Wrote: A swarm of Wyverns had appeared in the North of the Thrush, on the edge of the Mire. Wyvern cores are beneficial to my experiments. Bring back the magic core of at least 5. Reward: 5 High Marks and all other materials from the wyverns. -Cardinal Reyes, Magician¡¯s Guild Vice Guildmaster, Golden Thrush ChapterWith a quick move I plucked the paper from the board and started walking towards the receptionist desk. ¡°Oy, that¡¯s an ¡®A Rank Mission¡¯,¡± exclaimed one of the men sitting at a nearby table. I paid them no mind, though, and simply handed over the paper to Susan. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking this one,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Ah, okay. This one will require a deposit of half the reward and the limit will be two weeks,¡± said Susan as she eyed the paper. I pulled three High Marks from my bag and handed them over without a care. I also took out my new Guild Card and handed it over. Benson did the same. Susan used a strange stamp on each of our cards, imbuing it with a strange spell. ¡°The requirement for completion is 5 Wyvern Cores. You needn¡¯t bring back the full corpse if you don¡¯t want,¡± said Susan as she fiddled with the paper, ¡°I suggest you keep the scales, claws, venom sacks, and teeth. The bones, organs, and skin are usually not worth dragging back.¡± ¡°Thanks for the suggestion. What kind of venom do Wyverns have, anyways?¡± My question was a genuine one. I didn¡¯t remember ever seeing wyverns in Xternity. I¡¯m certain they probably existed, but they were probably deep in dragon territories so most players would avoid them. That said, if we ended up finding dragon territory searching near this Mire I was fine with losing the 2.5 High Marks. This mission was only ¡®A¡¯ rank so I assume there shouldn¡¯t be anything as dangerous as a dragon appearing. After all, even the guildmaster here was ¡®S¡¯ rank in the past¡ I don¡¯t a spell to scout levels of people, but Benson does. I¡¯ll be able to ask him how strong she was later. I¡¯m certain he used it. He tended to be cautious. ¡°Wyverns have a nerve toxin that causes paralysis. It¡¯s a venom, though, so as long as you don¡¯t get bitten you¡¯ll be fine,¡± said one of the nearby adventurers. He was a blond haired man with a soft visage. If it was a ¡®stun¡¯ poison then I could probably make use of it in my crafting. It¡¯d depend on the potency though. Using my ingredient analysis skills I¡¯ll probably be able to figure out a good way to make use of it. Perhaps we should hunt more than five? The magic cores in my inventory are all very high level ones. If I could acquire some lower ranked cores here, then I could craft cheaper goods for the populace. Using high level magic cores would make way too strong of effects for the levels of people in this area. I doubt anyone would be able to afford the pricings I¡¯d have to place. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. It might be worth it to search for White Lodestone to make gates at some of the major cities. Perhaps I could get a ¡®shop¡¯ set up in all of them. That way I could put some higher level equipment out on the market. I thanked the adventurer who provided that small tidbit about wyvern venom briefly before leaving the building with Benson on my heels. ¡°Benson,¡± I said in a soft tone. ¡°Yes, mistress?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this quick. Let me ride on your shoulders. I¡¯ll use an [Ingredient Scan] while you move north. I¡¯ll make sure to keep an eye out for Wyvern scales. We find some discarded scales we¡¯ll find their nests. Oh, and if you feel any kind of danger, I permit you to drag me away. Use our old hunting codes.¡± ¡°Yes, mistress,¡± replied Benson with a smile as he took a knee, letting me climb onto his shoulder. Some of the people walking by stared at us, but I paid them no heed. Nobles could get piggyback rides from their servants from time to time! Benson started running through the town due north. I activated [Ingredient Scan] and a flood of information began to filter through my mind. We traveled this way for a while in silence before I decided to speak. ¡°Hey Benson, what level was the Guildmaster?¡± I asked while keeping my eyes vigilant ¡°She was level 32, mistress.¡± Replied Benson. ¡°So Tenia¡¯s initial assessment of the town¡¯s levels was wrong?¡± ¡°It seems that way, mistress.¡± ¡°What about the levels of the adventurers inside the Guild Hall?¡± ¡°They were all between levels 6 and 14.¡± ¡°So they fall in line with Tenia¡¯s initial statement. Perhaps the Guildmaster wasn¡¯t in town when she scouted it out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible, mistress.¡± Suddenly [Ingredient Scan] relayed the information I had been looking for. ¡°Benson, change course to the right by about sixty degrees. They¡¯ll be a few miles ahead of us.¡± ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± It had only been about an hour since we left that the beasts came into view. They were black, about the size of a lion, and looked like komodo dragons. On their backs they had bony wings that looked barely large enough to sustain flight. Altogether there were about 50 or so of them writhing in a large mass, intertwining like a young couple of newlyweds. It was a large nest. A normal adventurer would surely need to pick off stragglers or try to bait them out one at a time. Thankfully, we weren¡¯t normal adventurers. From Benson¡¯s shoulder I held out my staff and forced mana through it, activating the runes and enchantments. Immediately a powerful fork of lightning erupted and struck into the writhing mass, causing the lizards to cry out with terrific wails. I could feel the hair on my forearm standing on end. The flash had caused me to wince. I wasn¡¯t sure if the sound echoing in my skull was thunder or the blast from the strike. A blue glow encompassed the pit as smoke began to billow upwards, coating the sky in its smog. I climbed down from Benson¡¯s shoulder and he rushed forward; drawing his blade in one motion he slayed the survivors with the finesse of a master. The monsters¡¯ black blood sprayed about like seafoam crashing against the shore. It was different from Xternity. It was visceral and real. It was gritty and bleak. Benson didn¡¯t hesitate, despite this. I wouldn¡¯t have either, but I found myself gaping in awe of it all. As the lion-man¡¯s sword cut through the skull of the last living beast, I made my way forward to help with the dismantling. We only needed the items from 5, so I started storing the full bodies in my [inventory]. When only five were left, I took a knife out and started cutting into them. Memories of dismantling techniques filled my mind. I had killed and cleaned monsters in Xternity, but it had never been this¡ Dirty. It had never been this raw. Black blood steamed as it was exposed to the air. I hardened myself as I moved forward and did what needed to be done. With five wyvern cores in hand, I stored the five partially opened bodies into my inventory. My armor had a few black stains on it. Benson¡¯s was unmarred. The wyvern cores were purple in color and felt cold to the touch. I found a nearby stream and washed them and my hands clean. The stains in my armor would clean themselves out in time because of its enchantments. The cores themselves, now that they were clean, were astounding to look at. A spinning pattern reminiscent of galaxy spirals displayed itself and they gleamed in the glittering sunlight that etched itself through the canopy above. Our mission accomplished, Benson and I decided to waste a few hours collecting herbs and other ingredients from the forest itself. We were near the great swamp in the northern side of the Thrush called The Mire, and good plants seemed to grow here. The monsters were, as well, only around level 20-30 at the highest. We didn¡¯t want to return to the town so quickly. Even if we finished the job already, it wouldn¡¯t do well to catch too much attention. It was probably best if we waited long enough for most of the Adventurer teams that were there in the morning to clear out before we head back. Rumors would start, no doubt, but in small towns rumors will always loudly echo from mouth to mouth. It was best if we established ourselves as powerful, anyways. If news circulated out that a powerful Artisan, able to make amazing armors that let a girl and a single bodyguard hunt wyverns and other ¡®strong beasts¡¯, was hanging around in Golden Thrush, surely someone from the crafting professions would come to investigate. I estimated about 2 weeks for the information to reach Farrier. From there it would take another month to spread to Hidet and New Hidet. That meant, in two months time, the the investigators would surely come looking. Two months is plenty of time to get my name known. It was all for the sake of getting home, after all. I don''t have much reason to stay in this world. I may enjoy Benson and Tenia''s company, but I don''t truly know them. I don''t know who or even what they are, in the end. My heart was crying for home. I wanted to see my mother''s smile again. I wanted to hear James''s over excited voice. This world is fantastic, even dreamlike... But I wasn''t someone pathetic before. I had a life, and I want it back. Chapter 14 The sun was beginning its afternoon descent. We moved leisurely, not worrying about the time, since the later we returned the better off we¡¯d be. It was important that we spread my reputation, but judging by the levels of the people here if our actions were too absurd we¡¯d attract the wrong kinds of attention. Benson offered his shoulder again so we could return quickly, but I politely declined. Instead I opted for a pleasurable stroll back to the town. There was no rush now, after all. Benson went first, cleaving a path through the foliage with his body. Having repellent runes for monsters and bugs made it so we were undeterred by biting flies or mosquitoes, too. It was a rather relaxing jaunt so we made conversation along the way. ¡°Your staff, when it fired the lightning spell, I was legitimately afraid for a moment,¡± said the beastman as he pushed down a small sapling in our path. ¡°It was far more impactful than I had anticipated. My ears are still humming a bit from it," I replied. ¡°The light was blinding, too. If I hadn¡¯t activated [Glare] I would have been troubled.¡± ¡°It makes sense in hindsight¡ Oh, I think I see the town up ahead,¡± I said as I pointed to the thinning treeline in front of us. Just then the edges of farmland came into sight. We had made it back to the town. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back to the guild, mistress. Perhaps we can take another mission today~¡± said Benson in a happy tone. His tail was wagging too. He was definitely enjoying the prospect of hunting monsters. Now that I think about it, he was smiling while cutting down wyverns earlier too. Perhaps he was a bit of a battle maniac¡ We arrived at the guild and, upon seeing us a few of the adventurers inside snickered. I heard whispers of ¡®they probably turned tail and ran away¡¯ and ¡®they probably gave up¡¯ being spoken around the room. Did we return too early even after taking all that time to hunt herbs? I tried to judge how long it¡¯d take me and Benson to hunt five level 90 monsters, since the levels would match up, and I used that as a base for our return time. Was it still too fast? Well, it didn¡¯t matter in the end. We¡¯ve already returned. Can¡¯t take that back now. Perhaps we should have just stayed out of town till the next day¡ Hindsight is 20/20, after all. I walked forward to the counter and waited as Susan helped a small group ahead of us. When she finished she gave me a confused smile. ¡°Back so soon, Miss November?¡± She asked with a tilt of her head. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve finished the job,¡± I replied as I pulled the five cores I washed earlier from a pouch and set them on the desk. Susan¡¯s eyes went wide and the whispers in the room died. The silence seemed to hum. ¡°I¡ I¡¯ll just check these cores then.¡± Said Susan with a stutter. She seemed a bit shocked by the whole ordeal. With careful, practiced motions, she pulled out a small angular orb from a desk drawer. Magic power flowed through her hands into the orb and then a strange light was emitted from it. Susan moved the orb, and subsequently the light, until it passed over the five Wyvern Cores. ¡°5 Adults, 3 males 2 females¡ They¡¯re indeed wyvern cores, and they were all killed within the last few hours,¡± commented the receptionist aloud as she worked. In the quiet room her voice seemed to carry, and I could see all the adventurers around us sweating while edging towards the sides of the room. Benson couldn¡¯t help but give them a feral smile, causing some of the more timid ones to literally break for the door. This was my mistake. I had assumed a few hours would be normal. Back in Xternity it only took a few hours to hunt monsters of equal level to you, after all. Then again, back then you had a HUD (heads up display) helping you out. There was even a spell that added a map with little red dots showing the location of nearby enemies. I didn¡¯t possess that spell, but I assume it would be different now that there was no HUD. Or maybe it would add a small HUD with a minimap to it¡ ¡°T-then as promised. Here¡¯s your deposit as well as the reward for completion. The guild will deliver these cores to Cardinal Reyes later today,¡± said Susan with a forced smile. Her eye was twitching. ¡°Hey Susan,¡± I said in a questioning tone. ¡°Y-yes!¡± She replied. ¡°How long does it normally take a high ranking group of Adventurers to hunt wyverns?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡ I¡¯d say at least three days. That¡¯s the time most A and S rank teams take for this kind of mission. Even those high ranked teams need to take precautions, after all, that they don¡¯t stir up an entire nest of the monsters they¡¯re hunting. You and Benson must have been rather lucky to encounter 5 wyverns away from their nest, huh.¡± I felt a terrible desire to tell her we eliminated a full 50 of the creatures, but I refrained. It took a lot of self control. Perhaps I might be a bit of a sadist, because I desperately wanted to see her reaction. Still, my own situation and needs took priority. ¡°That¡¯s so. Then, Benson and I will take another mission while we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°... Miss November, I think it would be best if you go and meet with the guildmaster again.¡± Said Susan. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna,¡± I replied flatly before moving towards the mission boards. ¡°That woman gets on my nerves.¡± ¡°Miss!¡± Called Susan as she rushed out from behind her counter to my side. ¡°Please, this is important.¡± I looked over the receptionist and sighed in my heart. I couldn¡¯t combat her puppy eyes. They were at a nearly lethal dose. It was the same look my mom used on me to get me to do the dishes or mow the lawn. I could feel my HP dropping. ¡°Ah, fine,¡± I replied before turning around and moving towards the staircase on the other side of the room. Susan ran ahead and entered the guildmaster¡¯s room without knocking. I, of course, waited at the door to be invited in. Proper manners were important, after all. I heard the two speaking in hushed tones, but I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. Benson probably could, but I wasn¡¯t so shameless to ask him right then. He could always tell me later. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Finally, after about five minutes, I heard the Guildmaster call us, ¡°Miss November... and her lackey, you guys can come in.¡± ¡°Afternoon,¡± I said with a smile as I leaned my staff against the wall and sat down in the same chair I had been in earlier. ¡°I had assumed you were strong¡ But I guess I underestimated you. How many wyverns did you actually kill?¡± Asked the guildmaster Carolyne rather bluntly. ¡°We killed five, just like the mission required,¡± I said with closed eyes as I straightened my sitting posture. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit. To complete a hunt like this in one day you¡¯d need to kill an entire nest. I¡¯m not an idiot, Miss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s news to me,¡± I replied with a snicker. I could see the veins on the guildmaster¡¯s head bulging in anger. ¡°I understand you and your guard dog are strong. I¡¯ve been kind enough to ignore your origin and even issued you guild cards. Yet you¡¯re repaying my kindness like this?¡± She cried out in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t quite see the problem. We completed a mission. Now we want to take another one.¡± ¡°This is a huge problem. You two are clearly capable of being ¡®S¡¯ rank. Our town doesn¡¯t have a lot of higher level commissions. Eventually you¡¯ll be left with no choice but to take on lower ranked missions, and with your efficiency, you¡¯ll put all the other adventurers out of business.¡± Ah. I finally understood the problem. It wasn¡¯t an issue of us being strong. She didn¡¯t seem to mind that. It was our speed. I was in the wrong to complete the commission in a single day. I still lack common sense for this new world. Our method of just jumping in and slaughtering the wyverns was, probably, unheard of. Even if other high ranked teams were strong enough to do it, they probably wouldn¡¯t for various reasons. ¡°Well, what do you suggest? I can¡¯t exactly move my base of operations from this town for reasons I¡¯m unwilling to discuss. I want to spread my fame and draw customers here. If I wanted to spread out to other locations I¡¯d need resources I can¡¯t quite get my hands on.¡± The guildmaster looked at me with an astonished smile. ¡°Is that so,¡± she mused. ¡°What kind of resources do you need?¡± I shrugged my shoulders before pulling out one of the few pieces of White Lodestone from my inventory I had leftover from my return point. ¡°This is called White Lodestone. I need a great deal of it if I wish to move from this town,¡± I said as I slid it across her desk. ¡°Susan,¡± said the guildmaster, getting her subordinate¡¯s name right for the first time, ¡°Take this to Reyes along with the cores. Ask him if he recognizes what it is and where we can get more.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± replied the receptionist with a pleased look on her face. She took the stone, put it in her knapsack, and ran out of the room. ¡°Now,¡± said Carolyne, ¡°What is this stone used for that you need so much of it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a powerful conduit for enchanting and it has some special properties. It¡¯s usually only found in dragon territories, though, so it¡¯s unlikely you¡¯ll find more¡¡± ¡°Dragon territories? Really?¡± Asked the guildmaster with a strange smile spreading across her face. ¡°Miss November, I¡¯m certain you know that our little town exists because the monsters avoid it. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because some ancient animal used it as a nest?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But, what animal do you think it was?¡± ¡°You¡¯re fucking kidding me,¡± I replied without thinking. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. There¡¯s no way something this convenient¡¡± ¡°It was a dragon nest. If your White Lodestone can be found anywhere, it¡¯ll probably be right beneath our very feet. Now, answer my question, why do you need it?¡± ¡°Heh, such a valuable resource is right below us¡ You¡¯ve got to be joking. Do you have any idea¡ The place where I come from, Miss Guildmaster, values White Lodestone so much that the average cost for a single rock, what I gave to your subordinate, was about 1000 ¡®G¡¯. Our ¡®G¡¯ is exchanged for about 3 of your High Marks.