The Dragonborns preferred sitting comfortably in the automobile rather than walking the whole way to the Queens region. After all, it would have taken them ten times the time and effort.
But for Michael, who used to live in a world where travel was nothing more than a few hours or even less than a day, this journey was a bit of a bore.
Although he customized his automobile into a camper van complete with a built-in shower, bed, and kitchen, Michael still couldn't stand the monotony of his daily life in the car.
He eventually called out to Fudge, who diligently came out of his shadow and presented himself to Michael.
"You called, Master?"
"Hey Fudge. Do you have any clones near Orcus Town?" Michael asked. With his Supreme Skill: Unity Gathering, he could take control of Fudge's clones and easily take their place, allowing him to transport himself to Orcus Town in an instant.
The edgy ninja slime nodded its head, feeling millions of its clones spread around the area. Most of it was in the Kings region, but there were some sparse few attached to the shadows of traveling peddlers in the Queens region.
"I found it, Master. There's one close to Orcus Town!" Fudge answered.
"Thanks. I'll have to borrow your skills for a second," Michael said as he raised his hand and grasped the air towards Fudge.
"No probs, Master!"
The Dark mana comprising Fudge's slime body started to vibrate, alienating themselves from Fudge's very existence.
His own mana, the power hidden inside a being that only they were supposed to have access to, was now being controlled by Michael's Supreme Skill with extreme ease.
Somewhere beyond the forest were a group of fleeing peddlers, seemingly scared out of their wits as they heard the roaring sounds coming from the Orcs.
Unbeknownst to one of them, a single violet slime popped out from their shadows and landed on the ground. The peddlers left the scene, none the wiser.
The violet slime crawling through the grass suddenly vibrated as its entire body began to morph and change into something completely different from its amorphous body.
It elongated into a vaguely humanoid shape, before finally transforming into an eleven-year-old boy with golden hair and dashing young looks.
Michael looked at his hands, satisfied to see that his body successfully transferred into Fudge's clone.
ChatJK3, can you locate Orcus Town and give me a direct route?
[Acknowledged. Cross-referencing topography of the current surroundings to a well-established map of the Queens region…]
[Current location found. Creating a waypoint for the last known location of Orcus Town…complete!]
Michael suddenly saw a giant yellow arrow in the ground, pointing him due north. He began walking towards the direction it pointed at, and the arrow slightly changed its position to the right.
As he continued following the arrow, Michael noticed that there were a lot of fissures and crevices on the ground, making for a very dangerous journey for normal people. One wrong step and they could plummet into a chasm and get trapped with no way out.
I guess Yuna was right. This place is also prone to earthquakes, Michael thought to himself.
It didn't take him long before he finally caught sight of a civilization in the distance, with stone buildings peeking over the town walls.
That's Orcus Town.
[According to different sources, that is indeed Orcus Town] replied ChatJK3.
But as he got closer, he realized that it looked more like ruins rather than an active civilization. The walls were completely degraded, with plenty of cracks lining up with the crevices on the ground. Some parts were completely torn down, which lowered the security of the town significantly. Though, Michael didn't know if any thieves or conquerors would even bother to do anything with a town this degraded.
Michael used his Supreme Skill again to sense for the Light mana present in Orcus Town.
Thankfully, there were still a sufficient number of inhabitants for it to still be called a town, but the quality of their life was something left to be desired.
Judging by the lack of Earth and Water mana present in their bodies as well as their thin physiques, Michael knew that all of them were suffering from starvation and dehydration.
The situation here is worse than I thought, Michael noted. Thankfully, I stocked plenty of food in our automobiles.
He approached Orcus Town on foot, feeling the ground beneath his feet to sense for any upcoming disasters. Thankfully, there were no signs of another earthquake occurring in the region.
He began walking through the streets of Orcus Town, looking at the abandoned houses and destroyed farmlands with pity.
Even with the half-collapsed buildings all around him, Michael could see that Orcus Town used to be a prosperous place with a bustling life for its inhabitants.
The torn-down stalls by the side of the street told him that there used to be a thriving market established in the town. Even the stone road was worn down by horse carriages crossing through them day and night.
Michael could see a lot of history in this town. It was such a shame that natural disasters prevented this place from reaching its full potential.
As Michael was strolling through Orcus Town, he was soon spotted by some locals who eyed him with a strange look.
"Hey, kid! What are you doing out here? Go to the market now or else you won't have anything for yourself!"
Michael turned to the emaciated old man peeking out of his window. It was clear from his face alone that he was worried for the kid wandering the streets alone.
It seemed that Michael was mistaken for one of the locals.
Unlike most rich folk, Michael never really wore anything gaudy or flashy. A simple shirt and trousers were enough for him to be satisfied with. He was the 'comfort over style' kind of guy even in his previous world.
"What are you talking about?" Michael shouted back.
"Bread!" the old man yelled out. "You'll miss out on bread!"