Bai Shi heard the cry for help and then took a look at his surroundings.
He was on the Saintsbridge, the main road to Caelid.
Bai Shi immediately knew who was calling for help.
Without a doubt, it had to be Alexander, stuck in a hole yet again.
Bai Shi hadn't expected Alexander to still get stuck in a hole in this world.
It seemed he couldn't escape his own character traits.
And judging by what Alexander was saying, he'd been stuck here for several days?
What was going on?
Was this the restraining force of the plot? A forced convergence of the worldline?
Regardless, since he had run into him, he might as well go and say hello.Bai Shi had Torrent gallop up the nearby mountainside.
Torrent nimbly ran and leaped across the rocks, quickly ascending the hill via a small path.
Once he reached the top, Bai Shi didn't spot Alexander right away.
After all, this world was much larger than the game, and the hill itself covered a considerable area.
In fact, it was already evening.
This was with Torrent galloping nonstop all day, without a single rest, sticking to the main roads.
Even with Torrent's speed, he had only covered about a third of the distance. One could imagine just how vast this world was.
Because the sky was already dark, Bai Shi searched carefully for a while.
Following the sound, he finally spotted that distinctive figure by the edge of a cliff.
A giant jar was "growing" out of the ground.
The jar was enormous, its entire earthen-yellow body perfectly round.
Two thick arms made of stone protruded from its sides, and a large red lid sat atop its head.
This was none other than the Warrior Jar, 'Iron Fist' Alexander.
Alexander rested both arms on the ground, supporting his body in a posture reminiscent of a person deep in thought.
Ever since he'd heard news of the Radahn Festival, he had been rushing toward Caelid in a state of great urgency.
Unfortunately, along the way, he had run up this hill to get a view of the road ahead.
While backing up to adjust his perspective, he had accidentally gotten stuck in this hole.
For some reason, something in the hole seemed to have wedged him in, making it impossible for him to escape on his own.
Thus, he had been trapped here for a long time.
He had tried for quite a while at first, but to no avail. So, he changed his strategy and began calling for help.
When he first started, he shouted nonstop, hoping to attract the attention of anyone nearby.
Unfortunately, he received no response.
Eventually, utterly exhausted, he settled into his current routine of shouting once every ten minutes.
As the date of the festival drew nearer, he grew more anxious, but there was nothing he could do.
As a jar, he didn't need to eat or drink.
What Alexander was truly worried about wasn't whether he could get out—he'd be fine even without food or water—but whether he could make it to the festival on time.
The warriors within him were growing impatient, constantly urging him on.
As ritual creations, Living Jars did not require sustenance to maintain their lives.
Much like the self-circulating magic systems within Golems, the jars possessed a similar ability.
At their creation, the ritual had already endowed them with life through human flesh and blood, turning them into unique existences.
Although they possessed life, their bodies were like inorganic objects.
They did not need to eat, drink, or excrete; their entire energy structure was derived from magic.
This was how they were designed from their very inception.
Because of this, the jars were free to choose their own paths.
In Jarburg, there were Oil Jars, Perfume Jars, and others.
They would fill their bodies with corresponding items, which they would then integrate into themselves.
Though born of flesh and blood, the Living Jars were actually quite gentle.
However, if one chose to become a Warrior Jar, one had to place the remains of other warriors inside their body.
They inherited the dreams of those warriors to become heroes, constantly striving toward the pinnacle.
But Alexander felt that, as he was now, he was bound to disappoint the warriors within him.
Yet, heaven never seals off all paths. Today, his cries for help were finally answered.
Bai Shi rode Torrent up to Alexander.
From Alexander's current perspective, which was akin to a human lying prone on the ground, all he saw were four hooves appearing before his eyes.
"Oh, hello there! Could you give me a hand?"
"As you can see, I'm stuck in this hole. I can't move at all. It's quite a pickle."
Bai Shi dismounted Torrent, walked over, and patted Alexander's body.
The texture was quite coarse, and it felt extremely hard to the touch.
"Yes, of course."
"Just tell me what to do."
Hearing this, Alexander was overjoyed. He was saved at last.
"Oh, thank you so much! Please, take a weapon and give my bottom a good whack."
"I reckon if you hit me with something big enough, I should pop right out."
"Don't you worry about hurting me. I'm very sturdy. I've been training, you see."