¡± I could see sweat forming on the Guildmaster¡¯s brow. ¡°It¡¯s that valuable? What is it used for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s used for a lot of things, but it¡¯s only valuable to Artisans like me. You need to have exceptional skills to make use of it. It¡¯s used in all manner of tools, but the biggest use is in making [Gate]s.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that last word escaped me. Was it in some strange language?¡± ¡°Hmm? You can¡¯t understand the word [Gate].¡± ¡°That word again¡ It¡¯s as if you¡¯re speaking Elvish suddenly.¡± ¡°Bah, nevermind that. You don¡¯t need to know that. You just need to know that if you can get me a large quantity of that White Lodestone, I will pay top Mark for it.¡± ¡°We need to speak with Kelding. This might be beyond a simple commission, depending on what you¡¯re willing to pay for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I replied as I leaned back in the chair with a smile on my face. Today hadn¡¯t been going well, but now things were looking up. I hadn¡¯t even considered finding White Lodestone possible¡ But if this place really used to be a dragon nest, then it was very feasible that buried beneath my feet was a vein of ore more valuable than any gold. ¡°Benson, I think we should get in contact with Tenia. Would you mind finding her?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving your side, mistress. I can¡¯t leave you undefended,¡± replied my guard-cat. ¡°Tch, then, Miss Guildmaster, we will return here in say, an hour¡¯s time?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s meet up in the Merchant¡¯s Guild. They¡¯ll have better resources there to help out. I¡¯ll gather Kelding and Reyes. You go find your other pet.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t like being called a pet,¡± said Benson with a sharp tone. ¡°You can call Tenia one, but not me. I¡¯m a bodyguard.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an oversized dog,¡± said the Guildmaster as she stood up. ¡°Now I have work to do. Please excuse me.¡± Chapter 15 Benson¡¯s hand moved to his sword. I was astounded his patience had lasted this long, already, but I couldn¡¯t let him kill the guildmaster yet. I didn¡¯t want to be labeled a murderer. It would make doing business and researching harder, after all. If she vanished under the cover of night, though, I wouldn¡¯t complain. I may suggest something like that to Benson later. He does have the secondary profession of [Assassin], too. I have never been a staunch believer in the sanctity of human life, after all. Some people, I genuinely believe, are better off dead. I caught Benson¡¯s sword-hand, stopping it from drawing the blade, and met his eyes with a firm look. His expression, when he met my gaze, softened immediately. ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± he said with a forlorn sigh, realizing I didn¡¯t want him to kill the annoying one. The guildmaster continued to grab files and other things from her office, not once realizing I had just, effectively, saved her life. ¡°Tonight, Benson,¡± I said softly, ¡°Tenia will be my sole guard. You will have ¡®business¡¯ to take care of.¡± I even motioned my head towards the guildmaster who was currently fiddling with a geographic survey. Unfortunately, my subtle hint didn¡¯t seem to reach the Lion-man. He raised an eyebrow in confusion so I simply ushered him towards the door while muttering, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± I made certain to grab my staff on the way out. Finding Tenia, compared to the meeting with the Guildmaster, was actually rather easy. She was currently in front of the Magician¡¯s Guild with an elderly man in white robes. The white-robed man was holding onto the piece of White Lodestone I had handed over. Susan was trailing behind the pair. It seems they were on their way to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°Mistress!¡± Called Tenia as she rushed to my side. ¡°It¡¯s been a few hours, Tenia,¡± I said with a grin, ¡°I¡¯m assuming this man here is Carindal Reyes?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the Vice-Guildmaster for the Magician¡¯s Guild,¡± replied Tenia. "He¡¯s also extremely interested in both my magic and the White Lodestone piece you sent over.¡± ¡°Interested in what manner?¡± I asked. ¡°The magic here is very different from what we know. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s an entirely different system. I have learned two new spells already, showing that it is possible for us to learn this magic, but I have been unable to teach the Cardinal any of my spells at all.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s interested in ¡®our¡¯ magic system?¡± ¡°Yes, very much so.¡± ¡°And what about the White Lodestone?¡± I asked. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s actually seen mineral deposits similar to it-¡± ¡°I always assumed it was chalk,¡± interrupted the old man. His voice was quiet but clear. He adjusted his white-colored hat before continuing, ¡°I originally had a theory that this area of the Thrush was once underwater. We¡¯ve found fossils and other strange records¡ Ah I¡¯m going off track, anyways I never bothered to study the white stone so I never noticed its mana conductivity levels. It was something our researchers have always overlooked!¡± ¡°So there is more of the White Lodestone here?¡± I carefully asked. ¡°Yes! By the Goddess Asenth, there¡¯s wagonloads. The deposits are formed in the sediment layer about 30 feet down.¡± I couldn¡¯t help showing the excitement on my face. If possible, I wanted to set up a [Gate] at every major city. Being able to move around this world faster meant being able to follow up on leads and improve research capabilities. It was a massive step forward in my goals! It took me nearly a full ten seconds to calm down and organize my thoughts. ¡°The Guildmaster wants to have a meeting in about an hour¡¯s time at the Merchant¡¯s Guild,¡± I said, regaining my composure. ¡°I wish to purchase White Lodestone in great quantities from this town.¡± ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, Young Miss, but what exact uses do you have for this mineral?¡± Asked the Cardinal. ¡°It¡¯s used in all manner of craft and such,¡± I replied, ¡°but it¡¯s mostly useless to anyone without the proper skill levels.¡± The Cardinal frowned at my reply before saying, ¡°I understand that much, but it would greatly help my analysis process if you could tell me something specific about it instead.¡± ¡°You intend to study the White Lodestone?¡± I asked. ¡°By the Goddess Asenth, yes! Just knowing it has advanced uses in foreign countries means it must have some amazing properties. I¡¯ve already discovered its mana circulatory powers and I can feel a terrible strength hidden deep within it too. Not to mention how exciting it will be when I bring it up at the Grand Assembly in three months!¡± The Cardinal¡¯s breathing was growing a bit heavy.. ¡°Our Theocracy of Hidet has always struggled in foreign trade due to our lack of specialized exports. Outside of Farrier¡¯s horses and the Capital¡¯s forges, we have very few regional specialties that we can use in barter with the rest of the world at large. We have nothing like Heesaw¡¯s Sugar or Terran¡¯s Silks. New Hidet has helped tremendously with spoils from the labyrinth, but if this White Lodestone is as useful as you claim it is¡ Just imagine how great it could make our country!¡± The Cardinal¡¯s fervor was a bit overwhelming, to say the least. The look in his eyes seemed to be pleading for me to teach him how to process and use the White Lodestone¡ But I genuinely had no intention on giving him a handout of that level. Merely informing him of the mineral¡¯s usefulness was enough. I¡¯d be willing to sell the refining processes, though. ¡°What is this Great Assembly you mentioned?¡± I asked. ¡°Grand Assembly,¡± corrected the Cardinal, ¡°and it¡¯s the annual gathering of the Church¡¯s higher Clergy to discuss the state of the union.¡± ¡°So all the bigshots in this part of the world would be there?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. High level merchants and powerful nobles will be in attendance as well, though many often use lobbyists rather than show up in person. Only the Clergy are guaranteed to be there themselves,¡± replied the Cardinal. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.¡°Have you talked with Tenia about the types of magic I¡¯m interested in?¡± ¡°Yes, she mentioned you were looking for transportation, summoning, and dimensional related magics. A strange lineup of study, if you ask me, but I¡¯m certain you have your reasons. I¡¯m no help, since my specialties are in Holy, Healing, Light, and Earth magics,¡± said the Cardinal with a dejected tone. ¡°Then, would the people at this Grand Assembly have information on the types of magic I need?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m certain someone would be able to help you in your pursuit of knowledge¡ Are you implying a trade?¡± Asked the Cardinal with narrowed but thoughtful eyes. ¡°Yes. I am proposing a trade of knowledge. What I know about White Lodestone, including processing and refining... for the information I want.¡± My thoughts weren¡¯t hard to understand. Even if they knew the processes and effects of the White Lodestone, it¡¯d be near impossible to find someone with the proper skills and technique to actually make use of it¡ Unless one of the ¡®other¡¯ top crafters of Xternity were sent to this world, it would be very unlikely. It was just too high-classed of an ingredient. ¡°This subject is a bit too political for the streetside, Young Miss. Why don¡¯t you and I have a nice chat in my office while waiting for the meeting with Kelding to start?¡± ¡°That sounds lovely,¡± I said as I shook the old man¡¯s hand. We walked to his office and discussed the matter of the Grand Assembly for about a full forty minutes. The Cardinal wanted to make a big presentation for it. He¡¯d raise his own ranking within the church due to his contributions that way and, in exchange, he¡¯d help me find the information I wanted too. We were on the same wavelength with thoughts of mutual benefits. Tenia and Benson sat to my side and remained silent, never saying anything or adding to the conversation. Their specialties were more combat oriented, after all. I was the one dealing with the negotiations, crafting, and price setting back in the game days. The time for the meeting with Kelding came faster than I had anticipated. The Cardinal, Tenia, Benson, and I left for the Merchant¡¯s Guild with high expectations. Kelding¡¯s office was, despite his own size, large enough to accommodate everyone in the meeting. It honestly didn¡¯t take half the time I expected. With Reyes¡¯ knowledge, my input, and Carolyne¡¯s offer of laborers for the mine, we made a plan of attack rather quickly. Tenia, Reyes, and other members of the Magician¡¯s Guild would bore the initial mine on the Southern End of Golden Thrush town, away from the majority of the good farmland. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild would provide laborers and miners, consisting of low ranked commissions, and I would be the priority buyer of White Lodestone at a discounted price for bringing the information about it forward. Kelding himself was rather amazing. His capacity and business sense were almost otherworldly as he quickly established plans for relaying ore to the Capital Hidet as well as setting up adventurer guards along the way. He even drew up a profit plan based upon the information I provided him. Considering the quantity of Lodestone, he even predicted potential price drops due to overinflation and underuse due to lack of skilled refiners. I would be given the most advantageous price of 100 ¡®G¡¯ per 100 Sich, their main unit of weight. 100 Sich was considered the average weight of an adult male in this world. I wasn¡¯t certain how it¡¯d translate into Kilograms due to my lack of reference. What kind of man was used for the average, anyways? If it was Northland men then the average would be much higher than if they used the Terran Orientals. It was such a bad system without any standardization at all. The outgoing rate for others would be 500 High Marks per 100 Sich. Selling in smaller units would have a price markup of 20%, but allow smaller transactions that normal smithies or enchanting offices could afford. The Cardinal himself even realized a few basic uses of the Lodestone without my help. It was perhaps the best enchanting powder actuator in all of Xternity, which would give a massive increase to enchantment duration and durability. I withheld all of the more ¡®proper¡¯ uses of the Lodestone, but even without them the mining operation would probably turn a large profit. When we finished establishing our plan, our first thought was to rush over to the mine site and survey it. The people in town turned to stare as a gaggle of the most influential people in this part of the country walked down Main Street. We arrived at the site Kelding and Reyes had picked out. It was an overgrown field and looked to have been abandoned for many seasons. ¡°So the Lodestone is 30 feet down?¡± Asked Tenia. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Reyes. ¡°The vein here is quite large and extends for quite a ways.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this brat is really turning our small farming village into a mining town,¡± Mumbled Kelding off to the side. ¡°Everyone, stand back,¡± said Tenia with a smile as she began circulating such a large quantity of mana that I could feel it tainting the air. ¡°By the Goddess Asenth¡¡± said the Cardinal under his breath as everyone moved away from the tiny black-haired woman in goofy mage robes. The earth began to shake as dirt started to bubble upwards in the center of the plot. Mice and birds evacuated the small overgrown field in huge quantities and, in response, the halfling jumped into Benson¡¯s arms. ¡°Mice!¡± Kelding cried. Benson dropped him. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Kelding?¡± I asked, slightly bewildered. ¡°I hate mice,¡± he replied. Tenia¡¯s spellcasts continued tearing the very earth asunder. The air itself seemed to form into a drill as rock, stone, and silt were tossed aside with ease. ¡°This magic,¡± whispered the Cardinal, ¡°It¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t seen anything yet, Cardinal Reyes,¡± said Benson with a toothy grin. Chapter 16 ****** Short chapter today. I refuse to make it longer or inflate wordcount senselessly. Tomorrow¡¯s Sunday so I¡¯ll post another one then to make up for the shortness of this one. ****** ¡°Cardinal,¡± called Tenia¡¯s voice over the cacophony, ¡°Could you use Earth Magic to reinforce the tunnel while I drill it?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Cried Reyes as he seemed to snap from his trance and rushed forward to her side, holding his robes in the wind. Tenia¡¯s air drill slowly burrowed into the earth, flinging detritus everywhere. To her side, Cardinal Reyes began weaving his fingers in front of him, as if he were some ninja from an anime I used to enjoy. Then, all at once, mana began to pour from his body. If only Tenia wasn¡¯t next to him; he was, surely, shining like a diamond, but under the light of the sun, a diamond¡¯s glow isn¡¯t much. As Tenia¡¯s drill sank further, Reyes¡¯ mana hardened the earth around it and even constructed support beams from granite. With the two of them working together, the mine¡¯s initial tunnel was finished in under an hour¡¯s time. Unfortunately we weren¡¯t going to harvest White Lodestone today. Tenia was reluctant to let me enter the newly drilled mine too, afraid of potential collapses. It was also important to note that, if we harvested today, I¡¯d have to store Lodestone in my [inventory] that I had so carefully kept hidden. Thus it was decided that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would begin supplying miners starting tomorrow. ¡°Ah,¡± suddenly spoke Kelding as he seemed to think of something, ¡°Miss November, we never did discuss how we¡¯ll deliver your orders of Lodestone. We know you have an encampment somewhere in the woods¡¡± ¡°Kelding,¡± I interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. I¡¯ll have Benson or Tenia make a small road to my camp site. We¡¯ll build a storehouse along the way where you can drop the stone off. You and your men won''t be able to approach my base so we¡¯ll take care of moving the Lodestone from that point forward.¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t we be able to approach your base?¡± He asked with narrowed eyes, as if this was his true purpose all along. ¡°Kelding,¡± I said in a voice filled with fake amusement, ¡°I thought your people [Analyzed] me already. Surely this breach of trust told you everything you needed to know, right?¡± I gave him a vicious grin before walking away with Tenia and Benson towards the east. I didn¡¯t need to look at him to know what kind of expression he was wearing. ¡°We¡¯ll come back tomorrow around noon,¡± I called back as I waved my left hand. ¡°Have a wagonload of Lodestone ready for me by then.¡± Benson snickered while Tenia offered me a stern look of disapproval, but both held their tongues. Within a few minutes of walking, we reached the edge of the forest on the eastern side of town. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of making the road,¡± volunteered Tenia, ¡°It¡¯ll be easier with my magic to make a stable path than having Benson build one through physical power.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll start building a small warehouse with the mistress just outside the edge of our repellent runes,¡± said Benson with an ecstatic smile as he gripped his sword, eager for the chance to cut something even if it was just a few trees. "I''m fine with these plans," I replied, almost in a mutter. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement."Then we''ll be heading on ahead," said Benson as he met Tenia''s eyes. She nodded in response. Benson and I continued on while Tenia began unleashing her magic for the second time today. The earth began to shake and the occasional crash of falling oaks filled my ears. Things really were progressing smoothly. When we found a suitable location, Benson immediately set about cutting down trees with a ruthless fervor. Each swing of his blade took down at least three. Then, as if they were styrofoam, he cut them lengthwise to make rough-sawed boards. If we used it now the wood, being fairly green, would shrink over time while it dried leaving gaps in the construction, but I fixed that problem easily with my [Dehydrate] skill. We didn¡¯t plan on making anything fancy. A simple shed would suffice. Using [Mana Cutting] and [Mana Sanding] I made several thick pegs from the excess lumber to hold the whole thing together. With Benson¡¯s help and, moving at our highest speeds, we quickly put together a rather ugly storage shed. I used dirt hardened with my [Reinforcement] potions for the roofing to finish the job. Tenia, mowing down and flattening out a road, passed us just as we were finishing up. Both construction projects ended at roughly the same time, creating a vacuum of silence. The sky was growing dark, and the sounds of bugs and birds started to grow quiet as well. Faintly, I could make out the stars through the gaps in the canopy above. ¡°I¡¯ll head back first to prepare some tea proper,¡± softly called Tenia as she vanished into the thicket ahead, accompanied by the rustling of leaves. I stopped moving, just for a moment, to take a deep breath and genuinely think about things. The sweet soft smells of nature hit me, then. I had been here for a few days now but I never noticed it before. There was no dust from a trailer-park road, there was no smog from the paper factory downtown, and my neighbor¡¯s cigarettes weren¡¯t poisoning the air. My mind and my lungs were clear. ¡°The evening air is calming,¡± said Benson as he stood beside me, sweat starting to show through his fur. The physiology of a beastman escaped me. I honestly expected him to start panting¡ ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± I replied, a bit glad he noticed my mood. After a short pause, though, I added, ¡°But it¡¯s different from home.