Chapter 562

Chapter 562

Davis discovered that the people living here truly held gratitude toward Blue Star. Whenever Blue Star or the shopkeeper was mentioned, their faces would light up with reverence, surpassing even the most devout followers of the Church of Light.

On this day, Davis arrived early to secure a good spot. After watching the fortress enter the tunnel with satisfaction, he quickly registered his name on the first batch of adventurers allowed into the tunnel at Blue Star's registration office.

Originally, he thought it would take a long time for the Lopulo Mountain fortress to fully settle and stabilize enough for independent adventurers like himself to enter. Yet, to his surprise, just three days later, he received a notification that preparations could begin for entering the Blue Star tunnel.

Now, this powerful adventurer cheerfully brought his Glazed Iceflame Hound to the Blue Star center set up outside the tunnel—a rest area prepared by Blue Star for practitioners about to cross the fortress.

This medium-sized Blue Star center was rather unremarkable, located right beside the tunnel entrance on the right side—a dual-winged structure. After being guided here by a Blue Star attendant, Davis curiously looked around.

Though this was a complete Blue Star center, it couldn’t compare to the massive one in the nearby village. Still, small as it was, it had all the essentials. Some shops, like those selling scented balms, were omitted to maximize space for adventurers.

At the center of the hall was a mission assignment desk. On one side was a beast procurement station for purchasing the magical beasts hunted by adventurers in the tunnel, while the other side housed a row of vendor stalls offering everything from replenishing talismans and magical materials to arrows.

It was clear that despite being a newly developed Lopulo tunnel entrance, Blue Star’s preparations here surpassed 80% of other mountain passes in Davis’ experienced eyes. The level of importance Blue Star placed on this entrance was evident. Davis could confidently say this was undoubtedly the most advanced and well-equipped outpost among all current mountain passes.

Judging by the profits Blue Star could reap here, Davis dared say they had a complete grasp of adventurers' mindsets.

"Truly extraordinary, don’t you think, Tolu?" he asked with a smile, stroking his Glazed Iceflame Hound’s fur. The hound shook its coat, though whether in agreement or disagreement was unclear. Upon entering Blue Star, Davis keenly noticed his beast pet seemed far more spirited than usual—perhaps due to the lingering fragrance in the room.

"You like it here? That’s good," Davis said, pleased as he observed Tolu’s demeanor.

Once inside, Blue Star’s attendants left, no longer supervising the registered adventurers. Davis took the opportunity to explore the two-story hall with his Glazed Iceflame Hound in tow.

Here, not only was there an exchange for magical beasts for adventurers, but also dedicated healing rooms for Holy Light Peacocks. Services like renting Blood-Eyed Black Crows or Lightwing Butterflies, or using Devouring Frogs to enchant weapons, were all available—simply by spending Blue Star points.

Davis carefully noted that all beast-related services here were slightly cheaper than at other mountain passes. Though the difference wasn’t huge, stacking multiple services could save a fair sum.

The hall had two main doors: the entrance they came through and an exit on the other side, mere steps from the tunnel entrance. The latter remained sealed, though unmanned, clearly locked with magic. Above it was a conspicuous magical countdown display showing a 15-minute countdown.

According to the attendant who guided him, once the countdown ended, the back door would open, allowing the adventurers inside to proceed through it into the tunnel and the fortress for hunting.

As the timer ticked down, Davis swiftly had his trusted longbow enhanced with two potent enhancements by a Devouring Frog. Then, he settled onto a cushioned sofa to wait quietly for entry into the Blue Star fortress.

Oh, he also packed a large cup of tart berry infusion—freely available here—and tossed in two Candy Rabbit confections bought from an automated dispenser, planning to take it into the tunnel.

True to the attendant’s word, the door opened magically when the time came. None of Blue Star’s staff even glanced their way, acting as though this were standard procedure, simply waiting for the adventurers to leave on their own. Davis could tell this was how Blue Star intended operations to proceed once officially launched.

With no supervision inside the tunnel, Davis and a few fellow adventurers curiously looked around as they walked inward.

