Chapter 280: Just Like Anywhere Else
The sun was still up in the sky by the time Reivyn and his group spotted the outpost in the distance. It was placed on the highest hills around, giving it the best view of the surrounding area. There was evidence the distant forest once extended closer to the outpost, but it had been deforested for quite a distance away. Reivyn understood the strategy of keeping clear lines of sight, and he could only guess the rather extreme distance was a necessity for the level of threats one could expect in a Tier 5 Region. It was much further out than anything he had ever even considered. The experts in the Region would know best, though, so he would defer to their wisdom.
They quickly closed the distance to the outpost. Reivyn noted that they were obviously spotted much sooner than they had seen the walls based on how the guards stationed at the gate and towers reacted to their approach: namely, they didn’t kick up a fuss. He didn’t know if there was a way for the patrols to communicate directly to the outpost, but considering everyone that could be found here was significantly higher Level and working with higher Tier materials, he wouldn’t be surprised. He had seen such communication tools in the Lower Regions, after all, so it made perfect sense that a basic degree of sophistication would be common in the Upper Regions.
They made their approach to the outpost. Based on the name, “Outpost,” Reivyn had expected a familiar wooden palisade. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to think that. Any wood they used for the fortification would be Tier 5 materials, after all.
That wasn’t the case. Even though it was called an outpost, it was a permanent settlement. The walls weren’t even as tall as the city walls of Magron, but they were definitely stones from a quarry somewhere. They shined in the setting sun with a golden glow that made them shimmer unlike any stone he had seen before. He got a sense of stability and strength when looking at the structure.
There were two guards stationed at the gate, two guards in each of the six towers on this one side of the wall, and there were multiple duos of guards walking along the battlements. It seemed they didn’t take things for granted out here even with patrols that extended quite a distance away. He could only assume there was more than one patrol, but he wouldn’t be surprised if there were many more. The level of protection was more than he saw in most of the cities in the Lower Regions.
The size of the outpost was another thing that was different from his imagination. He had expected something in line with the outpost they had constructed during his conscription. The size of the outpost, based on the length of the wall in front of them, indicated a medium sized city. Reivyn could even see people walking along the paved roads through the open gate.
As they approached, the guards at the gate gave a simple wave to acknowledge their presence. They didn’t stop them or ask any questions as they approached the gate. As they got closer, the guards simply waved them through with a nod.
“Welcome to the outpost,” one of them called out a friendly greeting.
Refix waved back.