¡± ¡°Is different bad?¡± He bluntly asked. His words struck a strange chord with me almost immediately. I still missed my home, my friends, and my family even if they weren¡¯t perfect. At the same time, I did enjoy the feel of clean air here, and I enjoyed being able to see Tenia and Benson become truly real as well, rather than just be puppets for me to roleplay a demented version of ¡®house¡¯ with. I genuinely thought about it, but I couldn¡¯t think of a good way to answer his question. ¡°I don¡¯t know the proper answer to that,¡± I replied, deciding to acknowledge my ignorance while considering it a wisdom unto itself. The woods grew quiet as all echo of my voice died. The rustling of leaves and Benson¡¯s short breaths were all I could hear. After a few moments or so, Benson muttered with a grin, ¡°Sometimes silence, itself, can be the proper answer,¡± before walking away. His back seemed bigger, in that moment, than I remembered. Chapter 17 Inside our quiet home, the three of us sipped on Tenia¡¯s newest attempt at tea while discussing the day¡¯s events. The last flickers of sunlight had long passed and the soft incandescence of stars covered the world outside. Magic-stone powered lights gave off soft hums, reminiscent of fluorescents from my old world. ¡°The magic they use here,¡± said Tenia after setting down her cup, ¡°is vastly different from what we know.¡± My magic system, the system of Xternity, involved creating geometric structures with your imagination. Fire magic usually involved triangles or pyramid shapes while ice magic involved circles, ellipses, and other curved surfaces. Through combination of shapes, trial and error, and a general understanding of the basic systems almost any spell could theoretically be created. It was a loose system well designed for active gamer minds. It allowed players with quick or abstract thinking to become truly powerful mages. Once a player casts a spell once, they can use the system menus to cast it again if they wish as well¡ Though it ended up being faster to construct the geometrical anomalies so only lower level players ended up using the interface. ¡°Magic here isn¡¯t geometric, like ours, instead it¡¯s more like latticed structures of mana,¡± continued Tenia. ¡°The people here weave magic together. They don¡¯t rigidly construct it like we do.¡± ¡°Does this affect the spells?¡± I asked. ¡°Greatly,¡± replied Tenia. ¡°In our old system, spells using light and darkness were nigh impossible to use¡ But by weaving them they become much simpler in design. It allows for more subtle magics than we are used to. At the same time, our system proves far more valuable in forceful and impactful magics. The impact of a geometric fireball versus a woven one is orders of magnitude larger for the same mana cost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± I mused, ¡°what about warrior skills and the like?¡± ¡°Those are where the lines seem to blur. Warriors in Xternity relied on snap activations of memorized movements aligned with mana expenditure¡ And it¡¯s very similar to the methods used here,¡± she said while eyeing Benson. ¡°Earlier the Cardinal used hand movements to activate his spell,¡± I interrupted, ¡°was that to assist him in the ¡®weaving¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes. Physical movements are deeply tied to magic activations here. The physical movements themselves substitute for our visualized geometrics, even.¡± ¡°What effect does that have on the spells?¡± I asked. ¡°I understand,¡± said Benson, ¡°It means that they have faster activation times of more complex spells.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± noted Tenia. ¡°By using hand signs and latticing the mana constructs, they eliminate the need for complex mental imaging. Of course, a skilled imager like Carlyle could easily invoke high ranked spells faster.¡± ¡°So, for average magicians like me it would be faster to use this world¡¯s magic at the higher ranks?¡± I asked, making sure I understood everything being discussed. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Tenia with a soft smile as she met my eyes. ¡°Mistress, I want to learn this world¡¯s magic. I have mastered Xternity¡¯s magic, but I feel I can become stronger if I learn these newer methods.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with you wanting to learn magic, Tenia,¡± I replied, ¡°Just remember to keep on the lookout for summoning, teleportation, or other magics that could assist me in getting home.¡± ¡°There is a Royal Magician¡¯s Academy in Farrier, Mistress,¡± said Tenia, ¡°And I feel that by attending it I can greatly improve the speed at which I progress.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re basically asking permission to go to school?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tenia, you don¡¯t belong to me,¡± I said with a worried tone, ¡°You are free to make whatever decisions you so desire. Besides, now that we have a new source of White Lodestone, I can craft multiple [Gates]. If you take one with you to the Academy then you¡¯ll easily be able to commute while living with us outside of class time.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Mistress! I was hoping you¡¯d understand,¡± she replied with a wide smile. ¡°Plus, this Academy probably has information on all types of magic unlike the Guild you attended today. Surely there must be some information on the magics I want.¡± I stopped to take a breath before continuing, ¡°Benson and I will move to New Hidet in order to increase our Adventurer¡¯s rank and spread my name as a powerful crafter. I intend to open a shop there. If you set up a [Gate] in Farrier while we set one up in New Hidet, we¡¯ll have a [Gate] in three major locations. This will let us travel faster without wasting time¡¡± ¡°I say we set our departure for a week from now,¡± said Benson with an intelligent gleam in his stare, ¡°That will give us time to settle anything we need to take care of in this town, and it will give Mistress time to craft multiple [Gates].¡± ¡°Then our new course of action will be to move on towards the larger cities where more diverse magics will appear,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°This Lodestone deposit is a massive blessing,¡± mused Tenia under her breath. She had probably been worried about separating from me, but with the [Gates] she¡¯ll always be just a stone¡¯s throw away. ¡°The Grand Assembly is in three months time,¡± I said, taking over the pace of the conversation again. ¡°We will all meet up in the Capital Hidet then. I intend to spend the nights in my bed here at Journey¡¯s End by using [Gate] transfer. There will probably be times where I can¡¯t return, though. If we do end up separated, Tenia, Benson, let¡¯s all agree to meet up in the Capital three months from today.¡± ¡°Benson will not separate from you, mistress,¡± replied Tenia as her stare seemed to fire lightning at the beastman. ¡°If he ever leaves you unguarded, I will return to your side and take over in his stead.¡± ¡°Just stop it, Tenia,¡± said Benson with a sigh. ¡°You know full well that Mistress November¡¯s well-being is the most important thing to me. That includes her mental health as well, a facet you¡¯ve been outright ignoring.¡± There was venom in Benson¡¯s voice that I hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡°Oh, that reminds me,¡± I decided to change the subject in order to keep the two from each other¡¯s throats. ¡°Benson, tonight I want you to give that Guildmaster a scare. The way she disrespected you earlier was unacceptable. I¡¯ll leave her punishment up to you¡ Just make sure you aren¡¯t caught if you do decide to hurt or kill her.¡± Tenia¡¯s eyes went a bit wide as I spoke, but then they were filled with a strange sense of approval. Benson blew air from his nose before flashing a tooth-filled smile. It was the first time I noticed how large his canines truly were. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to teach that rude woman a lesson. Tenia, I¡¯ll leave the mistress in your care tonight.¡± ¡°Very well. I will have her in bed before it gets too late,¡± replied Tenia with an unsettling look flashing through her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll leave your dinner portion in the refrigerator, Benson. Eat it when you get back.¡± He didn¡¯t say a word. His body simply faded from view as he evoked an [Assassin] skill. It almost looked like he diffused into the air. ¡°It¡¯s going to be just us tonight, mistress,¡± said Tenia with a smile that sent a shiver down my spine. ¡°That means I can finally instruct you on manners proper for a Lady without Benson¡¯s interference. Ah! If I recall, you were a male outside of Xternity, right? That means you need to be taught a few things about women¡¯s health as well.¡± I immediately regretted every wrong I¡¯d ever done in my life. Chapter 18 The wind rushes by. I can feel it. I can smell it. The Lord of the Thrush signals me as I move, but I don¡¯t reply back. I don¡¯t know how, but I can understand. Using scents, emotions, and sounds I can communicate with the beasts. I can talk with the wild things. Perhaps I am one of the wild things. The trees move fast, or maybe it¡¯s me that¡¯s moving fast; sometimes I can¡¯t tell. The feeling of freedom is incredible. This world is incredible. I don¡¯t understand why November would ever want to go back. Well, perhaps I do understand. It¡¯s love. She deeply loves her mother. I still remember, on a cold day over a year ago, how she cried. Losing her father hurt her. I couldn¡¯t console her then. It hurt me too, being unable to soothe her. Tenia doesn¡¯t remember the before times well. I do. I understand. This world, this is where I belong. This is my home, my true home. My memories are fractured and broken, but I can piece together enough of them. Of the ¡®Summoning¡¯ that trapped me in the void. The ¡®Contract¡¯ that bound my soul to the machine Xternity. Tenia must have been young when she was bound. She doesn¡¯t have her memories of before but she has knowledge. Knowledge without the wisdom of years makes her a fool at times. Both her and the mistress will need to grow. I think I can guide the mistress down the right path. I think I can help her. Tenia¡ She might be a lost cause. She¡¯s like me, after all. She¡¯s just another lost soul, broken and battered. I won''t abandon her, though. She¡¯s like me, after all. The mistress will learn eventually, on her own. I don¡¯t need to teach her much or tell her answers. If she stops learning... only then will I teach. I want her to discover the answers herself. It¡¯s important in that way. To explain is to deny the ability for her to grow. It will stunt her mind in a bad way. Perhaps one day, when she¡¯s ready, I will tell her the whole truth. The trees around me start to thin. I focus on my chest and make a burning sensation appear. My footsteps grow silent. I focus on my fur and an ache appears just beyond my physical form. My body turns to shadow. The Guildmaster, a rude insufferable woman, is still in her office at this late hour. I found her easily. Her smell is as vile as her tongue. I consider mistress¡¯s demands, for a moment, and I quickly come to a decision. I will not kill her. I will make her smell of ammonia, though. I started with something simple. I moved things in her office. Whenever she¡¯d glance away or down, I¡¯d shuffle things about. It was a terrible deal of fun. When she started to notice, the look in her eyes grew strange. It was both distant and filled with panic. I felt her mana start to roil. My mana always felt like fire. Tenia¡¯s felt like the water from a wide river. Mistress¡¯s mana was soft like the morning breeze. This woman¡¯s mana, though, was churning like shallow rapids. It didn¡¯t feel good. She was looking for me¡ Then she laughed to herself. Her wariness grew as shallow as her personality. I moved her chair this time as she was sitting down. She fell to the floor and immediately jumped back to her feet, mana wrapping around her hands like a felt puppet, waiting for the ventriloquist to give it a voice; it wanted to sing. I moved my mana outward this time, creating a bubble. The heat moved from my body to the walls of the room. Then, letting the flow of mana on my fur change, I disembarked from the shadows. The woman¡¯s eyes flashed with viciousness and her hands, charged with dark folded magic, assaulted me. I caught her fist and snuffed the mana out as if it were a tiny flame. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The look in her eyes then was delicious. ¡°I will not be insulted by you again,¡± I spoke softly, almost in a growl. ¡°What kind of game are you playing, do-¡± I cut off her words by snapping her wrist backwards. The crack gave me shivers of joy. I was glad she decided to ignore my words. It meant I could hurt her. If she had simply obeyed I would have left unsatisfied. She screamed and I felt her mana rushing again. I countered it with my own. My fire boiled her shallow rapids to steam and her voice cracked with pain. ¡°I will not be insulted by you again,¡± I repeated, louder this time. I met her eyes and I could see, for the first time, that fear had finally taken a firm hold. ¡°H-how?¡± She asked. ¡°Does it matter to the prey how the lion guts it?¡± I replied. I couldn¡¯t remember much from my fragments, but I don¡¯t remember women all being this uneducated. Why did they all need teaching on proper things? It didn¡¯t make sense. Perhaps, due to a small sample size, I was just being misled. All women couldn¡¯t be stupid, after all. Mistress learned fast. She wasn¡¯t stupid, she was ignorant. It is not a bad thing to be ignorant, it just meant you had things to learn. This guildmaster, though, was given a chance to learn and did not take it. I unsheathed my blade with my free hand, letting the metal scrape the scabbard. The noise, like the diluted scream of a rabbit in the jaws of death, put terror into the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°N-no!¡± She cried, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I will not be insulted by you again,¡± I repeated for the third time as I swung my blade down. When I returned to Journey¡¯s End, I found Tenia unconscious with a satisfied grin on her face. Softly, I could hear the mistress¡¯s sobs coming from the room above. I shouldn¡¯t have left. The Blind cannot teach the Blind to see. Leaving Tenia with the mistress was like letting one dog hold the leash of another. In the end, they will still both chase the wild squirrel¡ But this was something I could not teach, even if I wanted to. Tenia had mentioned the need for it, and I agreed. The mistress used to be a man. She hasn¡¯t come to terms with the fluidity of the body versus the adaptability of the soul. Both Tenia and I have worn different outer shells in Xternity. Perhaps one day she will learn, that it¡¯s what¡¯s inside that matters most. The body fades, but the soul is immortal. This is the truth of all things¡ But I must resist the urge to teach it. Much like how water conforms to the shape of a bowl, the soul conforms to the shape of a body. In time, the mistress will learn this on her own. There is no need to rush these lessons. I made my way to the fridge, keeping my footsteps quiet, and found the meal left behind for me. Tenia had prepared me a double-sized serving¡ Perhaps I will not punish her for giving poor lessons, after all. I carried the bad teacher to her bed upstairs and laid her down gently. I decided to let the mistress be. Her sobs sounded softer, now, and sleep would take her soon without my intervention. My bed was warm, due to some strange magic. I removed my armor and curled up into it, letting out a soft purr by accident. Thankfully there is no one to overhear. I closed my eyes and sleep came quickly. Today had been a good day. Chapter 19 ***** Sorry for no posts the last few days. I''ve been working two jobs. I have today off, though, so I''ll make up for it with multiple chapters. Going to post them up as I finish them, so they''ll be a bit rough and unedited at first. If you see any mistakes, feel free to point them out and I''ll try to fix them later~ ***** I laid awake in my bed, staring at the featureless ceiling above. The soft swishing sounds of Benson¡¯s sword echoed from outside my window, but I still didn¡¯t move. Thoughts of last night¡ ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s time to get up,¡± cooed Tenia¡¯s voice from the other side of my door, interrupting my train of thought. In response I grabbed the pillow and held it over my face in a childish attempt to repress the memories that began bubbling up. I could feel color rushing to my cheeks. A few minutes passed this way and I began to wonder if, perhaps, I actually could call in sick today. ¡°Mistress,¡± Tenia¡¯s voice was a bit more firm as the door cracked open, ¡°If you don¡¯t get up I¡¯ll have to give you another demonstration on using tamp-¡± ¡°I¡¯M UP!¡± I cried as I leapt from the covers, my cheeks burning beet red. ¡°Good. Hurry up and get dressed. Breakfast is ready. Benson and I won¡¯t start eating without you, so hurry hurry~¡± Called the wicked witch, her voice filled to the brim with amusement. She knew damn well that I was already decked out in my combat gear. Tenia may be stronger than me, but if I¡¯m fully equipped I can at least escape from her. After getting tricked last night, I wasn¡¯t about to take off my high-tiered armors ever again. I can rely on the [Refresh] and [Clean] enchantments. Showers and baths are now unnecessary luxuries! Carefully, I tip-toed down the stairs, reluctant to see Tenia¡¯s face. I prepared my armor¡¯s anti-magic barrier, just in case. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know,¡± muttered Benson as he seemed to materialize out of thin air. I jumped high enough to hit my head on the overhang at the bottom of the stairwell. A powerful defensive spell immediately blossomed from my armguards, ready to intercept any attack¡ Benson simply stared at me while shaking his head. I couldn¡¯t quite make it out, but I heard him muttering something about a ¡®foolish child¡¯ under his breath. ¡°Y-you scared me,¡± I managed to stutter out while trying to pick up the pieces of my shattered pride. ¡°Mistress,¡± said Benson with a look of pity, ¡°let¡¯s just eat breakfast and forget this happened.¡± Benson really is the best. He is far better as a companion than Tenia could ever be. He understands me. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied with a smile as I dropped the paranoia-formed barriers and walked to the dining table. That was when I met Tenia¡¯s gaze for the first time since the incident. Her eyes were stern, but she couldn¡¯t hide the amusement buried within them. I¡¯m beginning to think that Tenia might be a closet sadist. ¡°Morning, Tenia,¡± I managed to say as I sat down at the table. In my heart I was pleading she wouldn¡¯t mention what happened last night. I think Benson would probably think less of me if he knew exactly what went down¡ Or in my case, went up. ¡°Good morning, Mistress,¡± replied Tenia with a sly smile as she poured what looked like milk into everyone¡¯s drinking glasses. ¡°Where did you get the milk?