He noticed that everyone in his group had beast companions—likely no coincidence, as Davis distinctly remembered a Berserker without a beast companion registering right before or after him. Yet that fellow had been scheduled for some unknown later time...

Clearly, Blue Star’s claim of "Beast Masters First" wasn’t just mere formality.

After walking about a hundred meters, they came upon a tightly sealed wrought-iron gate blocking the entire tunnel. At its lower right was a smaller door, wide enough for multiple people to pass through side by side. Here stood the first Blue Star attendant they’d seen since entering the tunnel.

Davis and the others proceeded through, only to encounter another gate—and another. After passing five such gates with passageways below, they finally beheld the towering, impregnable fortress standing at the tunnel’s center.

Davis couldn’t help but feel a thrill course through him. Days earlier, he’d watched the entire dedication ceremony without missing a single minute! He’d stood there so long his legs swelled, yet he remained too exhilarated to leave.

To witness history here was fortune enough, but today, he was even luckier—to be among the first adventurers stepping into that very history. His pulse hammered so intensely he could barely catch his breath in short, excited gasps.

The Glacial Flame Hound beside him walked a bit away in disdain, nudged Davis, and nearly pushed him into the mountain wall to become one with the rocks.

"Where should we go now?" Among the group that entered the tunnel with Davis was a short-haired elven girl, slung a longbow nearly her own height on her back. With one glance, Davis knew she was a kindred adventurer, so he chimed in when she spoke.

"Probably over there," Davis said, pointing toward a treehouse built against the mountain wall on the left side of the fortress—no one knew when it had been built.

Yes, a treehouse, and one with classic elven design at that.

No one understood why someone would place a treehouse inside a tunnel, but there it was, just inexplicably there.

A towering cold laurel tree had somehow managed to grow from a small flowerbed pressed against the mountain wall, forming the treehouse.

Climbing the stone steps beside the cold laurel tree led to a Blue Star checkpoint with only an outward-facing window.

"Welcome," said the seated staff member at the window, perking up enthusiastically as Davis and the others approached. "Adventurers, please come collect your ID tags here. To ensure fairness, your entry slots into the fortress are determined by your previously scheduled appointments."

"When your time is up, you must leave, of course. But don’t worry—this wristband will give you a heads-up." With that, the amiable young man cheerfully handed out the corresponding wristbands.

To be more precise, the wristbands were tossed into the air and then flew straight to their owners.

The Blue Star fortress ran on a booking system, though the process wasn’t complicated.

Nowadays, most adventurers had grown accustomed to the daily use of the Blue Star platform—it was simply too convenient. From meals and lodging to weapon enchantments and pet rentals, everything could be bought with Blue Star points.

Unlike the old adventurers' guilds, Blue Star covered nearly every daily need of a living being.

With Blue Star points, people traveling outside could even skip carrying gold—unless venturing into truly remote areas! It was insanely convenient!

Many who had experienced the platform's convenience found it hard to imagine life without it. So, Davis had reserved the maximum stay time—eight hours—right after registering back then.

Having lived nearby for so long, Davis had an uncommon level of trust in Blue Star.

Not everyone shared such foresight, however. A man behind Davis spoke up in frustration.

"Can I not extend my time now? I... I scheduled too short a stay. Is there any way to lengthen it?"

"Sorry, Mr. Orolo, today's schedule is completely full. There’s nothing I can do. Please make another reservation for next time," the staff member replied politely.

"Ah, fine," the man sighed, shaking his head but unable to press further.

"Once you’ve put on your wristbands, you’re free to move between the Blue Star center outside the tunnel and the area before the Blue Star fortress," the staff member continued. "If you need weapon enchantments or pet rentals, those can be done at the Blue Star center. Additionally, Blue Star offers game storage. You can bring any captured prey to me for registration, and you can check the stored quantity using your Blue Star ID."

"Later, you can choose to either exchange the game directly for Blue Star points or retrieve the prey itself from the Blue Star center. While we can’t guarantee you’ll receive the exact prey you hunted, you'll get fair value—rest assured."

"Now, please feel free to proceed."

The explanation was thorough, and after listening, Davis and the others nodded eagerly before hurrying off.

Time was tight—every minute mattered!