron opened the door and guided us into the carriage.
“Then we shall depart.”
Despite his claim of not being a coachman, Maron handled the reins with practiced ease.
As we climbed aboard and traveled along the well-maintained road, the comfort and leisure felt wonderful, yet I worried whether we could escape The Empire at this pace.
“Why travel by carriage? With your abilities, Darkness, there must be many methods faster than spatial displacement.”
“You talk far too much. Simply enjoy the scenery and keep quiet. And in front of others, call me Eres. Your name stands out as foreign here, so I’ll call you Jin.”
I had no memory of telling her my name. She must have discerned it by reading my inner self when we first met.
Fortunately, The Empire harbored diverse races, so my black hair and dark eyes—along with Eres’s appearance—drew no particular attention. However, aside from elves and dwarves, other races like beastfolk or orcs were nearly absent, with only the occasional enslaved individuals visible.
Even after leaving the city by carriage, the roads remained impeccably maintained. The fact that they’d paved such extensive thoroughfares spoke volumes about their technological prowess, labor capacity, and military strength to protect these routes.
“Why do you gawk so? We’re near the Imperial Capital, so well-maintained roads are hardly surprising.”
As I stared blankly, Eres spoke.
“True enough. And I’ve heard the Gate damage is severe, yet this place seems so peaceful.”
“Being near the capital and this region being famous as a resort, wealthy individuals frequently visit for leisure. Consequently, defenses against monsters are quite robust.”
“A resort, you say?”
“The Spring of Fate lies nearby.”
“What sort of place is it?”
“You hear the name and still don’t understand?”
“Can’t you just tell me?”
“Hmph. It is a place that reveals your destiny.”
“… Really?”
“Will you go?”
Eres asked with an expression that seemed to mock me. Did I appear foolish to a being of Eres’s caliber for being curious about my own fate?
But it would be a lie to say I wasn’t curious. Am I doing well right now? Can I truly stop that thing called the Destruction God?
“Will it be alright?”
“We’re going anyway. Let’s take a look.”
After traveling for some time along a well-maintained road, buildings began to appear with increasing frequency. We were entering an increasingly bustling district.
“There are… so many people.”
There were many visitors pulling luxury carriages and wearing fine clothing—clearly wealthy at first glance.
“It’s a famous tourist destination even within the Empire.”
Despite being near the capital and facing a crisis from the Gate incident, they were still sightseeing? I began to doubt whether Sono Rim had deceived me.
“The crisis affects only the powerless. Do you see those warriors over there?”
Eres pointed to the knights and mages scattered throughout the area.
“Yes.”
“They are all Master-rank or higher. Monsters that escaped from the Gate are not opponents they can handle. Should the situation worsen, Master-rank warriors or mages will arrive via teleportation circles, so there is no safer place than this.”
Maron skillfully navigated the carriage through the crowds and brought us near the spring, where a massive gate appeared.
“Welcome to the Spring of Fate! Is it the two of you?”
As we opened the carriage window, the Gatekeeper greeted us.
“Just this one. I am merely accompanying.”
“Understood! That will be 5 gold.”
Remembering how surprised Maron had been at the Brown Trading Company, 5 gold was clearly a substantial sum. Of course, it was likely cheap as payment for seeing one’s destiny.
Eres pulled out money from her pouch and tossed it. It would be nice if she handed it over politely, but she always throws it. The Gatekeeper, as if accustomed to this, skillfully caught the scattered gold coins and bowed deeply.
“Please take this message stone. It will vibrate and glow when it’s your turn.”
It was an item shaped like a vibration bell you’d receive at a coffee shop. Of course, it was incomparably more expensive than that. It operated through magic and could receive signals from quite a distance. It was sometimes used at the Gate, yet using it as merely a vibration bell—truly, this was Tellus with its advanced magic.
“How long will it take?”
“Given the current queue, approximately one week.”
The Gatekeeper flipped through a thick stack of papers.
“… Let’s just go.”
Though I was curious about my destiny, I didn’t want to waste too much time here when there were people waiting for me on Earth.
“No. We’ve already come this far—we should rest.”
“Pardon?”
“We’ll rest at the hot spring near the Spring of Fate. Make it faster.”
Eres pulled out several more gold coins and waved them at the Gatekeeper.
“Ahem. Ah, it seems someone just canceled. I believe we can manage it in two days.”
Eres increased the gold coins.
“I will make it glow by tomorrow without fail.”
As Eres threw the coins, the Gatekeeper caught them with practiced ease. The speed of his attitude shift was so quick I wondered if he was a relative of Abraham from the Brown Trading Company. In the end, she paid roughly 20 gold for what was supposed to be 5 gold, but Eres didn’t seem to care at all, as if money was abundant.
“To the Noble Inn District.”
Eres commanded Maron, and he drove the carriage forward.
We crossed through the city and arrived at the Noble Inn District. Though called inns, the establishments were lined with opulent palace-like hotels.
Eres descended from the carriage and entered one of the hotels. Maron merely bowed to us without following inside.