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask, glad to find a discussion subject unrelated to the night before. In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t a good question. It was a bit obvious where she would get milk considering the sheer number of farms in town. ¡°I acquired the goat¡¯s milk from one of the farms in town,¡± she said, almost parodying my own thoughts. ¡°Goat¡¯s milk?¡± I mused aloud. I had never tried goat¡¯s milk before... Curiosity battled with my cautiousness, but in the end curiosity won out and I decided to take a sip. The milk felt cold and had a sweet taste. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± I said as I felt the tension leave my face. I looked over only to find that Benson had already drained his glass in one go. He had a milk mustache¡ Breakfast today seemed to be sausage with some strange foreign vegetable. It looked a bit like grass but with odd buds growing orthogonally at odd intervals, and its body was curled in a natural spiral. Feeling a bit adventurous, after having tasted goat¡¯s milk for the first time, I took a bite only to be surprised at the asparagus-like taste. It was a bit briney, though. It tasted like the ocean, salt and all. I didn¡¯t mind the flavor, but I¡¯d prefer not to eat something like this for breakfast¡ Benson didn¡¯t seem to mind as he, once again, shoveled the entire plate of food into his mouth without regard. He seemed content. We finished our meal in peace, without any harrowing conversations being brought up. I didn¡¯t hide my pleased expression, and the corners of my mouth were beginning to grow tired from smiling too much. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. After our meal, the three of us prepared to head into town. We decided to arrive about noon, as I had promised Kelding yesterday. Until then Benson would patrol the area, Tenia would add the finishing touches to the roadway, and I would craft a few new items. I decided to finish James¡¯s Landstrung Wasp Staff. Of course it wouldn¡¯t be for James to use, now. Tenia¡¯s equipment needed to be upgraded. The Landstrung Wasp Staff would be rank 9, whereas Tenia¡¯s current wand only met the requirements for higher-tiered rank 7. This would provide her with quite an increase to her overall power¡ Of course I also planned to install a safety net into the staff so that, if an offensive magic over rank 4 was ever targeted at me, it would self-destruct with considerable force. It was a shame Benson already had a full set of rank 9 equipment. I would have liked to carve anti-betrayal enchantment measures into his things, as well. Fortunately, Benson hadn¡¯t given me any reasons to mistrust him. Tenia though¡ I shaped the staff on the night I first came to this world, so that the only thing left was the actual enchanting process. I waved to Tenia and Benson as they left, and then made my way to the workshop. Taking the well-worn tools in my hands, I felt euphoria again. I couldn¡¯t help but whistle the tune of ¡®Born to Run¡¯ as I carved the initial routing lines into the staff. I branched the staff¡¯s functional runes into three sets: magic control, magic amplification, and anti-betrayal. Tenia, unlike me, didn¡¯t need preset spells inscribed in her wands. She was perfectly capable of instantly casting terribly powerful magics by herself. The use of a stave was for the sake of decreasing her mana consumption and increasing spell-power output; in essence it was an amplifier. The soft rapping of my tools echoed through Journey¡¯s End. My concentration didn¡¯t break once as I worked, wearing a goofy smile on my face. Occasionally, due to a jolt or erratic motion, a few strands of red would cover my vision. I appreciated these little reminders of mom almost as much as the work itself. Her hair was hanging from my head, and that thought warmed my soul. ¡°I¡¯m coming back to you, Mom,¡± I whispered under my breath as I folded the frayed curls back behind my ears. Working with my hands kept my heart at peace. I finished the two amplification runes in record time, but the self-destruct runes proved tricky. I wasn¡¯t capable of emulating the geometric sequence for an [Explosion] spell, so I had to cheat a bit to inscribe it within the staff¡¯s core. I decided to use a [Grenade Bottle] potion as the actuator liquid for this part of the enchantment. This method, of course, went against every common-sense method of enchanting in Xternity. It also happened to be one of the biggest secrets I knew and the reason I pursued Alchemical skills in the first place. I used the crafting Rank 9 spell [Potion Effect Deconstruction] to remove the explosive effect from the potion itself. A glowing light, the pure essence of the geometrics for the [Explosion] spell, floated out of the liquid itself. Using [Mana Gloves], I moved the light into the very center of the staff and set it in place using the enchantment lines to push it forward. Basically, I created a loop. The explosion spell would forever be trapped in said loop until the preset requirements were met; those requirements being the staff becoming a conduit for a spell that targets my [Blood Essence] with Rank 4 or greater power. This also had the unfortunate side effect that if Tenia ever targeted a relative of mine, or someone with an egregious amount of my blood on them, that the staff would explode. In the second case, I would be dead if I lost the amount of blood necessary to trigger this rune anyways. I used Rank 4 as the benchmark because that was the level where Tenia¡¯s spells would, most likely, be considered lethal to me. With her skill and power magnification abilities, she could potentially wipe my entire Hit Points with a single cast at Rank 4¡ In fact, with the Landstrung Staff, she could potentially do the same with a Rank 3. I took solace, though, in knowing that those spell ranks would only prove lethal if I wasn¡¯t wearing my top armors. Carefully, I poured the enchantment conduit potions into the carved grooves. With a smile, I admired the completed staff. Glowing blue lines of runes and magic shimmered on the surface. The head was gnarled and twisted, like a tree trying to grow through steel, and the body tapered down to a point at the bottom. It was a masterpiece. Chapter 20 **** Slightly short and in need of some polish. Comment any mistakes you find, please! Thanks for reading~ **** Time passed quickly while I worked on the staff. Walking outside, relying on my armor¡¯s auto-cleaning functions to wipe off the sawdust and stains, I found Tenia and Benson waiting. They seemed to be talking to one another in low voices, but they stopped as I approached. A warning bell immediately rang through my mind. What were they talking about that I couldn¡¯t be allowed to hear? ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, trying to hide the suspicion in my tone. ¡°Tenia thinks we should hire an etiquette teacher from this world,¡± said Benson. ¡°An etiquette teacher?¡± I repeated. ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t know of this world¡¯s customs and, if we¡¯re going to continue dealing with higher and higher ranked people it¡¯s important to understand their society¡¯s rules.¡± Said Tenia in a lecturing tone. The color drained from my face immediately. The mere thought of ¡®lessons¡¯ made my blood curdle after what happened last night. ¡°Don¡¯t make that face,¡± said Tenia as she met my eyes, ¡°I¡¯m thinking we should employ a proper teacher. I understand what happened last night may have turned you against such things, but at least consider it mistress.¡± I swallowed hard, forcing bile back down my throat. A burning sensation permeated down my neck. ¡°It must be someone I approve of beforehand,¡± I said, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. ¡°This much is fine,¡± Tenia replied in a curt manner. I didn¡¯t see any of the earlier amusement in her eyes, only a strange determination. ¡°It will take time, but I will have you become a proper lady, mistress.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she needs to become a proper lady, Tenia,¡± said my hero Benson in a small voice. ¡°She needs to only become a proper herself.¡± ¡°A proper herself?¡± Tenia and I said in unison, both clearly confused by Benson¡¯s wording. There was a moment of pause as he met my eyes. His gaze was filled with a deep kindness, but it also held an odd melancholy. ¡°Nevermind that,¡± said Benson, breaking the silence with a wave of his hands. ¡°We can discuss the matter of what is ¡®proper¡¯ later.¡± Thankful to change the subject, I quickly added, ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s head to town.¡± ¡°... Fine. But we will talk about this later.¡± Said Tenia with a sharp tone. Perhaps the most terrifying thing about the entire exchange was that I agreed with Tenia. A faux pas could easily make a bad first impression with the people of power in this world. In my search for a way home, I can¡¯t overlook even the most unlikely of sources. Proper courtly etiquette will become necessary for me; that didn¡¯t stop it from being utterly frustrating, though. I found myself fondling my hair as our group moved through the forest. The newly built dirt road felt nostalgic to me. It reminded me of our end-of-the-lane mailbox and colorful neighbors. The sun, approaching its apex, gave off an iridescent orange glow while the breeze tumbled my red curls. I could already smell the farms. Kelding was waiting for us at the end of the new road, a wagonload of White Lodestone at his side. A scowl stretched across his face; his eyebrows bowed downwards in such a manner that his nose looked to be a sinkhole sucking in the forehead above. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°What did you do!¡± Cried the halfling when he noticed us. His voice was filled to the brim with fire. ¡°Excuse me?¡± I replied, a bit lost on why he was so angry. ¡°What did you do to the Guildmaster!¡± Kelding rephrased. ¡°Oh,¡± I muttered aloud, finally realizing what was going on. I turned towards my beastman companion and whispered, ¡°Benson, what did you do to the guildmaster?¡± ¡°I gave her a warning, mistress.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t kill her?¡± I asked. ¡°No. She is very much alive, mistress.¡± I found myself frowning at the situation. I turned back to Kelding and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her!?¡± Kelding cried, frothing at the mouth. ¡°She won''t leave her damned house, crying about your, and I quote, ¡®Monster disguised as a Lion Beastman¡¯.¡± Benson wore a proud smile. He seemed content with the results of his warning. ¡°She was being rude. Benson simply taught her about respect,¡± I said, making my tone as haughty as possible. ¡°I don¡¯t see why this has anything to do with me at all.¡± ¡°You know damn well it does-¡± ¡°Mr. Kelding,¡± I interrupted, my voice seething with anger as I used the halfling to outlet my pent-up frustrations. ¡°If my bodyguard is strong enough to make a former S-rank adventurer piss herself in fear, do you really think I¡¯ll accept being talked down to by someone in your position, of all things? I will not repeat myself again: this has nothing to do with me.¡± The halfling seemed almost stunned by my outburst, but he recovered and bowed his head in shame. ¡°I apologize for my rudeness,¡± he said as he crossed his right hand over his chest, ¡°please, let us forget this tiresome topic.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought my Lodestone,¡± I said, changing the subject with all the grace of an elephant in tap shoes. ¡°Yes. With the mine already drilled and reinforced, we had a plethora of unemployed vagrants to shove down it with a pickaxe in hand¡¡± ¡°This looks to be enough for one [Gate]. I¡¯ll need at least five or six more shipments of this size. Better make it ten to be safe,¡± I said while inspecting the wagon. ¡°Y-yes, right away. We should be able to get two wagonloads delivered to you a day. Would you like to settle the payment for that right now at my office?¡± Asked Kelding. ¡°I¡¯ll have Tenia deal with the payment. I¡¯m going to be busy now that I have the materials. If you need to speak with me give a message to one of my assistants.¡± I said as I grabbed the yoke to the wagon and lifted it with minimal effort; the statistical reinforcement on my current armor was quite high. Of course, Benson immediately bounced over and took over. ¡°Then, Kelding, I¡¯ll be seeing you later.¡± I said as I waved to the halfling. ¡°Tenia, I¡¯m relying on you to take care of matters in town.¡± ¡°Yes, mistress,¡± she replied with a slight bow. Her shoulders seemed stiff, but her expression belied her true feelings. She was probably upset about how I strong-armed Kelding. It wasn¡¯t a very ¡®Lady-like¡¯ thing to do. Suppressing a snicker, I walked with Benson back towards my home again. I wished, genuinely, that I hadn¡¯t left in the first place. Chapter 21 ****** If you see any mistakes please point them out! Question of the day: If you were transported into a fantasy world with your video game character''s body, what class would you want them to be? ****** Benson and I brought a few of Kelding¡¯s adventurer¡¯s down the new road to show them where we built the makeshift warehouse. The three of them seemed rather perplexed at the freshly built path. ¡°Ah, Miss, when was this highway built?¡± Asked one of the men, a shorter fellow with black hair. The nametag on his chest read: Byron. ¡°My mage built it yesterday,¡± I replied in a flippant tone. The three adventurers mumbled among themselves in amazement. ¡®A single day!¡¯ one of them exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down. ¡®How powerful is this noblewoman? The guildmaster is terrified of her and she bullies Mr. Kelding easily.¡¯ ¡®You idiot, shut up. She might hear you!¡¯ I smiled at their banter. My mind completely filtered out the strange accent now. The people sounded normal. After a short walk we arrived at the makeshift storage location. Rough cut wood and splinters jutted out at odd angles from the structure¡¯s base. Bark, left unstripped, could be seen peeling off outside walls. Several branching cracks split the center of the building; they looked like lightning bolts. Basically, it was an abomination. I had never seen such an ugly shed before. Even Benson had a pensive look on his face. ¡°This is where you will be delivering the White Lodestone,¡± I said, astounded that my voice even worked right. ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am,¡± replied the leader of the three. ¡°When you go back tell Kelding to hurry the shipments along,¡± I said with a wave of my hand as I started walking towards Journey¡¯s End. Benson followed. The three men, seemingly confused, didn¡¯t move. ¡°Should I send them away, Mistress?¡± Asked Benson as he looked over his shoulder. ¡°They¡¯ll snap out of it soon enough. I think the warehouse is a little too close to my wards, so they¡¯re bound to be a bit disoriented.¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t waste any time when we reached Journey¡¯s End. I immediately stored the Lodestone in my [Inventory] and moved to the workshop. I needed to make several [Gates] and their corresponding [Keys]. The first shipment held enough Lodestone to complete a [Gate] but not quite enough to make the three [Keys] with it. I considered making a dead man¡¯s switch for Tenia and Benson¡¯s [Keys]. It would be difficult to do, though. I concluded that a simple failsafe was necessary. A matrix of [Gates] and [Keys] could give any high-tiered enchanter the ability to track my movements or, worse, hunt me down. I needed a way to protect myself if Tenia or Benson ever betrayed me or their [Keys] simply fell into the wrong hands. I detailed out several enchantment setups on sketch paper. The other day I completed the first [Gate] quickly because I didn¡¯t need to plan out a unique design. These new [Gates] needed to be better. I couldn¡¯t risk someone using them against me. I burned through several concepts before deciding on a rotating lock design. The idea was simple. Each [Key] would have a preset passcode. Each door would have an algorithm that decoded the passcode. In each [Gate], however, I would hide a rotary system. This rotary system would be connected to a switch in my possession. With the flip of a button, all the [Gates] would change their algorithms and previously issued [Keys] would no longer work. This meant I needed several copies of [Keys] for specific [Gates], though. Thankfully, the massive source of White Lodestone fixed this problem. I spent an hour drawing designs for my rotating lock. Eventually, after burning through an entire sketchbook worth of paper, I figured out a way to do it. The magic runes would normally be filled with fluid at all times, but if I added a circulatory system and placed a cutoff valve along a chokepoint then I could create two effects with a single device. The valve would act as a switch, choosing which of the two algorithms the [Gate] would use. I drew a full set of blueprints and immediately began working on the first [Gate]. I made certain to store all my drawings in my [Inventory] where no prying eyes could get at them. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Time passed quickly while I worked. I was close to completing the first [Rotating Gate] when Tenia¡¯s voice snapped me out of my trance. ¡°Mistress, dinner will be ready soon.¡± She said as she peeked her head in the doorway. My workbench, at that time, was covered with damning evidence of my mistrust. Thankfully, Tenia had almost no knowledge on runic formations. Preparing for the meal, I stored my tools and washed my ash-black hands. Dinner was uneventful. I surprised Tenia by agreeing to find an etiquette teacher. She seemed happy with my decision. Oddly, I couldn¡¯t read Benson¡¯s expression. His face looked pensive, as if some great mystery were torturing him. After dinner I found myself back in the workshop. I enjoyed working with my hands. Crafting in Xternity and in this world felt good. It seemed right. The tools fit my hands like gloves. The stone and metals bowed to my will. I viewed my creations in much the same way a parent viewed their own child. Each bend, rivet, and fold was unique, and every creation had its own personality. Tenia¡¯s new staff looked wild and snappy, as if it were a thunderhead ready to take on the world. The [Gate] in my hands, however, looked much like a wise and tall tree. As I added the finishing touches to the [Gate], Benson entered the room. ¡°Mistress,¡± he said in a gentle tone. ¡°What is it, Benson?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡± He replied as he pointed towards the window. The darkness on the other side of the glass was thick, like jelly. ¡°Tenia thinks it¡¯s going to rain tomorrow.¡± His face was masked with concern. He seemed to be avoiding the subject he really wanted to talk about. ¡°She¡¯s probably right,¡± I said as I moved to the window, my voice laced with lament. ¡°I can¡¯t see the stars.¡± We both stood still, awash in the silence of the night. ¡°Why did you agree to an etiquette teacher?¡± Benson¡¯s question broke the quiet atmosphere. ¡°I think there¡¯s merit in it,¡± I replied, turning around to show him my smile. ¡°I do not like this concept you call etiquette. Why does it matter what hand you hold your fork with? Why must one bow a certain way? These ¡®rules¡¯ seem pointless.