《The Abyss Stares Back (HWFWM Alternate)》 Chapter 1: Im All Yours (Redux) - (New Readers Start Here!) In a deep, dark space between realities, Senadin woke up.
"Rise"
It was the beginning of the end; he just didn¡¯t know it yet. His eyes shot open. He felt cold air brushing against his unclothed body. He was lying on his back against some kind of smooth surface but could see nothing. He blinked, trying to focus his vision. Darkness loomed over him. It was pure darkness, darker than anything he had seen before, or rather, not seen. ¡°What¡­?¡± Senadin said, though no sound came out. ¡°Hello?¡± Again, no sound. He raised his hand above him but couldn¡¯t see it. He brought his hand to the tip of his nose, and still couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°What in the world?¡± He muttered, yet again with no sound. His head pounded, a headache beginning to form. He put both of his hands up to his eyes to rub them, when he noticed an odd sensation. There was no hair on his eyebrows. His hands moved up to his scalp, where he felt the smooth skin on the top of his head. Senadin began to panic. He couldn¡¯t see anything, couldn¡¯t hear anything, his hair was gone, and he felt a bitter cold against his naked body. His eyes clamped shut. After a few moments, he reopened his eyes, hoping to be transported back to his room in his home. His sanctuary did not come. He pushed himself onto his feet before stumbling back to the floor. Pain shot through his body as he realized his soreness from head to toe. The darkness was disorienting and finding his balance didn¡¯t come easy, while his body and head seemed to have been beaten by baseball bats. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± He exclaimed. ¡°This can¡¯t be real.¡± He was able to stand in a low stance, keeping his balance with his feet spread wide apart, his arms at length. The effort just to stand was enough to sink his resolve. He exhaustedly slumped back to the floor, lying down again on his back. He stared upward to no effect. There was no difference in opening his eyes and closing them, but he stared all the same. He felt the discomfort of loneliness, but it was a different feeling than what he knew as his own loneliness. This loneliness seemed collective, as if he was feeling the emptiness of everything around him, which was ironically nothing. Normally he was comfortable being left alone, but this kind of alone didn¡¯t only feel empty, it felt dangerous. It was cold and sharp, like a knife pressed against his own ego. Oddly, he didn¡¯t reject it, as if deep down there was something that craved the pain in being completely alone. Sen could feel that empty need for loneliness rise from his chest up into the center of his head; eternal emptiness; a craving to be separate from everything. Sen seemed to forget about the pain in his body as he focused on that loneliness and fell into it. His eyes closed. His breath slipped away from him. He tried to retrieve it but there was no air to breathe. His eyes opened. He breathed again. He thought of how he arrived here. He was just about to go to sleep when he suddenly woke up in this emptiness. He remembered it was a Thursday night, he had eaten dinner and done some laundry before wrapping the night up with a couple games and going to sleep. He lived alone, and he was a plumber by trade. Having spent some time in the armed forces as an engineer, he learned and experienced enough to leave the army and become an apprentice plumber, and he was now a journeyman in the prime of his twenties. His social life was as lackluster as anyone else he knew living in middle America. He was not special, so while he wondered where he was, he wondered why he was there as well. It was clear he wasn¡¯t dreaming, and a hallucination would be more than the darkness he saw. Perhaps he was blind and deaf, laying in the middle of a hangar at an airport. That would explain his lack of senses and the cold ground, but not the chilling air. It was nearly summertime. And it didn¡¯t explain why he had no hair. Certainly, someone would have found him bumbling about by now. Lying naked in the middle of an airport hangar wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed for too long. Was he chloroformed, kidnapped and shaved? He felt the areas where he should have hair. They wouldn¡¯t have gone that far to shave him in those spots. His skin was smoother than he was expecting, and his hand recoiled at the odd sensation. He sat up, the soreness in his body was beginning to subside, but his head still pounded. Reality weighed down on Senadin¡¯s shoulders like a sandbag covered in molasses. He didn¡¯t know where he was, and from his own apparent reasoning, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. It was all very sudden, and his situation only started to dawn on him. He was alone, there was nothing and no one around him. Where was he to go? What was he to do? There was simply nothing. There was no plan to make or execute. There was no reason to do anything. Like a wave, hopelessness devoured him. The emptiness and lightlessness of the void consumed him. Sen¡¯s fist collided with what his mind told him was the ground, but there was nothing. His fist met open air, and when he placed his hand down to feel the empty space, it was solid floor yet again. ¡°That is not natural. None of this is natural.¡± He surmised. His grief and hopelessness turned into a solemn anger, refueling his resolve. He could walk, he could move forward, and so he could surely find a way out. Though the thought had crossed his mind multiple times, he quickly redirected his train of thought to something that wasn¡¯t ¡°an empty alternate universe.¡±
"Forward"
He turned his head, thinking that he heard something. The silence was deafening. He stood again, taking on his previous low stance to maintain his balance in the darkness. He took a step, and then another, awkwardly moving forward through the void. Every so often he stumbled and fell, catching himself before landing on his face. Each time he would take some time to collect himself before standing up again. His balance soon became accustomed to the darkness, stumbling for what felt like miles before his gait resembled something more natural. His balance in the darkness improved after he began to rely on the muscles in his legs and his connection with the floor through his feet. He felt stable, both mentally and physically, at least for the moment. It was enough headspace for his fear and confusion to evolve into solemn anger. Who did this to him? Where were they? Where was he? His anger wasn¡¯t soon to subside, but it did, and his resolve began to waver with it. The emptiness of the abyss was daunting. It ate at him, slowly at first, but his psyche soon spiraled downward, his mental fortitude beginning to gather slack. He had walked and walked and still saw nothing. He heard nothing. His mind began to play tricks on him. There were small hints of something in the corners of his vision. He would quickly turn his head to see nothing. There was no light, no sound, nothing. He would feel a spark of hope for it to be crushed into disappointment and the overbearing realization that he was completely alone, every time. It ate at him. Hopelessness was soon to devour him. When his hope finally broke, he was struck with remorse and sadness. His eyes became wetter until his face curled into sorrow. He fell to his knees, his arms holding up his chest as his head hung low. Until he simply rolled over onto the invisible floor underneath him, becoming a sad, naked, ball of a man in an empty dark void.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. As Senadin¡¯s hysterical fit continued, his mind swayed from hope to dread and back again, over and over. The black, empty space wasn¡¯t doing much for his sanity. He would get up and walk a few steps just to fall sobbing to his knees again. After what seemed like hours of dread and hopelessness, he simply couldn¡¯t cry anymore. He tried his hardest to scream but nothing came out. He couldn¡¯t even tell if he was breathing anymore. ¡°This must be it then.¡± He thought. ¡°This is where we go at the end. Exactly what I thought it was: Absolutely nothing.¡± His mouth made the action of scoffing, but no sound came out. He feebly stood up. His whole body felt weak, as if his will to live was abandoning his physical faculties. He attempted to take a step before losing his balance and falling on his face. He could see nothing, hear nothing, and there was no real physical space around him for his body to abide. He shakily rose to a kneeling position and closed his eyes again. ¡°But I¡¯m not dead, am I?