"Oh, and by the way, your intuition is spot on. The side you're facing now is indeed my face."
Bai Shi circled around Alexander but couldn't see any difference between his so-called face and bottom.
Moreover, Bai Shi couldn't find anything resembling eyes or any other organs.
He had no idea how the jars were able to see. It was surely one of the world's great mysteries.
Bai Shi walked around to Alexander's rear.
After a moment's thought, he decided against using his spear.
He knew that this Alexander wasn't yet a particularly powerful Warrior Jar.
He had likely just crossed the threshold of what one might call a hero.
If Bai Shi, with his current strength, were to use his spear...
Even if he controlled his power and used the flat of the blade, he might still shatter Alexander.
So Bai Shi stood behind Alexander, lifted his foot high, and stomped down hard.
Magic flowed out from under his foot, spreading through the earth and covering all the ground around Alexander.
This was the same stomp technique Bai Shi had learned from the Crucible Knights, the same move he'd used against the Night's Cavalry.
Only this time, Bai Shi controlled his force, not to harm Alexander, but merely to blast away the earth around him.
Alexander had been wondering why Bai Shi was taking so long.
Just as he was about to call out a reminder, he felt the ground all around him begin to shake.
Then, in just a second or two, Alexander's entire pot-body was launched out of the ground.
"Woooaaah!"
With a loud *thud*, Alexander landed and had an intimate encounter with the nearby ground.
"A splendid strike!"
"I never thought I'd see the day a cumbersome body like mine could fly! Hahahaha!"
Alexander pushed himself up, dusted himself off, and let out a hearty laugh.
At the same time, he was secretly amazed. This person's strength was incredible.
And when Alexander got a clear look at Bai Shi and Torrent's attire, he was even more shocked.
The man's clothing was magnificent and imposing, and he exuded an aura of immense power.
He was more than a warrior; he was like a hero straight out of the legends.
This man's origins must be extraordinary.
Bai Shi smiled and walked over to Alexander.
He had been very fond of this hearty and enthusiastic Warrior Jar back in the game.
"Your body is truly sturdy. You look like you're made of the same material as a regular cracked pot, but you're countless times tougher." Alexander crossed his arms over his chest, looking quite proud.
"Oh, yes. I've been training, after all."
"Besides, with all these warriors inside me, they wouldn't allow me to break so easily."
"Speaking of which, it was your strike that truly amazed me. Absolutely incredible."
"Even without a direct hit, I felt like I was almost shattered! Wa-ha-ha-ha."
Seeing Alexander so full of life, Bai Shi knew he was just joking and engaging in some friendly flattery.
Bai Shi asked,
"Are you heading to the Radahn Festival in Caelid?"
Alexander was surprised, then he asked Bai Shi back with delight:
"Oh, does that mean you're going to the festival too?"
Bai Shi nodded.
"Yes. I want to participate and see for myself just how strong the legendary Starscourge General is."
Alexander, having found someone with the same goal, was overjoyed.
"You think exactly as I do! I'm sure we'll get along splendidly."
"Speaking of which, I don't believe I've introduced myself. I'm 'Iron Fist' Alexander. As you can see, I'm a Warrior Jar."
Bai Shi gave his name as well.
"You can just call me Bai Shi."
Alexander thought for a moment. The name sounded very familiar, as if he'd heard it on the road.
But he must have been focused on his journey when others were discussing it and hadn't paid attention.
In any case, they were acquainted now.
"Excellent! I'm delighted to meet such a powerful warrior."
"By the way, this is for you. A token of my thanks for helping me."
Alexander reached a hand toward his red lid.
With one hand, he opened the lid a crack, and with the other, he pulled out a huge chunk of meat.
"This is a delicacy called Exalted Flesh. They say it's food fit for the warriors and kings of the badlands. Eating it seems to temporarily increase your strength."
Bai Shi took the massive piece of Exalted Flesh and examined it closely.
Hmm, it looked a bit like the leg of some creature.
Bai Shi looked at the Exalted Flesh in his hand, then back at Alexander.
He remembered that Warrior Jars collected the bodies of warriors inside themselves to increase their own strength.
And this chunk of meat came from inside him...
Was this 'Exalted Flesh,' or was it the 'flesh of an exalted hero'?
Bai Shi was suddenly unsure, and his expression changed involuntarily.