¡° ¡°Yes,¡± I said with a laugh in my voice, ¡°They are pointless. But, to some people, such meaningless things matter a great deal. Not knowing this world¡¯s etiquette would be the same as fighting with a broken sword.¡± ¡°Fine then. But you know Tenia¡¯s reason for suggesting it differs from your own, Mistress,¡± replied Benson as he turned to leave the room, his voice filled with dejection. ¡°Benson, wait!¡± I called out, worry leaking through my voice. He stopped moving but didn¡¯t turn to face me. ¡°Tenia¡¯s reason differs from mine? Then why has she been teaching me all these things?¡± Benson shook his head. ¡°She has told you herself, Mistress,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°She has?¡± ¡°When you first made your decision to find a way back, she told you then¡¡± Benson paused for a moment, as if he were struggling with what to say next. ¡°I have already said too much. It is not my place.¡± As if running away, Benson jumped through the doorway into the main house and vanished up the stairs. I was left with more questions than answers. I tried to think of the night I told Tenia and Benson of my desire to go home, but I couldn¡¯t remember what Tenia had said. I only remembered her and Benson endorsing my decision and offering support¡ ¡°Fuck,¡± I mumbled aloud as I turned to stare out the window into the darkness again. Benson¡¯s visit reinforced my original thoughts; Tenia might betray me one day. If the reasons for her ¡®lessons¡¯ weren¡¯t to help me gather information from social situations, then what were they? Why was she so dead-set on me learning how to be a proper woman? For what purpose of hers could it serve? The darkness outside the window mirrored my blank thoughts, and I went to bed filled with frustrations. Chapter 22 ***** Hello everyone! This chapter marks the end of Book 1 in The Garden. It''s also one of my first attempts at a more emotional scene. Please bear with me, this is my first time trying something like this. I''d appreciate if you gave me your opinions about it in the comments below so I can improve! ***** ¡°Tenia, come with me.¡± Said Benson, his voice ice. He wasn¡¯t asking. I set down the dishes and turned the sink¡¯s water-producing magic tool to the ¡®OFF¡¯ position. I followed him without a word, curious about what he wanted. His spine looked rigid like steel. He seemed worried. Had something happened? We walked together to November¡¯s workshop where, silently, Benson indicated for me to wait just outside the door. I decided it was best to comply. There seemed to be something he wanted me to hear¡ November and Benson started talking. At first, it seemed like a simple discussion. Then their conversation took a strange turn... ¡°Fine then. But you know Tenia¡¯s reason for suggesting it differs from your own, Mistress,¡± Said Benson, his tone weeping. I was confused. Wasn¡¯t that obvious? Of course I had different reasons for educating the young Mistress... Because, if the worst came to be, she would be trapped in her current body. It was imperative she learned how to live as a woman. It was my duty to make sure she could adapt to a new life if all hope of going back died. Oddly, in my heart I felt that it would be impossible for November to return. I don¡¯t know why I felt this way, though. It was as if I had forgotten something important. A strange blank feeling assaulted my mind. ¡°Benson, wait!¡± Cried November, her voice laced with urgency. I was drawn out of my thoughts. ¡°Tenia¡¯s reason differs from mine? Then why has she been teaching me all these things?¡± An ice storm spawned in my heart. The mistress didn¡¯t understand my intentions. The worry in her voice¡ It implied she didn¡¯t want to ask me. Why didn¡¯t she just ask me? Unless... She didn¡¯t trust me. The pain inside my chest blossomed, spreading a numb feeling across my body. My breathing grew erratic. I couldn¡¯t risk letting November hear me. I started to run away from the doorway, back into the house. When I look at her, I only feel love. I only want what¡¯s best for her. Why doesn''t she see that? What am I doing wrong? Do I confront her about this? What if that only makes things worse¡ ¡°Are you okay?¡± Benson¡¯s voice, nearly a whisper, asked from behind me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I replied, my broken heart echoing in my weak voice. ¡°You¡¯re trying to become a mother to her,¡± Benson said, a firm determination in his voice, ¡°But that¡¯s a role you can¡¯t hope to fill. Not in her heart.¡± ¡°What do I do?¡± I asked, turning around to face the only friend I had in this world. My tone was filled with desperation. Tears streaked down my face. Sobs threatened to break out of my throat. ¡°Be her friend, not her parent.¡± As if he were stating the obvious, Benson walked out of the room leaving me to wallow in my misery. I hit the floor with my knees. Uncertainty plagued my mind. I felt a powerful terror from the depths of my soul. If November rejected me, if she feared me, then my only reason for living would vanish like a dying sun. I thought of a galaxy without stars; it would become an abyss. Pure darkness. What was my purpose if it were not to care for the one I love? ¡°Be her friend.¡± Benson¡¯s words echoed in my mind. He made it sound simple¡ But how was I to do that? November doesn¡¯t trust me. She doesn¡¯t love me the way I love her. I don¡¯t think she ever will. ¡°Why?¡± I asked between sobs. I retched, but nothing came up. My eyes burned. What do I do? ******************************** POV Switch: November ******************************** I tossed and turned in my bed. Sleep eluded me. My thoughts continued to thrash and rave. Tenia wasn¡¯t teaching me etiquette to help me find a way home. What purpose could it serve, then? Why would she teach me such things? What benefits would she reap from me acting like a proper lady? If it was money, I had already given her thousands of ¡®G¡¯. If it was power, she could already pass as one of the most powerful beings in this world. What could she possibly want from me? ¡ There was only one way to find out. I¡¯d have to ask her. I climbed out of bed upon realizing the way to move forward, and I started making preparations. If, when I confronted her, Tenia were to attack me¡ I¡¯d need to be ready. She was far more powerful than I could ever hope to be, and she knew most of my tricks. I pulled my trump-cards from [Inventory] and admired them for a short while. A robe, enchanted with Tier 10 runes, glittered in the darkness. Coursing blue lines ran up and down the cloth, sparkling with infuriating levels of incandescence; it looked like a gaudy prom dress with a hood. ¡°Ether¡¯s Bane,¡± I said the cloak¡¯s name aloud, in awe of its craftsmanship. It was the only Tier 10 item I ever managed to create in Xternity. Crafting it had cost me ten levels at the time. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Tier 10 items and spells were banned by the User Collective, the self governing body of upper-tier Guilds. They were also extraordinarily rare. The side-effects of crafting one were astronomical, and the requirements alone were just as high. I pulled my armors off and slipped Ether¡¯s Bane on. It felt like silk on my skin. I took three potions out of my [Inventory] next. The air in my room became charged with mana, and bolts of static electricity sparked around the potion¡¯s lids. Two months ago I sacrificed several storerooms worth of my Guild¡¯s highest ranked ingredients to craft these Tier 9 potions. I only had three of them. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever be able to find the BlistCaps or RedBark needed to craft them again in this world. The first, the red-colored concoction, was a [Mana-Drain] potion. One drop on Tenia¡¯s skin would seal her mana for a full day without the proper antidote. The second, the purple-hued ambrosia, was a [Reflect Magic] potion. By drinking it, my body would become immune to all effects of mana or spells for five minutes, reflecting any casts back at the one who sent them. The final potion, a brown vile vial, was [Plague]. A terrible disease that could kill a player in ten minutes without the antidote for it. It was also horribly contagious. Any physical contact would spread [Plague]. It was often used by Archers in siege battles. I charged over 700,000 ¡®G¡¯ for a single dose of it. With these four things at hand, I could protect myself from Tenia and Benson. First, though, I needed to establish an escape route. I climbed out my window. I used what little magic I did know to keep my movements silent. While I ran into the woods, I pulled out my [Key] for Journey¡¯s End and began fiddling with it. It was hard to alter it on the move, but they didn¡¯t call me the best crafter on the American Servers for nothing. I found a secluded spot, about five miles South of the house. There, I pulled out the [Gate] I had crafted during the day. I hid it with branches and dirt, and then I tuned the [Key] to synch with it. I made sure to test the [Gate] and [Key]. Both worked flawlessly. Now I needed a new [Key] for Journey¡¯s End, though. For a brief moment, I found myself looking up at the pitch-black sky. The wind smelled earthy. A charge flittered on the air. The soft rumbling of thunder echoed on the horizon. A storm was coming. I ran back towards Journey¡¯s End, ready to confront Tenia and find out the truth. I wasn¡¯t religious, but I whispered a prayer under my breath. I entered the front door, no longer hiding and completely ready for an ambush... Something was wrong. I could hear sobbing coming from the kitchen. Carefully, I walked through the living area into the dark backroom. I couldn¡¯t see anything, but I could hear a woman crying. Lightning flashed, illuminating the room. I saw Tenia; she was on the floor crying. Our eyes met. Her brown eyes were red from grief. ¡°Tenia?¡± I asked before the booming thunder deafened me. The room seemed to shake from the force. ¡°N-November?¡± She asked back after the thunder stopped, her sobs and running nose making it hard to understand her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tenia? Why are you crying alone in the kitchen?¡± I asked in a gentle voice, almost forgetting my original reason for coming here. In the dark, I watched Tenia¡¯s figure stand up. Then, suddenly, she rushed towards me. I started to pull out one of my potions, but was cut off as I was wrapped into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m,¡± She paused to sniffle, ¡°Sorry!¡± ¡°Tenia?¡± I asked as I started to pat her back. I could feel her tears on my neck. ¡°I was trying to be a mother to you,¡± she cried, her voice growing more firm. ¡°I know now that was wrong. I love you, November. I just wanted to teach you how to live as a woman. If we can¡¯t find a way for you to go home¡ You¡¯d be stuck this way.¡± With shaking hands, I put the potion back into my [Inventory]. I grabbed Tenia¡¯s shoulders and moved her so I could see her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what all this was about?¡± I asked, my voice hoarse. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry. I could never take the place of your mother. I know how much you love her and I¡¯m sorr-¡± ¡°Tenia,¡± I interrupted her, ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing.¡± It all made sense. I finally understood everything. The reason I had been feeling uneasy about Tenia¡ It was because subconsciously I was rejecting her. She was trying to fill in the role of my mother. I felt uneasy because of that. I loved my Mom. Nobody could ever replace her in my heart. She¡¯s the only person who I knew for certain would never hurt me¡ I wrapped Tenia in my arms and hugged her tightly. I could tell she was confused because her own hands were in the air, as if she wasn¡¯t sure what to do with them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tenia,¡± I said in a soft voice with a smile. ¡°Instead of trying to be my mom, will you be my friend instead?¡± In that moment I genuinely thought that, perhaps, I could trust someone else for the first time since Dad left. Her tears poured harder than the rain outside as she took a moment to collect herself. I felt her arms gently wrap around me. In a soft voice -as lightning flashed across the sky- Tenia replied, ¡°Yes.¡± End of Book 1 Book 2: Prologue *********** Book 2 start! Thanks for reading~ *********** The death-cries of children caused John Goodwott¡¯s heart to shudder. The sky glowed a dark crimson. Balls of fire, like shooting stars, rained down upon the small farming village. Three people, John and his family, were hogtied and gagged in the center of a small Runic formation. Men in black cloaks -adorned with blood-red eagle insignias- were drawing enchantments in the dirt without minding the carnage around them. John struggled, trying to throw off his bindings. The rope dug into his skin, causing warm blood to flow down over his strained-white knuckles. His attempts at screaming while gagged occasionally drew a soft chuckle from the black-cloaked men. After a long struggle, John managed to bite his way through the gag. ¡°Why!?¡± He screamed at the men, his voice cracking. ¡°Why is a terrible question,¡± replied one of the black cloaks in a quiet voice as he stepped forward and pulled back his hood, revealing brown mop-like hair. An officer¡¯s insignia sat on his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve always preferred to ask ¡®How?¡¯ It¡¯s a better question. ¡®Why does gravity work?¡¯ I can¡¯t answer that.¡± The man paused, letting his blue eyes meet John¡¯s. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°How does gravity work?¡± The black cloak asked, a smile spreading across his thin lips. ¡°That¡¯s a question I can answer.¡± Hot tears were running down John¡¯s face as he stared at his tormenter. ¡°Please,¡± John begged, ¡°let my family go. Don¡¯t hurt them.¡± ¡°John Goodwott, I wouldn¡¯t think of hurting you or your family. You are very important to us. You three possess a certain¡ Trait, if you will. A very necessary trait for my research.¡± ¡°Research? Madman! You wiped out our village¡ If you just needed us for research why go this far?!¡± John cried, his voice breaking the very limits of hoarseness. ¡°My name isn¡¯t ¡®Madman¡¯, Mr. Goodwott, it¡¯s William,¡± replied the brown-haired man with a grin. ¡°William Jackson. And not one person in this village has died.¡± The runes on the ground around John and his family began to gently glow. The air started to roar with the force of a jet engine. ¡°They¡¯ve simply been exchanged,¡± said William as he waved goodbye to John. A blinding scarlet flash filled the world. ¡°Exchanged for the glory of Xternity.¡± William¡¯s voice fell flat. John and his family vanished into nothingness as the sky shattered with red lightning. Book 2: Chapter 1 ¡°We need to talk,¡± Benson said as I walked down the stairs. The morning air smelled like wet grass and toasted bread. I looked out one of the windows and took note of several blown-down trees on the perimeter of our yard. The hard rain stopped sometime in the night, but a thick dawn mist continued to saturate the world with water. ¡°Yes,¡± I agreed with a nod as I walked to the table and took a seat. Tenia carried a small breakfast platter in from the kitchen at the same time. Toast, eggs, and bacon made up an array of colorful food items. Benson shoveled eggs and bacon onto his plate and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start from the very beginning, then. Tenia, would you care to explain?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Tenia with a smile as she untied her frilly pink apron and sat down. ¡°I tried to explain it to you last night, November, but we both know that didn¡¯t really elaborate on anything.¡± I nodded in reply while cutting a piece of toast and egg, making sure to get equal parts of both on the fork. ¡°We were never NPCs, in Xternity,¡± Tenia said in a flat voice. I paused, and the egg sloped from my frozen fork. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said before clearing my voice. ¡°But could you repeat that?¡± ¡°We were never NPCs. Back in Xternity, I had a soul. I could see, hear, feel, smell, and taste everything that happened,¡± said Tenia with a quiet voice. ¡°I couldn¡¯t move my own body. I was trapped, being controlled by the algorithms in the system.¡± ¡°... Benson, was it the same for you too?¡± I asked, carefully measuring everything in my mind. ¡°Yes,¡± Benson replied mid gulp, as he continued to shovel food in his mouth. ¡°So were you two sentient AIs in Xternity or¡¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tenia cut me off. ¡°I only remember my lives as an NPC in Xternity.¡± ¡°Lives? As in plural?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Tenia. ¡°At first I was bound by the machine. It was a void, if you will. No feeling. No sensations. Just my mind in an endless darkness. Occasionally, from this darkness, I¡¯d be born as an NPC. This body is one of the seven I have occupied in these years.¡± ¡°My God,¡± I mumbled under my breath. The implications of this were both staggering and terrifying. If the NPCs in Xternity were sentient, then would harming them constitute a human rights violation? Are they even human? Perhaps the biggest question on my mind, though, is how this and my own summoning to this world are interrelated. Clearly, because all of us possess bodies forged in the game that it¡¯s all related¡ ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± said Benson, his voice calm and his plate spotless. ¡°You do?¡± I asked, jolted from my deep contemplations. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re wondering how all this is related to your summoning. This, I can answer,¡± replied Benson. ¡°You can?¡± Asked Tenia, as shocked as I was. ¡°I don¡¯t remember everything, but I have fragments of my time before Xternity. Before I was bound to the machine. This world,¡± Benson spread his arms out wide, as if to encompass all that was around us, ¡°is my home. My original home.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°You lived in this world before?¡± Tenia asked the question on my own mind. ¡°Yes. I had a family, though I can¡¯t remember their faces or names anymore,¡± said Benson. ¡°Do you remember how you ended up in Xternity?¡± I asked. ¡°A binding. My soul was bound in contract to Xternity. I was sold like a slave. That is all I remember.