¡± He tried to remember what happened before he was placed here but couldn¡¯t remember anything past crawling into bed after playing some video games. ¡°I don¡¯t think I died¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± Senadin collapsed mid-thought, falling unconscious from exhaustion. Some hours later, Senadin woke again to the black dreariness of this empty space. Waking to the bleak emptiness a second time was less jarring, but still uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t feel rested, it seemed being unconscious in this place did nothing to help him recover from stumbling through the blackness while hysterically trying to make sense of it. He closed his eyes, more as a habitual practice of focus rather than blocking his sight. He attempted to calm his mind. After what he had assumed the last day had been, Sen¡¯s mind was exhausted and delirious. If sleep couldn¡¯t help him, he had to figure out if this place was a constant downward spiral or if there were any handholds he could latch onto to pull himself out. Senadin sat cross-legged in a classic meditative pose. He hadn¡¯t done this in years and felt discomfort in his hips, knees, and lower back, but attempted to block out the discomfort to meditate on his situation. ¡°Just the basics, I¡¯ve got me, I¡¯ve got my mind¡­¡± His mouth curled upwards as he tried to account for what he did have rather than what he didn¡¯t. He felt a chilling gust come from nowhere, the battering of the gale resounding in his ears was the first sound he heard in some time, as unwelcome as it was. Sen gritted his teeth against the cold as the gust subsided. ¡°The hell was that?¡± Sen said aloud, though no sound left his lips. ¡°Wind? There was something, meaning it¡¯s not all nothing, right?¡± He thought, as he stood up from his cross-legged position to his feet and started walking. Days past, Senadin was sure of that. He felt no hunger, save for a few fleeting moments where he felt insatiable, he felt like he needed to eat something, anything. He craved raw meat. He wanted to drink the blood and gnaw at the flesh. He drooled at the thought. His hunger was quick to subside, but it left him feeling woozy. He was actually going insane. Had he felt the wind before, or was it just a manifestation of his mind? All hope had gone, but maybe it was still there, squirming through his mind, creating hallucinations that pushed him forward. The cold in this darkness was getting colder, but he seemed to be getting accustomed to it. He would walk, and as the area around him would chill his bones, he would sit to meditate on it. When he meditated, he could feel a warmth course this his body. He didn¡¯t know if there was warmth, or if calming his mind allowed him to endure the cold better. Either way, through boredom or simply routine, he would get up and walk again. Days more past before Senadin felt another chilling gust of wind. Instead of getting up from his meditative pose, he chose to sit in it, allowing the colds winds to scrape against his bare body. It felt like it cut through him, but he chose to allow it to berate him, nonetheless. That¡¯s when the floor fell from underneath him. He let out a silent gasp as he fell. He couldn¡¯t see anything in the bleak darkness to know where he was falling to, or when he would hit the ground. At first, his muscles were tense as he braced to hit the ground. After a few more seconds, the realization that he was going to die set in. He was falling fast, and now from a great height, there was no chance of surviving the impact. After several more seconds, then minutes of falling, he stopped squirming. Then he hit the invisible floor again. The impact was too quick and surprising for him to even register it.
¡°Rise¡±
Senadin woke up, taking a huge, silent breath of empty air. What happened? He was just falling, and then he woke up. He felt fine, at least his body was just as sore as it was before, there were no signs pointing to hitting the ground at literal breakneck speeds. His legs crossed again, and he closed his eyes. The warmth inside him seemed like a flickering candleflame, fighting against the breeze of an open window. He focused on it, imagining the candle standing stalwartly upright. It comforted him. It gave him the boost he needed. The winds berated him once more. Was this going to be his new routine? Walk, sit, meditate, embrace the cold wind, and then walk again? What else was he to do? Senadin abided, getting up to walk in the direction the winds were bellowing. Beckoning. He adopted a routine of walking, meditating, and sleeping, or at least attempting to. He would endure the bleak conditions of the void to switch to meditating in a cross-legged position, attempting to control his mind. ¡°No spoon.¡± After days of the routine, his moments of insanity seemed to dissipate. Despite his intention, even the attempt to think of nothing proved to be an action, and the void let him know. Whenever it seemed like he was trying too hard, the icy breeze would kick up and Senadin would start walking again. It seemed to him that when he tried to think positive thoughts, the darkness would strike him, either with extremely cold gusts of wind, or by dropping the floor from beneath him, letting him fall for a ridiculous amount of time before catching him again in its cold embrace. When he tried to do the opposite and deprecate himself, the darkness would do the same. After several rounds of stubbornly fighting the obvious, Senadin resorted to simply clearing his mind, attempting to recreate the void that was around him inside his mind. He realized it was finally time to embrace it. The idea of how much time he had spent in pure nothingness was now a mystery to him. He could have been there for a couple weeks, maybe a month at most, but after a few attempts to sleep and not being able to, he gave up and everything started to blend together. Several times now he had tried to scratch tallies into his arms or the back of his hand or the top of his thighs to have a reminder of the times he meditated, but no matter how hard he pressed into his skin, it wouldn¡¯t break. After the pressure subsided from his fingernails against his own flesh, he could feel nothing but cold air around him. Senadin¡¯s mind had evolved since his abrupt transportation into the void. After hours, days of mulling over things in his head, he had nothing left but to accept where he was and the fact that he might be stuck there for a long time, if not forever. The fleeting questions of why he was there and how to get back were barely even memories now. He no longer tired or felt the sting of the cold. His walks became shorter and shorter, until the winds no longer buffeted his back and all that was left to do was meditate. He now sat cross-legged with his eyes wide open, no longer needing the habit of closing his eyes to descend into his trance-like state that became his meditation. He realized while being mindful in his meditations that his mind had to go somewhere, not just cease to operate. It had to be given a task that was invisible. The idea wasn¡¯t a trick of the mind, it felt more like a secret pathway around his thoughts that was hiding in plain sight all along. Eventually, he was able to envision the simplest of objects while maintaining his embrace of the void: A solid black orb, slightly lighter than its background of complete darkness. This revelation, that it was possible to create concepts even when there was no generative thought or causal reason for them to happen, was the turning point that sent Senadin¡¯s morale boosting upward. It was only a thought, but he was able to create something out of nothing. He felt a wave of tempered glee rush over him, warming his bones. He expected there to be a rush of icy wind berating him from feeling such positive thoughts, but as he waited, he realized he couldn¡¯t feel any wind because he was surrounded by water. He felt like he had been sitting there meditating for hours, possibly close to a day, but as his mind came out of his void trance, he could feel the icy sting of water flowing around him. He wasn¡¯t breathing and he didn¡¯t feel as if he needed too, but dread quickly overcame him as he realized the water wasn¡¯t flowing around him, he was diving through it, and he was going straight down. The idea of going deeper into the water, deeper into the abyss, meant that it would become increasingly more difficult, if not impossible to get back out. Senadin realized this and a stricken panic enveloped him when he suddenly felt the need for air. He tried to swim upward but the pressure of the deep water kept pulling him down. He couldn¡¯t even see where he should swim to and stopped fighting it when hopelessness hit him once more. This new hopelessness was much different from what he felt when he first fell into the darkness. He felt no agony or remorse. He simply understood there was no hope, and he promptly accepted it. He didn¡¯t need hope anyway. After existing in this place, unable to sleep for what seemed like more than a month, hope was no longer something that he wanted or considered an option. He finally accepted it, that hope can kill, but it wasn¡¯t the only thing that could. He accepted that this place was obviously alive, and it wanted something from him. He could feel it. It not only wanted something, but it also wanted everything, it had a hunger; a hunger that was much like what he felt when he experienced his short bouts of insanity. His mind felt fuzzy. He hadn¡¯t needed to breathe at all in this place until now, where water surrounded him, and it gave him no option to do so. ¡°Of course it¡¯s ironic. With nothing to lose, all I am is everything I have.