Coming from
Grand Divide (110)
This post contains a B rank storyboard mission called: Get help in order to gather ore for Marzan
Immediately upon arrival at the mountainous range of Warenaiwa, Barney and
@Panthalassa started noticing many tunnels that led into the mountains. They were eager to enter and explore in the hope of finding some ore, but they knew that the tunnels could turn into a large network and they could easily get lost. And they'd rather not play Hansel and Gretel. Instead they went to the closest establishment that resembled a village and asked for advice and guidance. The buildings there were carved into the mountains themselves and it was really a sight to be seen, unlike anything Barney has ever seen before. Come to think, he's never stepped further than the Lightning Mountains just less than a month ago. The world was indeed God's playground and the landscapes were various, as were the inhabitants. It didn't appear as if they were hit badly by the Prismatic Plague, which seemed quite curious.
"
Hello travelers! You two don't seem fit and prepared to travel through these mountains. Tell me, where are you two coming from?" asked a stranger as he approached them.
"Greetings, we've been on foot for the past, who knows how many hours. We've come from Tsuchi Heiho." said Barney now quite exhausted. He didn't notice the exhaustion until they stopped now. Supposedly, his will to survive was pushing him forward without regards to his well being. He could say the same for Panthalassa.
"
You don't say. All the way form Tsuchi? By foot?" the stranger gave them a thorough glance over once again as if he couldn't believe and then he scoffed. "
Tsk. And what brings you here?" he continued.
"We're looking for ore that can be used to forge weapons from. We've asked around the marketplace in Tsuchi but they said they don't hold that kind of thing there and said to follow the Grand Divide and try to look in Warenaiwa. Worst case scenario, we'd get to the shoreline and follow it to end up in the Land of Iron where we could get some."
"
Ah, another one of them. And those weapons you already have aren't enough..." he gave them a glance over yet again, aiming with his nose at the countless ninja tools they both had strapped around themselves. They were ninja after all. "
for whatever you're trying to fight? Or kill. Or what have you." he sighed.
It was as if this man wasn't in the loop of the things happening in the world. It was as if he didn't understand the godly forces that fought over the control of life and death, over the sake of the humanity. His own life was at stake and indirectly, Barney and Panthalassa were here to save it.
"
I never asked those before you, what do you strangers need so much ore for? Are you selling the weapons on a black market? Perhaps we can strike a deal. You know?" the man didn't beat around the bush.
"Oh, sorry. We need the ore for Marzan to make us God Slaying Tools." said Barney but to the stranger it seemed as if he was talking jibberish.
"
God-whatools?" he questioned and then muttered in his beard. "
I swear. People have gone crazy these days."
"So?" asked Barney impatiently.
"
Yeah, yeah. Just follow me and stay close." he said as he started moving towards a nearby tunnel but then suddenly stopped and turned around with his finger pointing in a matter of fact way. "
You know, I expect to be paid for this." he said once again as he turned around and kept muttering to himself as they entered the tunnel. "
Risking my damn life for these God playing warriors of doom. They think they're saving the world or something. There's no saving us. We're fucked."
Barney didn't understand any of what the man kept muttering but there was no doubt he finished with fucked. This made him chuckle a little as their path got darker and darker. Foot by foot, they were deep in the mountain after who knows how many turns and intersections and there was no way they would ever get out alive on their own. The bloody tunnels didn't even have any markings and their guide was walking blindly. After a while, the path got thinner and thinner and it took an effort to pass through, even sideways. Once they got through though, they found themselves in a big and spacious cave that shimmered as the guide waved with his torch.
"
There you go. Take whatever you need. I'll wait here. Just please, don't wander too far. I'm sick of having to rescue idiots every day and I've done that once today already. If you get lost..." he stopped for a moment. "
then you're out of luck."
It didn't take long before Barney found what he needed. He came close towards one of the cavern walls and ran his hand across it, feeling the ore as it was stuck within the rock. It was as if it grew from the rock itself. Now it only came down to extracting the ore. Barney thought himself how Marzan never really specified the amount of ore they needed and he certainly didn't want to bring too little and to end up with a half assed tool. Better to get more than too little, so he grabbed a kunai and started picking at the rock around a bigger chunk of the ore.
"
Take that damn pickaxe you moron!" yelled the man and he was right. Out of excitement Barney wasn't thinking clearly. He grabbed the pickaxe and it made the job so much easier. Within less than a minute or two, Barney managed to dislodge the large chunk of ore and held if between his hands. There were at least three or four pounds there. This had to be enough for sure.
"Panthalassa! Are you grabbing your own here or do you want us to seek for something else? asked Barney, obviously happy with his haul. Depending on what Panthalassa decided, he would follow the guide outside, finishing the hunt for the first piece of ore.
Mission completed.