¡± The beastman¡¯s voice hung in the air like taut wire. I muttered, ¡°So that means-¡± ¡°-Every NPC in the game Xternity is a soul from this world,¡± Tenia interrupted me, her voice filled with terror and the awe of realization. The three of us sat in silence. I looked down at my food and played with it, pushing the eggs around with my fork. At some point throughout the conversation my appetite left me. The game Xternity dealt in the trading of souls. Human souls¡ My soul. A doubt sprouted within me. I had been so sure that if I could be sent to this world then there had to be a way for me to return¡ Now I wasn¡¯t sure. A link clearly existed between Xternity and this world. Now I needed to find it. After breakfast I helped Benson gather the White Lodestone stored in our makeshift warehouse. Kelding seemed to be keeping up with his end of the bargain. When we returned I started making [Gates] as fast as humanly possible. We knew our next steps. Benson and I would go to New Hidet, and Tenia would join the Academy in Farrier. If the NPCs in Xternity were being taken from this world, we needed to find out how. As much as I wanted to go home, I¡¯d prefer living on in this world than being enslaved as an NPC in some video game. Information was our original target, but now there was a sense of urgency behind collecting it. Tenia seemed quite motivated. Benson didn¡¯t change much, though. With our first goals in mind, we prepared for our journeys. It took me a week to build six [Gates]. After we retrieved the one I hid in the woods on the night of the thunderstorm, we were left with seven that could be deployed. I spent the last day before our departure making 21 sets of [Keys], three for each [Gate]. I labeled them all using Alphabetical and Numerical systems. The days dragged on slowly. The work of crafting, while fun, was tiresome. The need for small intricate details kept me on edge the entire time. Tenia, during the last week, continued to visit the Magician¡¯s Guild and learn as much about the magic systems here as possible. She was also gifted, by Cardinal Reyes, with a letter of recommendation for Farrier¡¯s Academy. Benson used his time to patrol the woodlands, wrestle wild animals, and expand the warehouse for White Lodestone. He also adamantly badgered me about crafting a new sword. He wanted to try different the different sword styles the locals mentioned. With the new week coming to an end, we finished our preparations to move on from Golden Thrush Town. Book 2: Chapter 2 ¡°Are you sure you want to cut through the Thrush?¡± The halfling Kelding asked, his voice tainted with worry. ¡°We live in the Thrush, Kelding,¡± I replied with a toothy smile, causing him to take a step backwards. Benson laughed and Tenia frowned. ¡°I know you live in the Thrush, but The Mire is between here and New Hidet,¡± Kelding said while straightening his back and tie in an attempt to regain his dignity. ¡°Oh Kelding, you worry too much. They¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Cardinal Reyes as he handed a his recommendation letter to Tenia. ¡°As the Cardinal said,¡± I quipped in, ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Just make sure to keep the deliveries of Lodestone coming to our warehouse. I¡¯ll take inventory of it when we return, and if any is missing I¡¯ll be taking it out of your hide.¡± The halfling looked particularly nervous when I called him out. Somehow he managed to find out why the guildmaster continued to cower in her home. Since then, Kelding had been rather polite in our dealings. He constantly fidgeted and glanced over towards Benson, as if to burn the beastman¡¯s form into his memory. ¡°Miss November,¡± the Cardinal raised his voice a bit, ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you in the Capital for the Grand Assembly in three months.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll see you then, Cardinal Reyes,¡± I replied with a wave. For appearance¡¯s sake, Tenia rented a carriage to travel most of the way with. She planned to cut loose the horses once out of sight, store the carriage, and then travel the rest of the way on foot. Benson and I rode on the back of large geldings. The brown fur of my horse shimmered in the morning sun. Benson¡¯s mount possessed a darker almost-black coat, with a few stripes running down the side. Surprisingly, I managed to avoid embarrassing myself when riding the mount. My body moved as if it had been horseback riding for years, despite my lack of experience in the subject. Thankfully I didn¡¯t need to find out of my skill extended to bareback riding too. The horses came from Farrier and Kelding picked them out for us. He said something along the lines of, ¡®The best horses come from Farrier,¡¯ with quite a bit of pride. It would be a shame to have such well raised horses die in the wilds, but I didn¡¯t know how to care for or raise them myself. Benson knew a little about rearing the animals, but he wasn¡¯t confident in being able to keep them either. Benson suggested putting them down to prevent suffering, but I decided the most humane option would be to release them in the Thrush. Perhaps they could find a way to survive on their own. At least they¡¯d have a chance that way. Tenia was the first to leave. Armed with the new staff I made, I doubted she¡¯d have any trouble in her journey. I told her about the failsafes. I opted not to disable them because it would ruin the Landstrung Wasp materials, and I didn¡¯t have much to replace it. It was still a fantastic staff, it just couldn¡¯t ever be used against me with offensive spells over a certain Tier. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She handled her carriage with the grace of a master, and slapped the reins down. I waved as she disappeared down the Westerly Road towards Farrier. She waved back. Benson gave her a ferocious grin and a thumbs up. Shortly after Tenia vanished from sight, Benson and I mounted our own horses and set off down an old foliage-ridden road to the north of town. Kelding and Reyes saw us off. The farmer Abraham, his wife Mary, and their son with the overly familiar name Robert saw us off as well. They all waved their hands to us with the exception of Robert, who waved his stump. Benson and I rode the horses through the woodlands. Most monsters avoided us outright. Over the past week they had learned Benson¡¯s smell. To them he must have smelled as death walking. After an hour¡¯s ride, and when Benson signaled that our pursuers had stopped following, we dismounted. I stripped the saddle from the horse and stored it in my inventory. Benson did the same. I walked to the front and met the horse¡¯s stare. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said aloud, wishing the animal could understand me. ¡°We should kill them,¡± said Benson. ¡°They could make way back to Golden Thrush and cause a panic. If our horses showed up without rider or saddle, we¡¯d be presumed dead. They won''t survive long in the forest anyways. The only reason they¡¯re alive now is because they¡¯re with us.¡± My heart sank in my chest. Benson was right. I desperately wanted him to be wrong. These animals had done nothing wrong and, in my opinion, didn¡¯t deserve such a brutal fate¡ But Benson was right. I let my own weakness cloud my thinking. Silently, I pulled a 3rd tier sword from my inventory. ¡°I can do it, Mistress,¡± Benson said as he put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°No,¡± I replied. ¡°If I¡¯m the one condemning them, it¡¯s the same as killing them myself. I should do it.¡± I raised my sword up and met the eyes of the horse. Benson held its reigns. It didn¡¯t flinch. My heart wept, but my hands stayed steady. ¡°It¡¯s just like killing wyverns,¡± I said aloud to steady my own emotions. Then, like a thunderbolt, I dropped the blade. There was no finesse or skill in the cut. My body possessed a fair deal of force purely from my level, and that was enough to end the horse¡¯s life in one strike. I could hear my heartbeat in my throat as the animal¡¯s blood soaked the forest ground and its body twitched. It felt easier to kill the second horse. My mind still reeled in abject horror at what I¡¯d done, but I knew I did the right thing. I didn¡¯t have the stomach to skin or partition the animals, though. I wanted to bury them, but Benson simply remarked that horse meat could be eaten in an emergency and set to cleaning them. I didn''t help and opted to wait a short distance away. Shaken but not deterred, we continued our journey north. Book 2: Chapter 3 Sorry about the delay. Had some issues irl. I''m back~ As always, point out any mistakes you find in the comments! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Without the horses our speed tripled, at least. The trees passed by like snowflakes in a blizzard. I activated my skill [Ingredient Scan] and located a few herbs and flowers that I could use in potioneering. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t find much else. Benson and I traveled without rest for two hours straight. My armor buffs and Benson¡¯s natural stats made such a feat rather easy, though the soles of my feet were starting to ache. The woodlands transformed from deciduous to evergreen as we traveled further north. What was once a nearly tropical jungle was now scattered thickets of pine, spruce, and even cypress. The air smelled sweet and tree roots provided stable footing. Benson¡¯s movements seemed surreal. His motions looked scripted, like something out of a movie. He seemed to float from branch to branch and hill to hill. I stared in awe. The evergreens grew taller as we approached The Mire. I smelled the swamp before I saw it. The fumes of rot and death permeated the air, and the bottoms of trees grew skeletal, with their lower branches becoming like boney fingers reaching out to grab us. The ground sank into mud pits and small rivulets flowed brown with plant detritus. My feet would sink down in the muck if I wasn¡¯t careful with my steps. I tried to mimic Benson¡¯s movements, but I had little luck in emulating them. Thankfully most of my equipment was enchanted to keep clean, letting the mud wash off. After another hour of trekking, Benson came to a halt and signaled me to stop with his hand. ¡°People ahead,¡± he said in a whisper. ¡°At least ten. They¡¯re in combat with monsters.¡± I crawled forward and peeked over a small embankment. Off in the distance, on the edges of a small pond and knee deep in mud, was a group of lightly armored men and women fighting what looked to be three wyverns. ¡°Why are wyverns this far north?!¡± Cried one of the men as the beast snapped his spear in two with its jaws. ¡°Something must have happened in the Thrush to drive them from their normal habitat!¡± Replied a woman¡¯s voice. A sinking feeling hit my gut. I looked at Benson and his expression was clear. We had caused the wyverns to migrate north by destroying their nest. These adventurers were currently suffering because of our actions. ¡°Let¡¯s go help them. We need to make a name for ourselves in New Hidet anyways,¡± I said with a sigh. Benson¡¯s face lit up like the stars on a clear night and he flashed his teeth with a ferocious grin. Benson moved first and I followed close behind. He hit the closest wyvern, smashing it to the ground with ease. I used my staff and fired a bolt of lightning at the next one. This time I prepared for the discharge and avoided being blinded. With a thundering crackle, a blast of blue light jumped from the end of my staff directly into the beast, killing it on the spot. With two of the wyverns taken out in moments, the other adventurers rallied and cried out ¡®Reinforcements!¡¯ They overwhelmed the last of the beasts and slayed it collectively. None of them were particularly skilled, and each seemed rather low leveled even compared to the adventurers I had seen back in Golden Thrush. After the smoke cleared and all the wyverns were finished off, Benson and I found ourselves standing off to the side while the adventurers tended to their wounded. Three were in critical condition. ¡°Hold on Sabe, we¡¯ll fix you right up,¡± said one of the women as she tried to staunch an injured man¡¯s bleeding. She was dressed in light chainmail and leather armors that accentuated her tall and lithe figure. A thin sword was hung on her hip. She turned towards her comrades and cried out, ¡°I need a salve!¡± Salve was a word I recognized. Back in Xternity a low ranked healing potion was called a salve. They were generally ineffective for most diseases, curses, and such. They tended to only heal a little bit of Health Points. Looking at the bleeding man, I could tell immediately that a salve wouldn¡¯t save him. Of course, I also saw this as an opportunity to test something else I had been meaning to try. I had yet to see how effective potions were outside of the game world. I pulled a rank 5 health potion, something capable of even fixing mild curses and diseases in game. ¡°Give him this,¡± I said as I offered the potion bottle to the woman. She didn¡¯t hesitate. Grabbing the glass, she upturned the whole thing and poured its contents on the man¡¯s wounds. As if it were boiling, the man¡¯s flesh began to bubble and stretch. A soft fizzling sound came from his injury and, before everyone¡¯s eyes, his body stitched back together. He jerked and then, with force, his eyes opened. ¡°I¡¯m¡ I¡¯m alive?¡± Asked the man as he looked down at his hands and body, incredulity painted on his face. The tall woman wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a long hug. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°That¡ Wasn¡¯t a Salve,¡± she replied while turning back to look at me. She stood up and bowed towards me and Benson. ¡°My name is Guine and these,¡± she motioned towards the other men and women around her, ¡°are the members of my adventurer team. We owe you a great debt.¡± ¡°Raise your head,¡± I said in a gentle tone as I shook my hands, trying to get her to stop with the embarrassing display. ¡°Benson and I were a bit lost, so maybe you can repay that debt by helping us get to New Hidet. My name is November, and I¡¯m an Artisan.¡± ------------------------ Benson and I started traveling together with Guine¡¯s group of adventurers. Their pace wasn¡¯t very fast since they dragged several monster corpses with them, but we took this time to get acquainted with them. Most were simply ¡®D¡¯ ranked, and a few were even lower on the totem pole. They were all astounded when Benson and I introduced ourselves as ¡®C¡¯ ranked adventurers, and we received several questions about our skills and equipment. I, of course, hammed up my performance. I told them that I crafted all of our equipment myself, among other things. I played myself up as the apprentice to a master Artisan traveling the world for the first time. They seemed to buy it. ¡°So you¡¯re looking to set up shop in New Hidet?¡± Guine asked me as we walked. ¡°Yes. Benson will be challenging the Labyrinth and I¡¯ll be opening a shop,¡± I replied, a smile on my face. A strange look crossed her face; Guine scooted up real close to me and asked, in a whisper, ¡°by the way, that Benson¡ He¡¯s rather cute for a beastman. Are you two¡ Seeing each other?¡± My eyes went wide. ¡°No, Benson and I are friends only,¡± I replied, keeping my voice calm. I wanted to laugh. I could hear Benson snickering off to the side. He had good ears. ¡°Really? So he¡¯s available, huh¡¡± Whispered Guine as her voice receded into mumbles. Benson¡¯s snickering stopped, and I laughed openly. The fur on his cheeks looked to be a bit red. We traveled through what the adventurers called The Mire, a great swamp bordering New Hidet and The Great Thrush. Occasionally, through the breaks in the treeline, I could make out tremendous mountains in the distance. Guine pointed them out and named them: Starcaller, the tallest mountain; Firepeak, the mountain to the east of New Hidet; and Laurenhall, the shortest mountain directly south of the city. She mentioned a fourth mountain on the northwestern side, but we couldn¡¯t see it from our approach due to Starcaller being in the way. We journeyed for several hours with the adventurers. The swamp became deeper, the trails muddier, and the rivers wider as we moved north. The trees started to grow sparser and sparser, and those that did grow were lifeless and gray. All at once, as we passed a final thicket, the world opened up. Water, as far as the eye could see, spread out before us. ¡°Mire¡¯s Lake,¡± said Guine as she waved her hand out at the massive body of water. I had never seen the ocean in my previous life, but I imagine it must have looked something like Mire¡¯s Lake. The water stretched onwards in every direction, seemingly endless. ¡°Over there is New Hidet,¡± said one of the other adventurers as he pointed west. On the far shore I could make out what looked to be civilization, but it was hard due to the distance. Directly to my left stood the mountain Starcaller, which combined with the lake seemed to block off all distant sights. I could just make out the very top of Firepeak from across the Mire. On the shores in front of us numerous boats were moored and tied down. No doubt they belonged to the adventurers. ¡°We¡¯ll travel by water from here,¡± said Guine with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s much safer than traveling over Starcaller, and it¡¯s faster than traveling around it too.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there monsters in the lake?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, but nothing we can¡¯t handle,¡± replied Guine, ¡°we¡¯re not going very far out. The real monsters don¡¯t appear until you hit a depth of 50 Sich.¡± I noted the word Sich, the same word used for unit of weight. Since 100 Sich was considered the weight of an average man, I wondered if one Sich was considered the height of the average man. It would be worthwhile to investigate it later. I doubt their units of measure are much more refined than my old world¡¯s, anyways. How did we measure length before the advent of science? By feet. I nodded along to Guine¡¯s words, and walked down towards the beachhead. Surprisingly, there was sand running up and down the waterline. I kicked what little mud remained on my boots and boarded the largest of the boats. It was bigger than most trucks I had seen, and with all my nautical knowledge (which amounted to nothing) I decided the largest boat was probably the safest. I knew how to swim, but I wasn¡¯t about to risk getting soaked to the bone in monster infested swamp water. That just sounded like a bad time. Book 2: Chapter 4 As always, let me know if you find any mistakes~ Thanks for reading! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The boat I boarded was rounded at the front where the wood curled upwards, almost like a sled, to break waves. The wood was grainy and felt rough under my hands. The adventurers were split into three groups. Benson and I rode along with Guine and four others on the large boat, the one they called ¡®Sisteen¡¯. Two of the men rode in a small oar powered dinghy, and three boarded what looked to be a speedboat of some kind; it was small and sleek, without sails or oars on it. ¡°How does that boat move?¡± I asked Guine while pointing down to it. ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®Raceback Turtle¡¯, it¡¯s powered by a rune installed underneath. The men take turns supplying mana. It¡¯s the fastest boat on The Mire,¡± said Guine as she beamed with pride. ¡°Our ¡®Sisteen¡¯ here moves by runes as well, but we use monster cores to power it instead. It would take too much mana to push such a heavy load. We move much slower than the ¡®Raceback Turtle¡¯, but it¡¯s efficient for carrying heavy loads.¡± Benson helped drag the three wyvern corpses onto the back of ¡®Sisteen¡¯. The adventurers had several other monster corpses and gathered ingredients as well. Their eyes seemed to swim with joy when they looked upon their haul, and they all seemed to be deeply respectful of me and Benson. With the ships loaded full and spirits high, we disembarked onto Mire¡¯s Lake. The rocking motion of the boat made my stomach churn, but I was able to keep my bearing for the most part. Surprisingly, Benson was keeled over one of the railings, losing everything he had eaten throughout the day into the waters below. I smiled wryly, and decided against teasing him. Though I wasn¡¯t going to forget about this. I¡¯m certain Tenia would enjoy knowing he had at least a few weaknesses. Occasionally an alligator-like monster would assault the boats, but they were weak. At first I was terrified of them, owing that fear to my old world¡¯s notion of alligators, but after I saw how weak they were those feelings quickly passed. Apparently they were called Sators, and their hides were prided for their waterproof qualities. As the sun moved through the sky towards the distant horizon, I could finally get a good view of the city. I could also, finally, see the final mountain; it looked like a backdrop for New Hidet. The setting sun glowed orange and red as it touched the mountain¡¯s peak. With the oranges reflecting off the water, we looked to be sailing on a sea of flame. Unfortunately, Benson¡¯s retching in the background ruined the scene. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for Benson getting sick on the side of your boat,¡± I said to Guine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. All beastmen get seasick, I didn¡¯t expect any different from your friend there either,¡± she replied, an embarrassed look on her face. ¡°Maybe I should offer to rub his back? I heard that helps with seasickness¡¡± Pretending I didn¡¯t hear the last part she mumbled under her breath, I moved to the very front of the ship. The wind howled and whipped my hair back; a few stray strands fell across my forehead. I pushed the hair back and smiled as I thought about that famous scene from the movie The Titanic. Of course, I wasn¡¯t being caressed by a lover, but the feeling of the wind and the boat¡¯s motions combined into something indescribable. ¡°What happens when the sun goes down?¡± I asked, turning back just in time to see Guine¡¯s hand hovering a few inches over Benson, shaking as if she was unsure to go through with it or not. Her eyes went wide when she met my stare, and I started laughing; it was a deep laugh, from the bottom of my soul. ¡°We¡ we¡¯ll follow the lighthouse,¡± stammered Guine with a red face. As if on queue, a powerful beacon of light shined out of the mountain¡¯s shadow, illuminating the waters ahead of us. The light danced like fire, rising and receding as if it were alive. ¡°They use glass shards and runes enchanted to burn with white fire,¡± said Guine in an admiring tone. ¡°I wish you could see the lighthouse in the day. The building is made of whitewashed brick. It¡¯s beautiful.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I think I¡¯m glad I got to see it at night,¡± I said in a whisper as I admired the glow. ¡°I¡¯ve seen towers of brick before, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡± The waters were still, then, and the only sound I could hear were the boats cutting through the water. Benson¡¯s ears pricked up. With shaking legs, he stood and immediately jumped to my side. ¡°Something¡¯s coming,¡± he said, his voice weak. ¡°Something big.¡± The still waters started to shake. A mass of bubbles erupted beneath our boats, and a shadow from under the waters zipped by, moving at high speeds. ¡°Shit!¡± Cried Guine, ¡°It¡¯s a Venom Wyrm!¡± ¡°Why¡¯s it in the shallows?¡± Asked one of the men off to the side. The waters in front of the ship exploded upwards, and a massive snake-like beast leaped out. Its jaws unhinged and it dove directly towards us, looking to swallow us whole. ¡°Benson!¡± I yelled. ¡°On it!¡± He replied. Benson leaped forward, like a flash of fur. I could hardly follow his movements. I¡¯m certain to the other adventurers with us, it must have looked like a blur smashed into the side of the giant snake. I could see everything clearly, though. Benson hit the monster, his vigour renewed, but he seemed to be struggling with it. Benson was clearly stronger, but the seasickness and the environment were working against him. I needed to support him or the monster would escape under the water. I started building the mana construct in my mind. ¡°No don¡¯t use a spell!¡± Cried Guine¡¯s voice, as she detected my mana surging. Unfortunately, her warning came a moment too late. Everything went black. All sounds vanished. I was in a void; I was alone. ¡°Hello?¡± I asked, my voice echoing forever off the darkness. I walked, urged on by a strange sensation ahead. I came the edge of a black lagoon, the pestilent waters washing over my bare feet. I could feel eyes watching me. A lithe white hand stretched out of the waters, holding a sword of pure ice; a wash of cold covered my soul. ¡°Finally, a worthy champion¡¡± Echoed a distant voice. It was gruff and aged, and resembled a wisened grandfather. -¡±Nov-!¡± Something hit me, but I could hear the sword calling out to me. Its siren song filled my heart. I just needed to reach out and take it¡ ¡°November!¡± I snapped back to the world. The stars were stretched out in front of me, and Guine was leaning over me, shaking my body. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, my voice weak. ¡°You tried to cast a spell near a Venom Wyrm. Their venom corrupts mana around them, and your spell backfired. Thankfully you¡¯re okay,¡± said Benson off to the side. He was soaking wet and covered in some purple liquid. His armor was unmarred, though. ¡°It was just a spell backfire¡¡± I mumbled as I sat up. ¡°So that¡¯s what it was. Did you kill the Wyrm, Benson?¡± ¡°No, it escaped me after it dove. It ran away with its tail between its legs.¡± ¡°It had legs?¡± I asked, still a big groggy. ¡°No, but it was very scared,¡± said Benson with a toothy grin. ¡°... Benson, do you feel that light too?¡± I asked as I looked towards the city. ¡°The lighthouse, Mistress?¡± Benson asked. ¡°No. It¡¯s something else. Something strong.¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just a side effect of the backfire?¡± Proposed Benson, but I shook my head in response. I could feel it, like a pulsing heartbeat, calling out to me. There was something powerful buried in New Hidet. Book 2: Chapter 5 The docks came into view. I sat at the back of the ¡®Sisteen¡¯ with Benson. He was collapsed over the railing, hating everything to do with water-based travel and I was at his side with a headache that could kill a lesser person. Together we were a cloud of dark emotion, weighing down the back of the boat. Ships of all manner and size were lined up ahead along the docks; their hulls glistened as shadows from the lighthouse danced over them. I had hoped to see sailboats, but without much winds Mire''s Lake just wasn''t suited for them. Guine¡¯s crew docked the ships. They had reserved spots at the docks and everything, which I found odd considering how weak they were. Wouldn¡¯t high ranked adventurers hoard those type of things? Well, that was a question better left for another day. For now, Benson and I needed to find an inn where we could lick our wounds. ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± I said, my voice weak, as I offered my hand to Guine. She smiled and accepted the handshake. ¡°No. Thank you. If you two hadn¡¯t been there there¡¯s no telling what would have happened. I know for a fact Sabe wouldn¡¯t have survived without that potion,¡± she replied. ¡°If you ever need anything in New Hidet, let me know. I may not look it, but my father has connections all over the city.¡± ¡°I might have to take you up on that offer,¡± I said with a genuine grin, ¡°But for now I need to find an inn so I can sleep off this headache.¡± ¡°You should stay at the ¡®Dancing Hearth¡¯, if you want I can have Sabe guide you.¡± ¡°I think directions should be enough. Thank you, though,¡± I replied. -------- Benson and I followed Guine¡¯s directions with haste. The streets were dark and the glow of fireplaces lit our way. The buildings were tall and made of stone. The cobbled roadways clicked with each of our steps. The city was shutting down for the night, and I felt myself slipping alongside it. My head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. The ¡®Dancing Hearth¡¯ was easy to spot. It stood a floor taller than the buildings around it, and loud cheers could be heard echoing down the streets from its merry customers. The outside of the building was built of splintered gray stone, and vines crawled up its sides like pythons. A sign depicting a mug of alcohol over a fire swung just above the front entrance. The inside was, as expected, a grand foyer that opened up into a large table-filled dining room complete with rustic decor. A massive fireplace, at least the size of a grand piano, roared with white ember. The walls were covered with paintings, weapons, and nautical equipment. The skulls of several prominent monsters were on display as well. A long corner bar separated the staff from the rabble. A staircase to the next level stood out of the way on the far side of the room. No one seemed to notice our entrance. The place was packed and I could already feel my headache growing worse. Why did Guine recommend such a noisy place? ¡°Ah, hello. You two look tired, you must be here for a bed?¡± Asked one of the servers as she set a platter down on a table near us. She was short and wearing a light-blue apron over her brown dress. ¡°Yes, just for tonight. Two rooms if possible,¡± I replied, my hand rubbing my temple. ¡°That¡¯ll be a Middle Mark, meals not included,¡± she replied as she untied her apron and beckoned me and Benson towards the bar. I pulled out and tossed the coin. She briefly checked it for authenticity and then offered me a welcoming smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your rooms. And don¡¯t worry about the noise. We have soundproof enchantments on all the doors.¡± All my stress fell out of my body when she said those sweet sweet words. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I followed her toward the stairs. My room was small, having only a single bed, but it had a window and a nightstand in it. The bed itself seemed to be made of straw and hemp-like fabric. I imagined it would itch like hell, but I was a bit too tired to care. The second the woman and Benson left, I hit the hay and passed out. Strange dreams plagued me, and I found myself waking in a cold sweat more than once throughout the night. Visions of the dark lake and the sword of ice danced in my mind. I could feel a voice calling to me from deep underground, like a forgotten song of childhood, pulling at the fringes of my conscience. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Come, champion,¡± the voice beckoned, its tone sweeter than any honey. I trembled on the prickly hay-filled bed, and covered myself with a blanket. I wanted sleep. I wanted peace¡ But the pain and the voice continued. It urged me on. Before I knew it, I was out of bed and opening the window to my room. My feet seemed to have minds of their own, and I leaped down onto the streets. The voice echoed off the buildings, growing stronger as I neared the source. It began to build in volume, and what was once the honeysuckle song of a siren transformed into a death-rattling roar. ¡®Come, Champion!¡± The voice boomed like thunder in my ears. All at once I awoke and found myself standing in front of a platinum-colored gate that stretched hundreds of feet up the mountainside. Above the archway, the word ¡°Labyrinth¡± was engraved in foreign runes¡ But I could read them for some reason. The voice echoed from within, drawing bated breath at my every step. Two guards stood before the gate, armed with spears. One stepped forward to me. ¡°Adventurer card, please,¡± he asked with hand outstretched. I took my card from storage and handed it over, my eyes staring up at the structure. ¡°It¡¯s a bit late for you to be heading into the labyrinth, Ms. November,¡± remarked the man as he read over my card. ¡°While you are ¡®C¡¯ rank, it¡¯s dangerous to go inside without prepared equipment or a team.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just gathering cores on the first few floors,¡± I replied, the words weren¡¯t my own. ¡°Alright then,¡± the man said with an odd look on his face, ¡°But try to be out in a few hours. I don¡¯t feel comfortable about this¡¡± ¡°Just let her go Thom,¡± commented the second man with a terribly appalachian accent, ¡°if she keels she keels. You said she¡¯s ¡®C¡¯ rank anyways. That means if she wants to go into the labyrinth alone, I doubt we could stop her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a lass, Meryl¡¡± While the two were still talking, I had already walked past them and entered the dungeon. The voice beckoned me onwards, and I heeded its call. ¡°My champion, at last,¡± the voice rasped, as I walked through the labyrinth unhindered. Monsters bowed out of my way, and traps diffused themselves. ¡°Do you know of the Genesis?¡± The voice asked. ¡°No,¡± I replied, my voice echoing off the stone walls. ¡°Long ago, the Goddess Asenth fell to the world in a ball of fire,¡± said the voice. ¡°She looked upon the red planet and frowned, for naught but death reigned. Thus she split the world in two, dividing the death and life from one another. From this, the twins Gaia and Earth were born. One, rich in mana, existed as a dream. The other, dry and material, existed corporeal.¡± The voice paused, as if to take a breath, ¡°With the worlds split, Earth became the land of the dead and Gaia the land of life. Asenth built a bridge between the two and named it Eternity. An endless cycle of souls was formed, and the worlds flourished.¡± I climbed over cliffs, and dove beneath dark waters. My body continued to move, as if compelled, by the ever awing voice. It dragged me forward, like a child by the hand. I lost track of how far I had moved, and soon I receded into my husk as my body moved against my will. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked as I finally regained control. I stood at the precipice of a pit so deep only Hell could know its bottom. From the darkness, a pair of starlight eyes stared out, watching me¡ Judging my very soul. The eyes moved, and the world shook. The sound of rattling chains followed suit as the beast¡¯s form stepped out of the darkness and into the light. It stood tall enough to touch the sky with paws firmly planted at the base of the pit. Black as night with visage twisted in a wolfish snarl, the beast lumbered forward. Its body, bogged with massive chains, rippled with primal energy. ¡°I am Cerberus, the Guardian of Eternity!¡± Bellowed the beast, its voice shaking the cavern walls. ¡°Seven thousand years ago, mankind discovered The Bridge and imprisoned me under the Morning Mountains. For eons I have cried out, searching for a champion... And now you, the first to hear my voice, have come.¡± Book 2: Chapter 6 With my control returned, I stared down at my own hands and closed my fingers one by one. The feeling of being manipulated like a puppet terrified me. I looked up at the monstrosity, its figure both gallant and apocalyptic, and I asked, ¡°Why did you control me?¡± Cerberus shifted, his weight causing the entire cavern to shake. ¡°I sensed someone worthy to become my champion. I wasn¡¯t going to let this opportunity go to waste,¡± replied the beast, his voice sending shivers down my spine. I realized, then, what had happened. The monster used illusion and dream magics to control me. My body, due to my non-combat class, had lower magic resistances and thus I was susceptible to such things. I hadn¡¯t considered it a possibility. Mind control magics did not exist in Xternity. I was careless. Without a single wasted movement, I pulled one of my precious tier 9 potions from my inventory and shotgunned it. ¡°Monster,¡± I said, my voice laced with venom as I wiped the leftover potion from my lips, ¡°I will ask you again. Do not lie to me a second time. Why did you control me?¡± The creature seemed to stir, as if confused. ¡°I did not lie,¡± it replied, its body leaning towards me as if ready to pounce. ¡°You claim you want a champion, yet you decided to control me. For all I know, you aren¡¯t even really the guardian of this ¡®Bridge¡¯ between worlds. You have no proof of your claims, and you¡¯ve lied to me twice now,¡± I said, as I pulled my Tier 10 armor Ether¡¯s Bane out of my inventory and slipped it on over my equipment. ¡°You, child, you dare to question me? I AM CERBERUS!¡± The beast bellowed and the cavern shook¡ But then something strange happened. The creature seemed to shrink back and its starlight eyes receded to mere dots in the darkness of the cave. ¡°Your magics wont work on me anymore, Cerberus,¡± I chided, my voice laced with rage. ¡°If you truly wanted a champion, why did you not call out to my companion Benson? He is thousands of times stronger than I.¡± ¡°YOU INSOLENT WHELP!¡± Boomed the creature as it took a step forward, its teeth the size of trees, gnashing. The monster¡¯s chains went taught and held it back a few meters before it could reach me. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re some God¡¯s pet,¡± I said, standing my ground in the face of the beast. ¡°You tried to control me. You tried to manipulate my mind. Even if everything you¡¯ve said so far is true, I REFUSE TO BE YOUR PUPPET!¡± My own voice grew louder as my anger bloomed. I truly didn¡¯t care if the beast really was some legendary guardian between worlds, or if he was some demon attempting to beguile me with rotten apples. Even if he was speaking the truth, I didn¡¯t want his help. ¡°You insect,¡± growled the monster, its voice growing quiet and deep. ¡°You dare to treat me this way? I offered to make you my champion, to help you in your plight, and you repay me with insults?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said, indifference in my tone. ¡°You never intended to help me. You intended to use me... As evidenced by the fact that you continue, even now, to cast high level mind manipulation magics on me. Have you not noticed each one reflecting back to you?¡± The beast didn¡¯t reply immediately, but I felt his surging mana calm. Soon, his invisible spells stopped assaulting me. There was a long silence. The monster scoffed and then let out a short laugh. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Fine. Go. I will simply wait for another, even if it takes another 7000 years. And when I am finally freed from these chains, I will find you and burn your soul,¡± said Cerberus, his voice filled with a quiet superiority. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh in reply. ¡°Do you really think I would leave this place peacefully? You claimed to have been trapped down here for 7000 years, Cerberus,¡± I said, a smile on my face. ¡°That means the world doesn¡¯t need you. Even if you are some Godly being, you are underestimating me. I don¡¯t know if I can kill you, but I can certainly plant runes across this labyrinth that block all magic from leaving the lower floors. You will never be able to call out to another Champion again.¡± ¡°YOU MONGREL!¡± The beast roared and his chains rattled. The room shook but my laughter drowned out the monster¡¯s cry. ¡°Benson, I know you¡¯ve been watching. I need your help for a bit,¡± I said loudly. As if from thin air, my companion appeared next to me. I wasn¡¯t completely sure, but I assumed he followed me. I felt unimaginable relief at seeing him actually appear. It would have been rather embarrassing if he wasn''t actually around. ¡°What do you need, Mistress?¡± He asked, a cold toothy grin on his face. His eyes seemed to beam with pride. ¡°I¡¯m going to set up some isolation runes. I assume you¡¯ve mapped out the Labyrinth when you followed me?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, Mistress, I did.¡± ¡°Good,¡± I said as I pulled several small blank wards from my inventory and started to scribe them with magic carving. ¡°Lead me to the entrance of this floor. Clearly whoever first trapped this mongrel down here didn¡¯t do a good enough job. We¡¯ll have to show them what a proper magic seal looks like.