¡± He sniffed in some of the water through his nostrils to test it, wondering if it was a test to see if he would try to breathe the water. Whatever the test was, he failed; the water was not breathable. He coughed out his remaining air as the water went into his sinuses and down the back of his throat. He could feel his mind shutting down. He lost the feeling in his hands and feet. He could feel it now, his mind drifting into an eternal rest. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯m all yours.¡± Senadin¡¯s last thoughts trailed to the candle in the window. He could feel its warmth like an inferno against his own life force, paling in comparison. He felt the breeze come through the window, it was comforting, and he smirked. The candleflame flickered against the wind, and then died. Chapter 1: I鈥檓 All Yours In a deep, dark corner of reality, Sen woke up in a prone position to the sound of nothing. It felt like his ears should be ringing, but he could hear no sound, only feel the pressure in his ears. His head throbbed in pain. The pressure felt like it was both pushing on his head from the outside and outward from the inside. When he moved his arms and rolled over, he could feel pain course through his entire body, as if his whole body had been thrashed by an automatic car wash with baseball bats instead of brushes. He could see nothing, and underneath him he could only feel a flat, smooth, cool surface. Worst of all, he was naked. He tried to speak, but no words came out. The sound waves from his vocal cords were simply nonexistent. He blinked his eyes a couple times, thinking his vision needed to adjust to waking up, but it soon became clear there was no light to see anything. The darkness enveloped him to the point that he couldn¡¯t even see his finger touching the tip of his nose. ¡°Where am I?¡± Sen thought, the idea of being completely alone racing through his mind. He felt the discomfort of loneliness, but it was a different feeling than what he knew as his own loneliness. This loneliness seemed collective, as if he was feeling the emptiness of everything around him, which was ironically nothing. Normally he was comfortable being left alone, but this kind of alone didn¡¯t only feel empty, it felt dangerous. It was cold and sharp, like a knife pressed against his own ego. Oddly, he didn¡¯t reject it, as if deep down there was something that craved the pain in being completely alone. Sen could feel that empty need for loneliness rise from his chest up into the center of his head; eternal emptiness; a craving to be separate from everything. Sen seemed to forget about the pain in his body as he focused on that loneliness and fell into it. His eyes closed. His breath slipped away from him. He tried to retrieve it but there was no air to breathe. His eyes opened. He breathed again. ¡°What happened? You were just about to go to bed and then¡­¡± Sen thought quickly, trying to remember where he was before he ended up here. He remembered it was a Thursday night, he had eaten dinner and done some laundry before wrapping the night up with a couple games and going to sleep. He was a plumber by trade, having spent some time in the armed forces as an engineer, he learned a lot and left the army. He had used his skills to become an apprentice plumber and became a journeyman now in the prime of his twenties. Memories of his simple life flooded his mind. He lived alone and had a perfectly fine social life, just as lackluster as any normal person living in America. ¡°They¡¯re all you have now.¡± A new voice echoed in Sen¡¯s mind. It sounded like his own voice, just like the voice he always heard in his head when he would have those daydreaming conversations with himself, but this voice came from a different place outside his mind. He pondered if there might be someone in the darkness with him, but quickly perished the thought. The voice was just like his, it had to have been a creation of his own psyche. ¡°What would be the point of a doppelganger if there¡¯s not even any light to see them?¡± He thought. He tried to call out in the darkness again, but again came to no avail. There was only silence. Reality weighed down on Sen¡¯s shoulders like a sandbag covered in molasses. He didn¡¯t know where he was, and from his own apparent reasoning, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. It was all very sudden, and his situation only just started to dawn on him. He was alone, there was nothing and no one around him. Where was he to go? What was he to do? There was simply nothing. There was no plan to make or execute. There was no reason to do anything. Like a wave, hopelessness devoured him. The emptiness and lightlessness of the void consumed him. Sen¡¯s fist collided with what his mind told him was the ground, but there was nothing. What came first was anger and resolve. He could walk, he could move forward, so he had to be able to find a way out. Though the thought had crossed his mind multiple times, he quickly redirected his train of thought to something that wasn¡¯t ¡°an empty alternate universe.¡± His anger wasn¡¯t soon to subside, but it did, and his resolve began to waver with it. After walking what felt like miles, nothing changed. There was no light, no sound, no nothing. His mind began to play tricks on him, he would think something was in the corner of his eye, or that he saw a flash of light in the distance, but he would quickly realize there was nothing. He felt like he was beginning to lose his mind. Hopelessness devoured him again, this time coming with remorse and sadness. His eyes became wetter until his face curled into sorrow. He fell to his knees, his hands holding him up until he simply rolled over, becoming a sad, naked, ball of a man in an empty dark void. As Sen¡¯s hysterical fit continued, his mind swayed from hope to dread and back again, over and over. The black, empty space wasn¡¯t doing much for his sanity. He would get up and walk a few steps just to come sobbing to his knees over and over again. After what seemed like hours of dread and hopelessness, Sen simply couldn¡¯t cry anymore. He tried his hardest to scream but nothing came out. He couldn¡¯t even tell if he was breathing anymore. ¡°This must be it then.¡± Sen thought. ¡°This is where we go at the end. Exactly what I thought it was: Absolutely nothing.¡± His mouth made the action of scoffing, but no sound came out. He feebly stood up. His whole body felt weak, as if his will to live was abandoning his physical faculties. He attempted to take a step before losing his balance and falling on his face. He could see nothing, hear nothing, and there was no real physical space around him for his body to abide. He shakily rose to a kneeling position and closed his eyes again. ¡°But I¡¯m not dead, am I?¡± He tried to remember what happened before he was placed here but couldn¡¯t remember anything past crawling into bed after playing some video games. ¡°I don¡¯t think I died¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± Sen collapsed mid-thought, falling unconscious. Some hours later, Sen woke again to the black dreariness of this space. Waking to the bleak emptiness a second was less jarring, but still uncomfortable. Sen didn¡¯t feel rested, it seemed being unconscious in this place did nothing to help him recover from stumbling through the blackness while hysterically trying to make sense of it. He closed his eyes, more as a habitual practice of focus rather than blocking his sight. He attempted to calm his mind. After what he had assumed the last day had been, Sen¡¯s mind was exhausted and delirious. If sleep couldn¡¯t help him, he had to figure out if this place was a constant downward spiral or if there were any positives he could latch onto.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Sen sat cross-legged in a classic meditative pose. He hadn¡¯t done this in years and felt discomfort in his hips, knees, and lower back, but attempted to block out the discomfort to meditate on his situation. ¡°Just the basics, I¡¯ve got me, I¡¯ve got my mind¡­¡± Sen¡¯s mouth curled upwards as he tried to account for what he did have rather than what he didn¡¯t. He felt a chilling gust come from nowhere, the battering of the gale in his ears was the first sound he heard in some time, as unwelcome as it was. Sen gritted his teeth against the cold as the gust subsided. ¡°The hell was that?¡± Sen said aloud, though no sound left his lips. ¡°There was something, meaning it¡¯s not all nothing, right?