Alexander noticed the change in Bai Shi's face and was somewhat puzzled.
"What's wrong? Are you not satisfied with the reward?"
"My apologies, but I don't have anything else on me to thank you with right now. I'm afraid I'll have to repay you in the future."
Bai Shi shook his head.
"No, the reward doesn't matter."
"I'm more concerned about what this Exalted Flesh actually is."
"Because I've heard that Warrior Jars put the bodies of warriors inside them, so... hmm..."
Alexander didn't understand at first.
Only after Bai Shi finished his sentence did Alexander realize what he was worried about.
"Hahahaha, I never thought you'd think of that!"
"But rest assured, this is certainly not human flesh. It's a piece of cured beast meat that I acquired elsewhere."
"If you don't believe me, why don't you have a look inside me? I'm sure you'll feel much better after you see."
With that, without giving Bai Shi time to refuse, Alexander lifted his red lid with both hands.
He crouched down and tilted his body forward, allowing Bai Shi to easily see inside him.
Bai Shi took a look and found that the interior of Alexander was far beyond his imagination.
There were things like blood vessels on the inner walls of the jar, intertwined with ritual sigils—no doubt a remnant of the ritual that created the Living Jars.
And further down inside the pot were many things.
At the top was a net pouch made of cloth, separating the items above from the contents below.
This net held all sorts of strange objects; there was a little of everything.
Small things like glowing stones, and large things like pristine weapons.
These were all things Alexander had picked up during his travels, including the Exalted Flesh from just now.
Since jars were a species that didn't eat or drink, none of this was for his own use.
When Alexander met a warrior he took a liking to, he would give them something from his collection.
And below this net pouch was a large pile of body parts, reeking of blood, with a pool of it collected at the bottom.
The pile included the armor the warriors had worn in life, as well as their broken and fragmented weapons.
Bai Shi marveled at Alexander's internal structure. He'd never imagined it worked like this.
Confirming that the Exalted Flesh was not, in fact, human, Bai Shi felt relieved and hung it on the saddlebag at Torrent's side.
"Well then, shall we set off for Caelid together?"
Bai Shi offered.
Alexander was tempted, but after thinking about it, he knew his own speed couldn't match a horse's.
Especially since this horse looked anything but ordinary, with two horns on its head—it was clearly exceptional.
Alexander patted his body and said to Bai Shi:
"Oh, no need. I can't keep up with a horse."
"You go on ahead. But don't you worry, I will definitely see you at the festival."
"Hahaha, then we'll be comrades-in-arms, fighting side by side!"
Bai Shi nodded. After bidding Alexander farewell, he continued on the road to Caelid.
Alexander watched Bai Shi cross the Saintsbridge and disappear, then fell into thought.
"Hmm? Why does it feel like he's going in a slightly different direction than I was thinking?"
"Well, perhaps he took a wrong turn."
"Ah, it's probably too late to warn him now. I wonder if he'll make it to the festival."
Alexander descended the slope, also crossed the Saintsbridge, and headed off in the direction he was sure was correct.
Little did he know, it was he who was heading in the wrong direction.
His path would lead him to the side entrance of Gael Tunnel, nearly preventing him from reaching Caelid at all.
--
After leaving Alexander, Bai Shi pressed on.
Even though night had fallen, Bai Shi had no intention of resting. It was better to get there quickly.
Torrent had no objections and never slowed his pace.
Suddenly, a conspicuous sign on the side of the road caught Bai Shi's attention.
It was a wooden sign, stuck in the ground by the road, with a large surface.
Scrawled on the sign were crooked characters:
"Treasure ahead →"
Seeing this sign, Bai Shi suddenly felt a bit disoriented.
Just... a sense of bewilderment.
What on earth was this?
This style didn't even match the rest of the world.
Bai Shi looked in the direction the sign was pointing.
In the darkness of the night, he could see the light of some torches, suggesting someone might be exploring over there.
Under the faint light, he could vaguely make out a ruin surrounded by a graveyard.
A graveyard and a ruin. There was indeed a possibility of treasure being hidden there.
But in the Lands Between, you were more likely to encounter Those Who Live in Death next to gravestones than treasure.
Bai Shi put a hand to his forehead and sighed.
If he wasn't mistaken, this was likely a message left by another 'familiar face'.