¡± Benson¡¯s smile grew wide. ¡°I was worried,¡± he said. ¡°I thought whatever spell had been used on you wouldn¡¯t dissipate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain you would have been able to do something about it, Benson,¡± I said with a forced smile as we started walking away from the chained behemoth. I couldn¡¯t hide the terror in my voice. The beast bellowed in rage behind us, but we ignored it. Neither Benson nor I had enough mercy to even consider hearing out Cerberus¡¯s original request. If the monster were truly benign, it wouldn¡¯t have used such diabolical methods to contact me in the first place. I looked at Benson and, for a moment, thought about just how much he suffered during his years trapped in Xternity. I had been controlled for only part of a day¡ And that was far too long for my tastes. At least now I had an idea about how I ended up in a different world. Cerberus probably hadn¡¯t lied about the bridge between worlds. Perhaps in the future I will regret not giving him a chance to explain everything, but my Reflect Magic potion could only last for so long. I wasn¡¯t willing to risk being in close proximity to that monster, even with Ether¡¯s Bane equipped, until I increased my own resistances to illusion-type magics. Despite how much I wanted to return home, I wasn¡¯t willing to cut a deal with the devil to do it¡ Especially if that deal involved the control of my own mind and body. Besides, it¡¯s not like Cerberus was going anywhere anytime soon. I could always come back and deal with this devil later on¡ Though it would be on my terms, not his. Book 2: Chapter 7 Sorry about the delay with this chapter''s release. I''m working full time now and don''t have much time to write. If you see any mistakes please point them out in the comments and thanks for reading~! -------------------------------------------------------- I carved runes into small wooden wards. The ash-colored exteriors were stripped away in sweeping intricate patterns by my carving blade, revealing white-gold flesh underneath. Benson lead me towards the exit so I could focus while I moved. The caverns sloped upwards, almost in a spiral, and The Guardian of Eternity vanished from my peripherals. Cerberus¡¯s mad, booming voice echoed throughout the dungeon. At the top of the semi-spiral incline was a gateway as large as the entrance to the Labyrinth itself. Bursts of blue lightning traveled along it, showing the sheer might of the enchantments it bore. I identified three of them as tier 7 mana suppressing runes, but two of those enchantments were breaking down. The runes buzzed with more energy than a dwarf star, and I felt noticeably sick as we neared them. The gateway itself seemed far too daunting to open, but I was pleasantly surprised when Benson lead me to the side where a much smaller passageway was hidden. We walked around the gateway and out a sliding hidden doorway. The rocks closed behind us immediately. ¡°You need to press this stone here to open the hidden passage around the huge gate,¡± said Benson as he pointed out a lever-shaped rock sticking out of the cavern wall. ¡°Then that will be the first thing we hide,¡± I said, confidence returning to me now that I was beyond the enchanted gate. I could feel Cerberus¡¯s magic weaken thousands of times over on this side¡ But the fact I could feel it at all was the bigger problem. Tier 7 enchantments weren¡¯t enough to hold back a being that powerful. He was overqualified as a raid-boss-level monster from Xternity. I looked down at the half-shapen runes in my hand and started planning my next cut. The potion for reflect magic would wear off soon, but with Ether¡¯s Bane equipped Cerberus wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to me beyond the Gateway. It took me an hour to carve seals strong enough. Thankfully I had enough activation fluids in my Inventory to complete the project. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to climb down to this floor again to set up runes later. The mere thought of leaving Cerberus unrestrained terrified me. I crafted a series of three runes. The first would effectively cut off Cerberus¡¯s influence on the world at large. The second rune reinforced the first, making sure it wouldn¡¯t decay like the old enchantments on the gateway. The final rune, unlike the first two, wasn¡¯t to stop Cerberus from getting out. The final rune was to stop anyone else from accidentally stumbling upon this place. According to Benson, we were currently on the 100th level of the Labyrinth. From what I heard back in Golden Thrush, no one had made it past the 30th floor of this labyrinth¡ But I didn¡¯t want to take any chances. There might be others like Benson or me in this world, after all. I was certain that there existed others who could reach this floor as well. I designed the final rune to be subtle but powerful. Much like my repellent wards it was designed to keep people away, but it did so through very subtle manipulations. This rune tapped into the mental state people have when they forget why they walked into a room. By manipulating the short-term memories of anyone who enters this floor, I could cause them to forget a pathway ever existed here. As I placed the runes down, Cerberus¡¯s voice grew distant and finally disappeared. His final words rumbled through the chamber, ¡°You will regret this.¡± As his voice faded, Benson and I found ourselves surrounded by a profound silence. ¡°Benson, collapse part of the ceiling. Make this look like a dead end,¡± I said, my voice careful but measured, cutting the quiet like a knife. He complied without a word. Benson leaped to the ceiling and smashed it with his blade, creating a rain of rock and earth. I backed away as the rockslide roared, shaking everything about. ¡°Does this Labyrinth have treasure chests, Benson?¡± I asked him as he landed next to me. ¡°Yes, this Labyrinth is similar to the dungeons of Xternity,¡± Benson replied. ¡°Good. Can you go get one of the chests and bring it here? I¡¯ll put a tier 5 or 6 sword in it. If people think this is the end of the Labyrinth due to my runes and the chest, they¡¯ll never investigate the collapsed area.¡± Benson nodded and then vanished. I sat down and sorted through my inventory, looking for a weapon that I wouldn¡¯t mind parting with. There were several options to choose from, but I ended up deciding on the Tier 6 sword Caperknott. It¡¯s ability wouldn¡¯t be too devastating for a single person to wield considering it¡¯s only useful in one on one combat. I didn¡¯t want to leave aside one of my higher tiered weapons that could turn the tide in a war. I didn¡¯t know much about the political scene of this world, but I¡¯ve read enough light novels to know something like that would come back to bite me. Caperknott would cause a stir in a small country, for sure, but it wouldn¡¯t upset the balance in a major conflict. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Benson arrived quickly with one of the wooden chests, and we stuffed it with High Marks and the sword. If anyone ever did complete this dungeon, they would surely mistake this chest for the final reward. ¡°Now we begin our ascent,¡± I said, my voice quiet. My head ached and I desperately wanted to sleep. My own charms were bending the mana in the air, and I didn¡¯t feel like staying there much longer. ¡°We¡¯ll return here one day, Benson. Once I¡¯ve acquired more resources.¡± ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± he replied with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll guide you out. I¡¯ll spread out my aura and keep most monsters away. A few might still attack us, though.¡± ¡°Alright. Lead the way,¡± I said, my a small grin growing. Today had been a very long day. I slipped off Ether¡¯s Bane, thankful it wasn¡¯t needed for the next leg of our journey. Anyone with half a sense could see the raw ambient power Ether¡¯s Bane exuded. Even Cerberus took pause when I pulled it from my inventory. Leaving the labyrinth took hours. I hadn¡¯t realized just how deep underground 100 floors really was until I had to climb up that distance. My feet ached through the enchantments on my boots, and I grew tired of monster attacks. Thankfully, Benson didn¡¯t seem as weathered as I was. The random caverns, environments, and wonders would normally have kept me distracted, but my own exhaustion made them all pass by in a haze. When we finally reached the top floor, we could see a large group of people standing outside the exit; early dawn sunbeams glittered past them, casting long shadows on the cavern floors ahead. ¡°They are talking about a rescue mission, Mistress,¡± said Benson to my left. I didn¡¯t know he had an eavesdropping spell or skill¡ As we neared them I could make out their voices. They made mention of a ¡®C¡¯ rank adventurer who entered the Labyrinth under-equipped in the middle of the night. They were here to rescue -me-. As we approached one of the men called out and pointed to us. I waved at them without much vigour. I just couldn¡¯t drum up the energy. ¡°Miss,¡± a tall man wearing chainmail armor spoke. He had a glorious mustache; it was wider than his ears and bushier than the hair on his head. It muffled his words a bit. ¡°My name is Martin Barngrave, Captain of the New Hidet Guard. Are you perhaps the ¡®C¡¯ ranked adventurer who entered the labyrinth last night?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, my voice hoarse. ¡°I lost myself in my excitement, having arrived in the city only yesterday evening and underestimated the dangers. It took me far longer to climb out.¡± ¡°I see. Who is this with you, if I might ask? The reports said you were alone,¡± Captain Martin asked. ¡°I am but a humble servant and guard to my mistress,¡± said Benson in a delicate voice. ¡°I followed in my mistresses shadow to ensure no harm befell her. I apologize for sneaking past the guard.¡± ¡°Well now,¡± said the Captain, blowing out the sides of his mustache. ¡°You two need to come with me back to the guild. We¡¯ll check your cards then you¡¯ll have to pay a fine for rescue services.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t use the rescue servic¡¡± I held up my hand to stop Benson. I asked, ¡°How much is the fine?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be five High Marks. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not charging you for unlawful entry as well,¡± replied the Captain as he stared down Benson¡¯s nose. I pulled out the five coins and handed them to Benson as well as my card. ¡°I really need some sleep. Benson, could you please be courteous and pay this fine man for his services.¡± I jerked my eyes towards the Captain, nonverbally telling Benson not to argue with the man. He seemed to get my message. ¡°I would also appreciate it if you could take care of reporting everything that happened last night to the guild for me. I desperately need to climb in a bed.¡± ¡°Very well, Mistress,¡± said Benson, his voice a bit hollow. ¡°Follow me then, Mr Benson,¡± said the Captain as he turned to walk away. The crowd around us started to disperse as well. I turned around and looked at the massive gateway to the Labyrinth, pausing for a moment to really take in its grandeur. The walk to the inn was treacherous, filled with terrible traps such as pebbles on the street that I tripped over and horrid morning sunlight that burned my eyes as it rose over Mire¡¯s Lake. When I reached the inn I gave the keeper a nod, who looked at me with a bewildered expression, probably wondering just when I had left in the first place. I didn¡¯t stick around for breakfast or small talk. Instead I made my way upstairs, closed the door behind me, and collapsed face first into the scratchy bedding. It felt like heaven. Book 2: Chapter 8 If you see any mistakes please point them out in the comments below and thanks for reading~ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I woke to the sound of a door opening. Benson was there, a pensive look on his face. ¡°What time is it?¡± I asked, sitting upright. My voice was rough. ¡°It¡¯s early morning,¡± replied Benson. ¡°You slept for a full day. I paid for an extra night here already.¡± ¡°A full day,¡± I repeated under my breath, reeling from the shock. I knew I was tired, but to sleep a full day away¡ I didn¡¯t have a lot of time until the meeting at the Capitol. Every day mattered, and missing one wasn¡¯t excusable. Plans began to take form in my mind. I needed to make up for lost time. ¡°I caught three thieves watching your room,¡± Benson said, breaking my concentration. ¡°I tied them and turned them in to the city guard. You paying five High Marks up front to the Captain put you on the city¡¯s radar, Mistress.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said, still gathering my thoughts. ¡°I want them to know I have money. I intend to open a shop here, after all. Them knowing I have the capital to rent or buy will help move things along faster. We should use this morning to look at the wares for sale in the city and their prices. We¡¯ll find Guine after that and see about meeting her father. She mentioned that he could help us out¡ Oh, how did the meeting with the Captain go, Benson?¡± ¡°The man was staunch but likable,¡± Benson replied, an odd smile on his face. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to like you too much when we met¡¡± I said, the skepticism in my voice apparent. ¡°The Captain respects two things, The Law and Strength,¡± said Benson. ¡°He didn¡¯t like me because I disobeyed the law when I entered the labyrinth without going through the check in. He started liking me when I fought him and won.¡± ¡°You fought him?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. He asked me to reveal the real reason why we entered the labyrinth. I refused. He challenged me to a duel with the information as his stake, and our five High Mark payment back as ours.¡± ¡°And you accepted?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he replied with a vicious grin. I sighed. ¡°Benson you definitely aren¡¯t suited for subtlety, huh?¡± He almost looked hurt. ¡°Mistress, I am an expert on stealth¡¡± I waved my hands, stopping him. ¡°I know, Benson. Does this Inn have a bath I can use to clean up? My armor may be self cleaning, but I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°There is a shared washbasin in the backyard. It has wooden stalls for privacy,¡± said Benson, seemingly happy for a change of subject. I shuddered at the exhibitionist nature behind such a system. I think I would rather try to swim in Mire¡¯s Lake with the Venom Wyrms. For breakfast we opted to eat from our rations. Benson produced some strange jerky; it tasted almost like a mix between beef and venison. It was sweeter than I expected without sugars or other common spices. With our stomachs sated, public baths avoided, and mind magics slept off we headed towards the market. The early morning city was abuzz with people, completely opposite from Golden Thrush Town. Twice I almost bumped into a man delivering bottles of milk to homes and apartments. The city even seemed to have a newspaper of sorts too. I paid a Low Mark to one of the delivery boys and was handed a thick papyrus-based newspaper. The headline, for some terrifying reason, featured a sketch-drawn image of me by the Labyrinth door. The headline read: ¡°C Rank Adventurer Explores Labyrinth Alone, Comes Out Without Scratch!¡± I paled a bit, but my nervousness faded when I realized just how ¡®off¡¯ the sketch of me really was. The picture was black and white, for one thing, so the hair color couldn¡¯t give me away. The second thing to note was how small the image made me seem. Perhaps it added to the ¡®David versus Goliath¡¯ setup from the headline if they showed a tiny woman challenging the Labyrinth alone. It didn¡¯t look like I could be identified from it, thankfully. A world without cameras would make reporting news a difficult profession. I flipped through the rest of the articles in the paper, smiling at how sleazy they all seemed. Most either accused local clergy of having affairs, questioned the ethics of the Pope¡¯s tolerance towards ¡®demi-humans¡¯, or speculated on whether Aunty Selina¡¯s Candy Factory was secretly using human remains in their newest invention, caramel. It was a tabloid. I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t read everything in it, either. The writing didn¡¯t seem to be in English, but I had no problem translating it. It felt natural, and it weirded me out. It reminded me of when, under Cerberus¡¯s control, I could read the word ¡®Labyrinth¡¯ over the massive entryway. Could his mind-magics have permanent effects on me? A shiver ran down my spine. Forcing the thought to the back of my mind, I stealthily slipped the tabloid into my ¡®Inventory¡¯ to look over in more depth later. We arrived at a large square with shops lining both sides. The storefronts seemed to be connected to larger buildings in the back, the workshops where the goods were manufactured. ¡°Benson, keep your eyes open. Pick out the highest ranked equipment you can,¡± I said, keeping my voice low so we couldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°I propose we split up to cover more ground, Mistress,¡± Benson replied. ¡°I¡¯d normally agree, Benson, but it¡¯s more important we stay together. I want people to know you¡¯re with me.¡± As we walked through the marketplace, I had a hard time finding a single piece of Ranked Equipment. Most were unranked and, quite frankly, awful. The people in this world seemed much higher level than their gear by comparison. It was astounding how low the quality of weapons and armors were. Benson and I had a hard time even finding an apothecary. When we did, the potions available were lackluster. I found three basic salves that almost qualified as Rank 1. They were very low grade and, to be fair, would heal minor injuries only. At my wits end, I walked into the rumored ¡®best smithy¡¯ in the city: ¡®Bayne¡¯s Sword and Chord¡¯. The shop stood in the corner of the square but a large number of people moved in and out of it. Swords, armors, and -oddly- guitars were on display. The name of the place made sense, now, but I was still a bit concerned. I didn¡¯t know much about the evolution of instruments, but I was fairly certain the modern acoustic guitars weren¡¯t around in the middle ages. I knew lutes and other predecessors existed¡ This world seemed to be closer to the industrial revolution in terms of development. Paper existed, even if it was crude, and magic-powered machines were used on farmsteads back at Golden Thrush. Perhaps I had let my own preconceptions and assumptions cloud my judgement. This world wasn¡¯t equivalent to the middle ages, and I needed to stop thinking it was. The inside of the shop surprised me. It was much larger than I expected, with the opening foyer stretching as much as a gymnasium into a large room. Several armored men stood guard at intervals, with those intervals increasing the further in the building I went. Near the outside of the shop I found several cheap-looking guitars and low unranked swords, but as I moved inwards the quality shot up drastically. After passing the third guard, every other sword or armor on display met the requirements for Rank 1. The guitars improved in designs as well, from rough wooden lumbering things to sleek efficient designs with magic amplification runes engraved on the sides. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Finally Benson and I came to a wall of guards standing in front of a display case. Behind them, on a pedestal, sat a Rank 3 weapon. The engraving on the pedestal read:
| Master Bayne¡¯s Treasure: This sword, found in the depths of the Labyrinth, has been repaired by the master smith Bayne himself. The blade holds its edge no matter how many blows it strikes and it cuts through armors with ease¡ But the sword bears a curse. He who wields it is slowly drained of their magic, until nothing is left. |