¡± He thought, as he stood up from his cross-legged position to his feet and started walking. Days past, Sen was sure of that. He felt no hunger save for a few fleeting moments where he felt insatiable, which he was accounting to insanity rather than true hunger. The cold in this darkness was getting colder, but he seemed to be getting accustomed to it. He would walk, and as it got colder, he would sit to meditate on it. It seemed to him that when he tried to think positive thoughts, the darkness would strike him, either with extremely cold gusts of wind, or by dropping the floor from beneath him, letting him fall for a ridiculous amount of time before catching him again in its cold embrace. When he tried to do the opposite and deprecate himself, the darkness would do the same. After several rounds of stubbornly fighting the obvious, Sen resorted to simply clearing his mind, attempting to recreate the void that was around him inside his mind. Sen realized it was finally time to embrace it. It proved a challenge for Sen to actually think about nothing. His mind always wanted to try to remember something in his memories that would stimulate him. An active mind was not what he needed, he surmised through trial and error, as his mind would become more active, the void became colder and harsher. When his mind would find a resting state, where he didn¡¯t create any thoughts or images, the void would react, getting colder and numbing his body. Sen adopted a routine of walking, meditating, and sleeping, or at least attempting to. He would endure the bleak conditions of the void and moved on to meditating in a cross-legged position, attempting to control his mind. ¡°No spoon.¡± He would think to himself every time he would begin his meditation. Despite his intention, even the attempt to think of nothing proved to be an action, and the void let him know. Whenever it seemed like he was trying too hard, the icy breeze would kick up, prompting Sen to start walking again. The time he had spent in pure nothingness was now a mystery to him. He could have been there for a couple weeks, maybe a month at most, but after a few attempts to sleep and not being able to, he gave up and everything started to blend together. Several times now he had tried to scratch tallies into his arms or the back of his hand or the top of his thighs to have a reminder of the times he meditated, but no matter how hard he pressed into his skin, it wouldn¡¯t break. After the pressure subsided from his fingernails against his own flesh, he could feel nothing but cold air around him. Eventually, he was able to think of nothing. Though, he knew now it wasn¡¯t thinking of nothing, it was not thinking altogether. Clearing his mind wasn¡¯t an action, but a lack thereof. He would start his meditation by cutting off all stimulation from every physical sense and then carefully moving that focus subliminally to his mental acuities, effectively shaking his mind like an etch-a-sketch. At first, he could maintain the blank state for only a scant few seconds, but in those seconds he felt the pressure of the void turn from a cold weight pressing down on him to almost a warm embrace. The feeling was euphoric after being in cold oblivion for so long. ¡°I get it, thank you.¡± Sen thought, assuming the void would hear him. Despite the unwelcome chill and the loneliness of the space, Sen came to realize it was both his greatest enemy and closest friend, while also being neither. After walking for so long, he knew it to be infinite. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll reach the end of it, so it might as well be, right?¡± A smirk crossed his lips, one of a few in the last couple days, and the cold wind berated him once more. Sen¡¯s mind had evolved since his abrupt transportation into the void. After weeks of mulling over things in his head, he had nothing left but to accept where he was and he might be stuck there for a long time, if not forever. The fleeting questions of why he was there and how to get back were barely even memories now. He no longer tired or felt the sting of the cold. His walks became shorter and shorter, until the winds no longer buffeted his back and all that was left to do was meditate. He now sat cross-legged with his eyes wide open, no longer needing the habit of closing his eyes to descend into his trance-like state that became his meditation. He realized while being mindful in his meditations that his mind had to go somewhere, not just cease to operate. It had to be given a task that was invisible. The idea wasn¡¯t a trick of the mind, it felt more like a secret pathway around his thoughts that was hiding in plain sight all along. Eventually, he was able to envision the simplest of objects while maintaining his embrace of the void: A solid black orb, slightly lighter than its background of complete darkness. This revelation, that it was possible to create concepts even when there was no generative thought or causal reason for them to happen, was the turning point that sent Sen¡¯s morale boosting upward. It was only a thought, but he was able to create something out of nothing. He felt a wave of tempered glee rush over him, warming his bones. He expected there to be a rush of icy wind berating him from feeling such positive thoughts, but as he waited, he realized he couldn¡¯t feel any wind because he was surrounded by water. He felt like he had been sitting there for hours, possibly close to a day, but as his mind came out of his void trance, he could feel the icy sting of water flowing around him. He wasn¡¯t breathing and he didn¡¯t feel as if he needed too, but dread quickly overcame him as he realized the water wasn¡¯t flowing around him, he was diving through it, and he was going straight down. The idea of going deeper meant that it would become increasingly more difficult, if not impossible, to get back out. Sen knew this and a stricken panic enveloped him when he suddenly felt the need for air. He tried to swim upward but the pressure of the deep water kept pulling him down. He couldn¡¯t even see where he should swim to and stopped fighting it when hopelessness hit him once more. This new hopelessness was much different from what he felt when he first fell into the darkness. He felt no agony or remorse. He simply understood there was no hope, and he promptly accepted it. He didn¡¯t need hope anyway. After existing in this place, unable to sleep for what seemed like more than a month, hope was no longer something that he wanted or considered an option. He finally accepted it. His mind became fuzzy. He hadn¡¯t needed to breathe at all in this place until now, where water surrounded him and gave him no option to do so. ¡°Of course it¡¯s ironic. With nothing to lose, all I am is everything I have.¡± Sen thought. He sniffed in some of the water through his nostrils to test it, nixing any idea of the void trying to trick him. The water was not breathable. He coughed out the remaining air in his lungs as the water went into his sinuses and down the back of his throat. He could feel his mind shutting down. He lost the feeling in his hands and feet. He could feel it now, his mind drifting into an eternal rest. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯m all yours.¡± Sen¡¯s mind went blank. Chapter 2: Where Do I Go From Here? Sen woke up in a daze, his muscles below his neck didn¡¯t seem like they wanted to do anything he told them to, but he could feel them slowly coming back to him. A bright bluish tinted light seared into his eyes when he opened them, prompting Sen to clamp his eyes shut again. Sen could hear voices relatively close to him but couldn¡¯t make out any words. He attempted to open his eyes again and he could see figures coming into view that soon blocked the bright light from his eyes. As his eyes focused, he made out two men standing over him, each holding smooth black tablets in their hands. He closed his eyes again, still dazed and confused as if he was coming out of a lifelong dream. He postulated that he was most likely in a hospital, and something dire had happened to him. As he thought back, visions of the void flooded his mind. He instantly relived the entirety of the time spent there, and it hit him like a ton of bricks. It all came back to him: the initial dread as he felt hopelessness, the cold chill of the wind, the odd new meditation skill he taught himself, and at the end, drowning. His eyes opened as he gasped in surprise. The two men took cautionary steps backward, but as Sen relaxed, so did they. ¡±Was all of that a dream?¡± Sen thought. ¡°Where am I?¡± He asked aloud, but when he looked at their faces, he could see them look at each other inquisitively before looking back at him. After a few moments one of the men spoke to him. Either Sen wasn¡¯t fully awake yet and couldn¡¯t hear sounds correctly, or this man was speaking in a language he had never heard before. The blonde man on Sen¡¯s left looked to the darker haired, mustached man on the right. He said more words that made no sense to Sen, and the dark-haired man seemed to type something into his tablet. Sen laboriously cleared his throat, before attempting to speak once more. ¡°Where am I?¡± The two men set their eyes on Sen with a look of surprise on both of their faces. ¡°You¡¯re in a surveillance room right now.¡± The dark-haired man said to Sen, lightly holding his hand on Sen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Surveillance...?¡± Sen was able to mutter before the dark-haired man kept talking. ¡°I¡¯m Vance. We¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a while now. We didn¡¯t expect someone to be inside that capsule but it¡¯s very exciting that you were in there. And now you¡¯re awake. How are you feeling?