No more incidents at the entrance happened after that, primarily because no one was around.
The group entered the territory without further ado, the guards' eyes sending daggers on their backs.
"Won't they make trouble?" Sunny asked worriedly.
"Oh, they will." Crow sneered, "But we'll handle it."
As he said this, Crow paused and looked back, his dark eyes glazing over the guards twitching in pain on the ground.
"Maybe we can use this chance to enlighten more people about this lord they adore."
[Welcome to Vismont Village (Lv2)! Please pay 10 copper coins for an entry pass.
[If you have to avail residency please pay 20 silver for temporary residence and 20 gold for permanent.]
Looking at the new rates, the old residents couldn't help but look at each other.
"Except for the Visitors pass, did he increase the price?" Dog frowned and Bull sneered.
"Why am I not surprised." He said, "I bet he told everyone to be thankful he managed to keep the visitors pass the same."
Unfortunately, it just so happened that there were citizens gathering wood and stone that overheard this sarcasm.
"Of course the Lord increases the price! The territory is level 2 now!" The old man said, and a middle aged woman next to him nodded.
"The territory protects us, gives us shelter and food! What is working a little harder? Besides, those who can only pay daily fees aren't affected at all!"
"Our Lord is very kind."
The rainbow fart session was obviously going to last for a while. They couldn't help but roll their eyes (furtively, of course), and they politely excused themselves.
The more tactful members of the group apologized, and some were amicable in chatting with them.
At least, the people here weren't ungrateful. At this point, they had to give it to Matthew. He was very good at brainwashing people.
They walked along the forest path. It was narrow and rough, just as one would expect in untouched forests. They passed through a worn path made by frequent traffic passing through, heading to where more people were.
Footsteps muffled by the leaves and twigs, the group continued to walk for a few more minutes.
Soon, the scenery changed and the path grew wider and more pronounced. They began to hear the familiar bustle of crowds.
They were then hit with the strong smell of people that hadn't taken a bath gathered together, combined with the sticking scent of human waste.
"Ugh…" Dog groaned, pinching his nose. Everyone else had scrunched up faces.
But… they pushed through and went further into the territory, eventually reaching the community that lived there.
There were several flimsy huts leaning against each other. There were even some outright sheds made of twigs and leaves and they looked so unstable that a small wind could topple it all.
There were also tents—makeshift mostly, but a few were Terran camping tents. They were grouped together, forming a certain circle on their own, and surrounding a bonfire that seemed to serve the entire community of thousands.
Wherever they looked, it was more or less the same. Everywhere, the crowd was dense and disorganized, and frankly very, very, gross.
However, it was worth taking notice that they had encountered the slums much earlier than the last time, indicating the population boom the territory experienced.
By visual judgment, the population lost during the last beast tide had been recovered by new sets of refugees. They wouldn't be surprised if they found out there were over 10,000 people in here.
No wonder the territory sent them out. Compared to others, their population growth was really very slow. After all, the location of the territory was really hidden. Most people wouldn't think of climbing mountains to find civilization, right?
Putting these thoughts aside, they went straight to the slum neighborhood, which was becoming more and more derelict as the days passed.
Although there were obvious attempts to hygiene, the sheer density of people made the smell unable to mask.
They frowned at the increasingly obvious horrendous smell of human waste in the area.
Of course, they also knew that the impact was so strong because they were used to the beautiful and clean atmosphere in Altera, and they were even more thankful to the territory for providing such a home.
Someone paused their steps, and slowly looked down to see what caused the sound and the sensation, praying that whatever he was imagining was incorrect.
Unfortunately, his prayers weren't heard, and he paled at the disgusting sight that was now his shoe. "Fuuuuuuddgeee—I stepped on shit!"
Even Rowan, who had grown up seeing this dirt, was creeped out. He was now completely an Alteran.
Anyway, a lot of the people had maintained their sensitivities. They had been used to the cleanliness of Terran before and now, in Altera. It made them extremely queasy compared to their peers.
The women outright squeaked and some even screamed.
"What the heck!" One man yelled, stepping away, only to step on another one.
The locals rolled their eyes. Where did these spoiled brats come from?
"Go away!" One said, "I don't know where you've been but everyone's barely surviving right? Did you just get transferred?"
In their annoyance, a lot of people missed the newcomer's new clothes and temperaments. They were struggling so much and their brains were wired to find food, water, and their required nutrients. How could they notice these details?
The Alteran group blushed a little, ashamed, but still feeling very very grossed out. A few took an earthenware bottle out and the other a bamboo bottle, and poured water on their feet.
The locals looked at them like they were murderers.
"Why would you waste that!!"
A cacophony of yells reached their ears, partnered by angry faces.
Fearing that they'd be mobbed, the Alteran group could only escape to a less dense place before making any more plans.
They definitely did NOT plan for this!