The lobby sprawled across a vast space with ceilings soaring at least ten meters high. The dazzling décor—gold leaf and crystal adorning every surface—made it abundantly clear how expensive this establishment was.
“Two rooms. One night.”
Eres, having approached the reception desk, spoke with her characteristic brevity.
“Welcome. Which rooms would you prefer?”
Gold coins fell silently onto the counter, and the Inn Receptionist snatched them up with practiced swiftness.
“I shall show you to our finest accommodations.”
She bowed so deeply her waist nearly folded in half.
“I intend to visit the hot springs. Do as you wish.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
Since we were here, I wanted to enjoy the hot springs myself.
Following the Attendant’s guidance, the interior of our room was no less lavish than the lobby. Marble floors, unmistakably expensive furnishings, and luminous fixtures of unknown composition hung throughout.
“The hot springs can be accessed through that door. Robes for bathing are provided here.”
The Attendant finished his explanation and departed. The robe was made of soft white fabric. I hesitated about removing my undergarments, but decided I could always summon shorts and a t-shirt from the item inventory Jae-in had created for me if needed. So I undressed completely and put on the robe.
After changing into the robe and opening the door leading to the hot springs, a corridor appeared. Walking a short distance through the passage connected to my room, the hot springs came into view. A private direct passage from the room to the springs—such extravagance.
Hidden behind the massive building, a colossal hot spring resort sprawled behind the row of hotels. Enormous individual springs were arranged in layers like steps across a gently sloping hillside. Luxury hotels like the one we were staying in densely surrounded the entire resort.
“Huh?”
First, I was astonished by the sheer scale. Second, I was shocked to discover there was no gender separation. Everyone wore robes, but the white fabric was so thin that once submerged, it was practically nonexistent. Yet no one seemed embarrassed. A cultural difference, perhaps.
“You came?”
Eres, immersed in the hot spring, tilted her head back to look at me. Her robe clung to her body, revealing her figure distinctly, yet she showed no sign of embarrassment.
She was already drinking, clearly savoring the experience this place offered.
“Does the Incarnation of Darkness enjoy such things?”
“There is no reason not to. I have ventured into the human realm before and indulged in such pleasures from time to time.”
Her eyes grew distant, as if recalling old memories.
“Stop dwelling on useless thoughts and enjoy yourself. You have time until tomorrow anyway.”
Spending a day observing fate was hardly a waste. Besides, even if I wanted to leave quickly, Eres was not one to oblige.
I settled into the hot spring, and the warm water embraced me. Though my body could withstand boiling water unscathed, I was not without sensation. Sitting comfortably in the warmth, my body grew drowsy. It was the complete opposite of the unpleasant feeling I’d experienced in the Swamp beneath Eres’s Cave.
“What beverage would you prefer?”
An Attendant approached and inquired.
“The same as what she’s having.”
Not knowing what was available, I ordered the same as Eres.
Shortly after, the Attendant returned with an exquisite bottle, quietly placed it beside me, and withdrew.
A glass carved from crystal sat nearby. It was smaller than a typical shot glass.
Without thinking, I poured and downed it in one gulp.
I swallowed without hesitation, but it felt like ingesting a ball of fire.
“Hahahaha, do you even know what you’re drinking?”
“Cough… What is this?”
Even pure alcohol wouldn’t be this potent. Flames spiraled through my mouth and esophagus as my internal organs burned and regenerated repeatedly.
[Poison Resistance skill has increased from B to A rank.]
Damn it… it’s poison. And it jumped straight to A rank, which is notoriously difficult to raise.
“It is a spirit called Salamander’s Flame. The dwarves infused it with the essence of the fire spirit Salamander, so it is normally consumed diluted hundreds of times over. How does it suit your palate?”
Eres looked at me with an amused smile and casually raised her glass to her lips.
“But… you’re just giving me something like this?”
“They wouldn’t have brought it, but once I offered gold coins, they complied readily enough. Since I’m enjoying it leisurely, I thought to share it with you as well.”
I spent the day lounging in the hot spring with the chuckling Eres, indulging in a lavish banquet.
The next morning, as Eres relaxed in the hot spring sipping her potent spirit, a man who appeared to be an Attendant approached her.
“My lady, my master would very much like to have a word with you. Would that be agreeable?”
I followed the Attendant’s gaze to see a man in his early thirties standing with arrogant bearing. His hair was styled like a puffy loaf of bread, slicked with some substance that kept it gleaming and rigid even in this humid environment.
The Attendant wore no inn uniform—he was a personal servant devoted exclusively to the bread-haired man.
“Get lost.”
“Pardon?”
“I said get lost.”
Eres didn’t even spare him a glance.
The Attendant stood there awkwardly before reluctantly returning to his master. And then—
The bread-haired man struck the Attendant across the face. The blow was so forceful that instead of the soft sound of flesh meeting flesh, a sharp crack of bone echoed through the air as the Attendant crumpled to the ground. From the sheer power behind it, he was clearly a mana user as well.
The bread-haired man kicked the unconscious Attendant aside like discarded baggage and approached Eres.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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