¡± He asked Sen with a very curious expression. ¡°Like crap.¡± Sen said wearily, prompting a small chuckle from both men. ¡°Rest, then.¡± The blonde man said he laid a hand on Sen¡¯s chest. Sen uncomfortably looked down at his chest, at the man¡¯s hand, and felt a warmth that trickled through his body and into his bones, allowing him to fall into a surreally relaxed state. The blonde man gave an easy smile to Sen before looking over at his mustached cohort. ¡°Let him recover naturally, that will be the best thing for him. He¡¯ll be just fine.¡± The blonde man said to Vance. ¡°Thank you, priest. It was very important that you would be here to make sure he was okay, but I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t need you.¡± Vance said to the priest. The priest nodded at Vance and quietly walked out of the room. As this priest walked away, Sen could get a better look at what the man was wearing. Sen had just assumed these men were doctors, but now that his eyes became more focused, he could see they were not wearing white coats, they were wearing robes. The priest himself seemed to have an elaborate but subtle set with earthy browns, white, and gold. As his gaze panned to Vance, he could see his thin mustache, but looking down from his face, noticed his robes were much more modest than the priest¡¯s and flowing with whites, grays, and blues. Sen glowered, his confusion and the outlandish look of their attire making him feel a sense of fear and danger. ¡°I need some kind of explanation here.¡± Sen said to Vance. ¡°Of course.¡± Vance replied. ¡°What I can tell you is that I will tell you everything I know, but not right now.¡± He said to Sen with a sigh. ¡°Right now, you¡¯re not exactly stable. The magic hasn¡¯t been directed in your limbs for a long time now, it¡¯s just been circulating around your body keeping you in a stasis, and now that the stasis is interrupted, that magic is naturally forming a matrix without any kind of magical framework to guide it. It¡¯s astounding.¡± Vance said to him as he looked back and forth between Sen and the black tablet in his hands. As Sen focused on the tablet, it seemed more like black marble than what he originally thought was black metal or plastic. ¡°Regardless, you have no way of moving your limbs, but you seem to be working on it, so we need to let that process complete. Afterward, I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know.¡± Sen let out a deep breath as he nodded. Vance had mentioned magic, and Sen was going to investigate that further, but Vance was right, he couldn¡¯t move his body. Sen was usually a very good judge of character, picking up ques and mannerisms in people that were common with kind people as well as sociopaths, and Vance seemed like the nonchalant, studious type that was there to do his job. His excitement about Sen¡¯s current state told Sen that he would have to be putting on a generous charade to fool him, and ultimately deemed it unlikely. Vance took one more look at his tablet before walking through the pair of double wooden doors directly behind him, and the direction of Sen¡¯s feet. Sen looked around the room, he could see multiple floating crystals of different colors that were in a radius around him. The walls were comprised of a light stone cobble with marble tiles scattered around the trim, the floor was the same. Wooden cabinets lined most of the walls, with marble countertops on each side of the room. There were no signs of technology, and many signs of what he considered magic. That combined with Vance¡¯s blatant explanation of magic in Sen¡¯s body all but confirmed that he was most likely in another world, possibly another reality altogether, or had gone completely insane. If it weren¡¯t for the supernatural relaxation given by the priest, Sen imagined his anxiety would send him into a fit of confusion and panic. He tried to send the signal to his arm to lift it up, but he couldn¡¯t even feel it to begin with. Again, Vance was right, he couldn¡¯t move, and when his mental attention focused on the area around his neck and shoulders, he could feel the magical matrix being formed in his body. It felt like microscopic fibers weaving and braiding themselves under his skin. As he rested, assisted by the magical relaxation granted to him by the priest, his mind drifted to the all-too-real memory of the void. Sen had spent so long in that space that it had changed his psyche. Sen thought it perhaps could have been a dream, but it felt too real to be so. He knew what the memories of dreams felt like, he had plenty of them, and the memory of the void was too outlandish and clear to be a dream. His face scrunched and curled as he remembered the icy chill of the wind on his naked body. His eyes closed as he remembered meditating in the bleak nothingness. When he remembered drowning in the torrent of water around him, it¡¯s like he hit a wall in his memory. He remembered nothing past running out of air and drowning in the deep. After contemplating his trip in the void, he tried to recall his last memories of home. At one time he was going to sleep in his plush, king-sized bed, when he was suddenly stripped of his clothes and transported to an infinite space of bleak darkness, and now he was in a place that felt familiar but also starkly different to what he knew. His home in middle America seemed like a faraway place, as if he hadn¡¯t been there in quite some time. His immediate family and a few not-so-close friends there had to be unsure of his whereabouts. His father and sister had to be worried sick. He most definitely lost his job. ¡°At least that¡¯s all I had left to lose.¡± Sen thought as an unimpressed sneer crossed his face. Back home, he had made a humble living as a plumber but was for the most part, alone. He had lost his mother, his girlfriend, and his dog all in the span of about two years and spent the next few years floating around, going through the motions, making a living but nothing more. After losing so much, he had almost given up completely but could never find the strength in himself to end it once and for all. Or maybe he was simply strong enough to fight against it, he didn¡¯t know. He always just tried to take another step forward. As his mind trailed from thoughts of home to thoughts of the void, he was able to wisp himself asleep while the magical matrix brought feeling and control to the rest of his body. He was awoken by a faint purple light that glowed in a horizontal circle around his bed, that dimmed before disappearing completely after opening his eyes. Sen raised his hands in front of him, clutching them into fists and then opening them again, getting a feel for his body that felt familiar but also different. He could feel an energy that coursed through him. It was empty and shallow, but also gave him a sense of power he¡¯d never felt before. It was like part of him was taken away to be replaced by a shadow of itself, but that shadow was twice the original size. As the purple light dimmed, Vance walked back through the double doors to greet Sen. He was accompanied by two sturdy looking young men with swords attached to their hips, and subtle armor resting on their midsections. Vance walked toward Sen while the two men took sentry points at the door, making quick glances at Sen and then setting their focused gaze on the center of the room. ¡°You brought guards this time. Expecting me to run out of here?¡± Sen asked Vance. ¡°Just a precaution.¡± Vance said, his thin mustache curling slightly as he smirked at Sen. ¡°I told you I would explain everything I know, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡± He said, taking a chair from a table on the side of the room and setting it next to the bed that Sen laid on that resembled an operating table. Sen grabbed the small blanket that was more the size of a beach towel covering his nether-regions and kept it in place as he sat up on the table. The guards characteristically stiffened their posture and locked their eyes on Sen as he positioned himself. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything.¡± Sen said as he waved a hand in their direction. ¡°Where am I?¡± Sen asked Vance as their eyes truly met for the first time, repeating the first question he asked when he woke. Vance displayed a curious mannerism as he looked at Sen¡¯s eyes, but quickly reverted to his soft, humble expression. ¡°You¡¯re in the basement of a branch of the Magic Society. My name is Vance Cour¡¯delain and I¡¯m the leading Magic Society official on your case. You¡¯ve been in a capsule for almost three years now, and we¡¯ve kept you safe here studying the capsule. We didn¡¯t even know there was someone inside. We had hypothesized it, considering the size and shape of the capsule, but could never see inside to check.¡± Vance said, slowing the cadence of his speech as he saw the shocked look on Sen¡¯s face. Sen heard nothing past the statement of ¡°three years¡±. His eyes went wide. He tried to contemplate the implications of it and was left speechless, his mouth agape.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°I see this is a surprise to you. We were unsure of your knowledge of the capsule when it faded away, revealing you in its place.¡± Vance said, nodding, and he tapped a few buttons on his black marble tablet. Vance¡¯s chair sat lower than Sen and Sen was able to see the face of the tablet now. There was no screen, only glowing words and complex images that moved and danced with Vance¡¯s ministrations. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Sen was able to shakily retort after gaining back some control over his face. ¡°Three years?¡± He said under his breath, and mostly to himself. ¡°You said magical matrix before, so magic is real here?¡± He asked Vance. Vance raised his chin with his eyebrows, finally realizing the breadth, or lack thereof, of Sen¡¯s knowledge. ¡°Yes, it is indeed very real.¡± Vance replied. ¡°Before we continue, do you have a name?¡± He asked Sen. ¡°My name¡­¡± Sen paused. ¡°Is Senadin.¡± He lifted a hand to his forehead and went to run his hand through his hair when he realized he didn¡¯t have any. As his hand had reached his brow, he couldn¡¯t feel any eyebrows, either. ¡°But it¡¯s not.¡± He said as he looked down at the floor. ¡°I had another name¡­ It was two names together, like yours.¡± He said, his mind obviously drifting to another place as he spoke. ¡°It might have been three names, but I just¡­ can¡¯t remember.¡± He said, putting his hand back on his head to feel the odd baldness. ¡°It¡¯s just Senadin now? Apparently?¡± He asked, confused. Thinking back to his time on Earth, he couldn¡¯t remember anyone¡¯s names. The names of his family, his friends, even his elementary school teachers and the current president of the United States were erased from his mind, or perhaps blocked by something, maybe the void took it from him; a tax for letting him go. Vance nodded, typing into his tablet as he did so. Vance looked at the guards at the entrance to the room. ¡°You may step out. I believe I can handle this if anything goes awry.¡± The guards shared a glance before complying with the order. Vance waited for them to leave before continuing. ¡°Senadin, we had assumed you might be from our world considering you are an essence user, but it is becoming increasingly clear that you are not from here.¡± He told Sen in a slow cadence so that Sen could understand the magnitude of the information. Sen nodded, his head turned down to let his eyes focus on the floor. ¡°I am grateful that you are taking this in stride, if I were in your situation I might be having a mild panic attack. You said you didn¡¯t know anything, was that true, or were you just trying to get all the information from me that you could?¡± Vance asked Sen with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I might be having a mild panic attack.¡± Sen said coyly. ¡°But I had an experience before coming here.¡± Sen said quietly, a somber expression crossing his face. ¡°Well, I had a few experiences before that too, but this one was particularly jarring. You could just say I¡¯m a little bit beyond freaking out now, but I am extremely curious and extremely confused by this whole situation.¡± He said to Vance, his stern expression turning softer as he kept talking. ¡°Vance, I have no idea where I am. Magic isn¡¯t supposed to be real, and now you¡¯re telling me magic is running through my body, and you said I¡¯m an essence user, what does that even mean?¡± Sen asked, fumbling through his slight frustration. ¡°Ah.¡± Vance said. ¡°Magic is very real in this world, yes, I¡¯m guessing there is no magic where you come from, and I would love to dig into that sometime, but I¡¯ll try to make things easier for you while I can.¡± Vance wiped a finger across his tablet as he stood up and handed it to Sen. The current screen on the tablet looked oddly familiar to a dungeons and dragons character sheet. When Sen grabbed the cool marble tablet, purple waves crossed the screen as if it were an undisturbed lake he threw large rock into. He could see some of the words being changed and replaced, and noticed Vance perusing it curiously at it did so. The images and words on the screen changed to a soft but vibrant and easy-to-read purple, and the blackness of the tablet darkened so much that it looked simply like a hole in the universe.
Senadin: Racial Abilities [Outworlder - Voidwalker]: Essences (1 of 4):
Sen looked up from the tablet to stare at the wall with a blank face. Thoughts ran through his mind like they were at the Kentucky Derby, and the starting pistol just went off. He shoved the tablet into Vance¡¯s chest as he stood up, holding the small blanket over the front of his private parts. Vance took the tablet and looked at it, and it had already reverted to its normal colors of slate black with glowing blue words. ¡°I¡¯m guessing those clothes are for me?¡± Sen asked as his head pointed towards a stack of neatly folded clothes on a countertop next to the double doors. ¡°Um, Yes¡­ Err¡­ What exactly did you do to my tablet?¡± Vance said, not looking up from the tablet with a frustrated and confused expression. The character sheet was now bereft of most of the information it had when Sen was holding onto it. Sen got dressed in the neutral gray outfit that was surprisingly well fitted, complete with a set of soft slip-on shoes. After smoothing out the fabric on his body and looking himself over, he nodded approvingly at the attire. ¡°That¡¯s not too bad.¡± He said, walking back over to the table he had awoken on. He leaned against it and folded his arms. His bottom lip curled behind his top teeth as he took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m just going to assume that this Magic Society of yours is a decent institution, given the fact you haven¡¯t tortured me yet and you¡¯ve been cordial with me¡­¡± Sen said, and Vance nodded with a solemn expression. Vance¡¯s own wisdom spoke for itself when he said nothing and kept listening, knowing Sen would continue. ¡°¡­And my understanding of the situation, currently, is that I was transported here for some reason in that ¡°capsule¡±, given some powers in the process to help me understand and complete that reason, and that I was sent here specifically because there is someone or something here who can help me.¡± Sen unfolded his arms, counted fingers on one hand with a finger on another as he went through the list, then folded his arms again. ¡°Apparently I¡¯m a video game character starting his first adventure.¡± Sen sighed, already exhausted from the ideas of sequels and fanfictions. After giving Sen a few moments should he need to say anything else, Vance responded. ¡°The Magic Society is indeed a prestigious worldwide organization, and we are held to a very high standard, especially here in Vitesse. And yes, I, myself have pondered you being here for some predetermined reason, and I thought you might know that reason yourself. Since you do not, I can only assume greater powers are at play. In this case, Senadin¡­¡± Vance said as his tone turned cold and stern. ¡°¡­It is best that you do not get ahead of yourself.¡± Vance warned him. ¡°There are dangers here that kill every day. Every hour, sometimes. With your soft body I can only assume you were at least separated from the dangers of your world.¡± Sen put on an affronted expression as he looked down at himself. Of course, he was not in the same physical shape as he was in the armed forces, but he wouldn¡¯t call himself soft. He shook off his expression and looked back at Vance, his posture taking a more reserved stance. His face softened as he reminded himself of the last few years of living a very comfortable and solemn, if not boring, life. ¡°I was pretty safe where I lived, yeah. I afforded myself many luxuries.¡± He responded almost shyly. In his time with the military, Sen had visited other parts of his world that were not as luxurious as his own, he met people that would never own their own home, never know how to drive a car, and never reap the benefits of modern medicine. After he came back to his own country, he considered himself very lucky to afford such luxuries. ¡°Afforded yourself? Meaning you provided the means for those luxuries?¡± Vance asked curiously. Sen nodded. ¡°Perhaps you might be alright then, if you understand the meaning of diligence and hard work. You won¡¯t be like half of these scoundrels lazily going through the motions while they wait for someone to do the work for them.¡± Vance told Sen. Sen looked down at the floor again, as the thought of beginning an entire adventure weighed down on his mind. He had nothing to go back to on Earth, save for his immediate family, but he spent most of his time away from them anyway. A decade ago, he would have been chomping at the bit for this kind of opportunity: The opportunity to blaze his own path ahead in a fascinating new world. But now, a few years away from thirty¡­ ¡°Wait, am I thirty now?¡± Sen thought, remembering what Vance said about how long he had been in the capsule. ¡°It¡¯s been three years. Oh no. Am I old?¡± Vance noticed the sudden aghast expression on Sen¡¯s face. ¡°Something the matter? Did you remember something?¡± He asked expectantly. ¡°The delayed reversal of amnesia can last a long time in people who have experienced your kind of situation.¡± ¡°Oh, no, its nothing.¡± Sen said, pushing the trepidation about his age out of his mind for a moment. ¡°Okay, Vance, you¡¯re the only person I know around here, I¡¯ve got to get on with whatever I¡¯ve been sent here to do and I don¡¯t think you want me to stay here, right?¡± Sen asked him, raising an eyebrow and hoping for the right answer. Vance cleared his throat. ¡°Well, Mister Senadin¡­¡± ¡°I think Sen is just fine.¡± Sen said. ¡°Sen.¡± Vance stated, his voice turning almost fatherly. The conversation with Sen had sent Vance¡¯s mind reeling in different directions, unsure of how Sen would react to the bizarre account of events. But this was not Vance¡¯s first run-in with a person like Sen, as his section of the magic society was created specifically for this reason. ¡°I was hoping I could run some tests, but I cannot hold you here against your will. We have transient housing available for this kind of thing.¡± Vance said as he fumbled with his tablet. ¡°It happens more than you would think, people popping up out of nowhere. Since you have a single essence, our budget for you will be one month to help you get on your feet. The housing is here on the Magic Society campus, and you will be able to eat at our cafeteria. We have an outreach program as well that can help you get into a profession you might be good at. Do you have anything in mind?¡± ¡°I was a plumber back in my world.¡± Sen said, frowning from the idea of cafeteria food, then lightening up in response to Vance¡¯s question. ¡°But I¡¯ve got a feeling I wasn¡¯t sent here because you guys needed your bathroom renovated.¡± He said as he pushed himself away from the table at the center of the room, putting his hand up to his chin in thought. ¡°Before that¡­ I was a soldier.¡± He said softly, his eyes low. Vance¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°The Adventure Society outreach program we used here in Vitesse did not have a great track record with outworlders, they either leave or die before any good can come from the investment, and it hasn¡¯t been active for a couple decades now. The idea of outworlders on an adventuring team is always an exciting prospect, but outworlders don¡¯t seem to care for what the Adventure Society has for them.¡± Vance placed his tablet on the counter. ¡°That, and it seems like the right outworlders always end up exactly where they need to be.¡± Sen¡¯s face scrunched. ¡°You have a society for adventuring?¡± He asked rhetorically. ¡°Like if there¡¯s an adventure that needs to be done, this society organizes and carries it out?¡± He asked, this time not rhetorically, and Vance quickly nodded. ¡°That¡¯s more or less the case, yes. There is some policing and enforcing they do as well, but they are called the Adventure Society for a reason.¡± Vance told Sen. Sen smirked, pointing a finger at Vance. ¡°That is definitely what I¡¯m here for. Okay Vance, thank you for the information, as for the tests, I¡¯ll be around, and I expect a little bit of compensation for my assistance. So where do I go from here?¡± Chapter 3: So It Begins In the hours after Senadin¡¯s arrival to the new world and his following non-intrusive co-interrogation, Vance Cour¡¯DeLain had led Sen on a tour of the Magic Society campus; at least the parts that Sen was allowed to enter. They ate a very curious but delightful lunch in the campus¡¯ cafeteria, and then Vance showed Sen to his dorm. ¡°I think it is best that you just sit in there for a while, Sen. I am hit with existential conundrums quite often in my line of work. I know that right now, it hasn¡¯t quite hit you, and it may not for quite a long time, but at some time it will, and allowing yourself some time to¡­ process, is the best thing for handling it. Also, you have a neighbor in the room next to yours. They arrived a few weeks ago, perhaps some comradery could help you acclimatize.¡± Vance told Sen as they stood in front of Sen¡¯s door. Vance shook Sen¡¯s hand, which Sen noticed immediately as something their worlds shared. The handshake felt familiar, but its juxtaposition to everything magical around him made the world feel more alien at the same time. The Magic Society¡¯s dormitories were as comfortable as Sen could ask for. They provided a single room with a kitchen and bath, though the utilities were slightly different from what he was used to. For starters, nothing in the room was powered by electricity. He could see runes engraved on some of the appliances. The refrigerator was simply a wooden cabinet that was cool to the touch on the inside. The toilet itself wasn¡¯t difficult to get to work, but it reminded him of going to a bathroom in a place he had never been before and couldn¡¯t figure out the touchless controls on faucets and hand towel dispensers. Previously an army engineer and plumber, Sen was fascinated by the plumbing, which didn¡¯t account for the laws of gravity and friction loss, but still maintained necessary flow rates. After checking out his new digs and doing some mild experimentation with the appliances, Sen looked at himself in the mirror of the bathroom, pouring himself a glass of water from the sink. He looked the same as always, just much less hair, and even his eyebrows were gone. His eyes were slightly sunken and he had his usual dark circles around his eyes from lack of fulfilling sleep, something he had managed to endure for years now. His irises were also darker, nearly black, and he noticed as his face got closer to the mirror, there was a tinge of deep purple near the outside. The purple was barely noticeable, someone would have to get inside his personal space to notice. ¡°That does not look bad, must be a magic thing.¡± He told himself, nodding approvingly. ¡°Just need to get the hair back. Maybe I¡¯ll try something new with the facial hair. New world, new me, I guess.¡± After studying himself in the bathroom mirror, Sen pulled out a wooden chair from the kitchen table and set it in the middle of the room. He reversed it so that he could sit down to rest his chest on the back of it. His head and neck folded over the top of the chair as he stared at the floor. Thoughts of Earth coursed through his mind. He wasn¡¯t sad to be gone, his previously exciting life in youth slowed into the same monotonous routine and Sen never really felt like he was going to be anything more than a cog in the machine of the broken American dream. Being transported to a completely new world had changed his existential perspective to its core. Even the floor on which he trained his gaze had curves in its patterns and lines in its structure that, back on Earth, would never be practical or even possible. The smooth stone floor seemed to have been turned into a liquid to form its tiles, and Sen had noticed it didn¡¯t have a harsh coldness that most tile floor would have back home. He slipped off his shoes to feel the tile underfoot and while it wasn¡¯t warm, it didn¡¯t freeze his toes like he was expecting it to. ¡°Even the floor is enchanted?¡± He asked aloud. Sen closed his eyes. He thought about bringing himself into a meditative state like he had experimented and nearly perfected in his time in the void, but ideated that his thoughts needed to be more cognitive to process the slew of new concepts introduced to him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°Three years.¡± He said under his breath. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel like three years.¡± Sen thought about his grueling time spent naked and alone in the void. He pondered that even if his understanding of time had skewed, one year would have been generously exaggerating the time he spent inside the void, but three years inside that place seemed out of the question completely. He wondered if maybe he had forgotten some of his time there. Thinking back to it now, he could only remember fragments, like trying to remember an old dream. Maybe just being in the magical coma-like stasis inside the capsule took years. Maybe travelling to this world from his own took years. He didn¡¯t know, and after taking some time to cognitively process it, he allowed himself to meditate, clearing his mind of everything and becoming one with the moment. A knock at his dormitory door forced Sen¡¯s eyes open. He stood from his chair to walk to the door. After a brief pause as he held onto the intricate brass doorknob, he opened it. In front of him was a humanoid shaped being, but their entire body was of a deep black shade, as if their skin sucked in all the light around it. They were wearing a set of blue cloth shorts and cropped shirt, very casual and athletic in nature, though this figure seemed like they didn¡¯t need clothes as they had nothing to hide underneath, anyway. Their face was completely empty and had no hair, their head shaped quite human-like though they had no mouth, nose, or ears. Their whole humanoid body was silhouetted by a faint corona of white light, and at certain angles the light of the glowstones was reflecting a bluish sheen like they were built from an aqueous black marble. As Sen took a moment to focus, he could see two eyes hidden in the darkness of their face, resembling two dying stars. They were hidden unless searched for, much like the purple corona around his own irises. They said a word that Sen did not understand, and the two stood staring at each other for a few moments, one in shock of the magical being in front of them, the other waiting for some kind of coherent response. ¡°Um¡­ Hello?¡± Sen said in response to what they said. ¡°Yeah, Hi!¡± The black marble shadow-being said, now in a language Sen could understand, but with an accent he had never heard before. Their voice was high pitched, silvery, and sharp. Sen remembered the same misunderstanding of words when he woke up on the exam table in the basement surveillance room. The two men over him were saying words he didn¡¯t understand, but after a moment he could understand exactly what they were saying, as if their dialects were from Earth. This new, completely black humanoid entity started saying something to him while Sen was dissociated in thought. ¡°Do I have some kind of power to translate alien languages?¡± He thought. ¡°-if you¡¯re hungry you can come with me.¡± They finished, in a voice that Sen could only define as feminine. Sen paused for a moment, taking in the odd nature of the being in front of him, realizing this was most likely his neighbor, and only now realizing that he had been meditating for hours. ¡°It¡¯s dinnertime?¡± He asked. A small chuckle came from the being. ¡°Yes, do you want to go? You¡¯re human right? You eat normal food?¡± They asked him. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± Sen said. ¡°We can go. I¡¯m Sen.¡± ¡°Zulli.¡± They said in a chipper voice. Sen turned to grab his shoes and slipped them on. He closed his door and held out a hand for them to shake. They shook his hand, and Sen was relieved that handshakes seemed to be a multiversal gesture of companionship. The relief was soon overpowered by a rushing feeling he felt in his hand, as if his hand was being taken from him, even though it stayed clutched to Zulli¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re not human.¡± Zulli said to him, their voice seeming intrigued by the revelation. They let go of Sen¡¯s hand and put their wrists on their hips. Their shoulders swayed back and forth as they contemplated the implications of the outworlder that stood in front of them. ¡°You¡¯ve been touched by something in the Astral. Maybe. Maybe something deeper than that. You¡¯re an outworlder too, then.¡± They said.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Sen¡¯s eyes lowered at Zulli as they spoke. Sen could no longer count how many times he had heard things that made no sense to him. He decided in this moment that he would no longer ask for explanations to break the cadence of casual conversation. He was sure to understand more as his journey moved him forward, but he could only be the ignorant visitor while he was still ignorant and still a visitor. He predicted it may be useful to use that to his advantage in the coming days. ¡°I was kind of wondering if the humans here were the same as the humans back home.¡± He said. ¡°I was a human, but I think coming here changed that. Zulli, do you have a gender?¡± He asked them, quickly changing the subject. ¡°I prefer to be considered a female, I suppose. I¡¯ve related to them the most so far. Mostly because I like doing things the hard way, it tends to be a more rewarding experience.¡± She said to Sen, her posture changing to a bold stance. She didn¡¯t have a mouth, but he could feel her smirking at him. Sen¡¯s head cocked to the side and his eyes narrowed as he assessed her. Though her body was black as the night sky and looked completely out of place, she seemed able to meld directly into normalcy. Though she had no facial expressions, something emanated from her that he could feel. ¡°Well, you¡¯re definitely not human.¡± He said to her, returning a slight smirk of his own. ¡°I don¡¯t know if asking is rude or not, but what are you?¡± ¡°Novabound.¡± Zulli said as she began walking down the hallway. Sen walked with her toward the cafeteria. They shared some small talk as Zulli told him about the different foods that were available as they cordially made their way through the line at the cafeteria hall. Sen noted many similarities to earthen cuisine, such as a couple popular meats, to include bacon and sausages, as well as fruits, tubers, and vegetables that grew from the ground. As he reached the end of the line, the revelation that baking delicious desserts transcended worlds threw him for a loop. It almost seemed absurd that a basic frosting-covered chocolate cake was available to him in his current situation. This small, seemingly insignificant pleasure was the type of thing he had taught himself to cherish back on Earth, and he planned on thoroughly enjoying it at the end of his meal. ¡°It¡¯s just called Earth.¡± Sen told Zulli as they sat down at their table, sitting across from each other. ¡°Like dirt, or ground. You could get fancy and call it Terra, but it still means the same thing.¡± ¡°Terra does sound better than Earth.¡± She said before nonchalantly sticking a fork of vegetables into the bottom of her empty face. The end of the fork, including the vegetables, completely disappeared as it entered where her mouth should be. Sen couldn¡¯t help but bore into her with his eyes as the fork entered her face and left no trace of vegetable on it as she pulled it out. Her silver-star eyes met Sen¡¯s as he unabashedly stared at her. Her fork slowly moved back down to the table as they awkwardly stared at each other in silence. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Sen said as he covered his face with both of his hands, realizing his rudeness but still unable to look away. ¡°I live a completely unremarkable life, and this is all just so absurd to me. I don¡¯t know what I was expecting.¡± Sen said, his voice muffled from talking into his hands. ¡°You just can¡¯t see what I see, and I get that.¡± Zulli said to him, her voice light and chipper, seemingly unoffended. She shrugged. ¡°I have a mouth. Your eyes just aren¡¯t good enough to see.¡± Sen sat with his face in his hands for a few moments before locking his eyes onto his tray of completely alien, yet familiar cafeteria food, afraid of being unable to stare at her as she ate. ¡°What about¡­ you?¡± he asked her, trying to move the conversation back into its previous free cadence. ¡°Your world, I mean, what¡¯s it called?¡± She shook her head, seemingly all too experienced in people having no clue where she came from. ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± She said. ¡°Novabound, we come from the extreme power released into the universe. It¡¯s kind of like you but backwards.¡± Zulli said to him. ¡°Our lives may be short or long, depending on the magnitude of the energy released.¡± While she told him what she was with full understanding, Sen couldn¡¯t really wrap his head around it. The idea of him but backwards was not something his forward-thinking mind could naturally understand. ¡°Backwards, like you¡¯re devolving into microbacteria?¡± Sen asked her. Zulli''s fork met her tray again as Sen could feel her eyes on him, seeming shocked that he even grasped the fundamental laws of the universe at that level. ¡°Not quite.¡± She said before pausing to elaborate. ¡°More on a conscious level. The energy released in this universe can be so massive that it reaches transcendence, and that transcendence inversely creates a physical form, thus Novabound.¡± ¡°Oh, Nova like an actual nova.¡± Sen said, realizing what she meant. ¡°That explosion¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an explosion, it¡¯s a release.¡± Zulli corrected, the matter being a personal one to her. Her fork pointed directly at Sen as she scolded him. ¡°That release,¡± Sen said, his eyes slowly moving up from his tray as the conversation emboldened him to look at her once more. ¡°¡­Created you.¡± ¡°In the simplest terms, yes.¡± She told him. ¡°So backwards like, I came from stardust, you came from star energy?¡± He mused. ¡°That¡¯s a better understanding than I¡¯ve seen from anyone else around here.¡± She told him, nodding in approval. They continued to eat, becoming slightly more comfortable in each other¡¯s presence. Zulli increasingly became more human to Sen as he started to understand her better, though with her completely alien form, it was still hard to consider the interaction with her a normal encounter. Zulli seemed content sharing a meal with someone who had a basic understanding of her. Given that no one else had come to talk to her or eat with her, Sen assumed she hadn¡¯t made many friends in this world yet, if any at all. As Sen was nearing the end of his meal, he delighted in finally being able to eat the cake that was waiting for him, when suddenly a heavy weight pressed down directly on his soul. It seemed to push down his own psyche, tearing apart his ego and his pride and stripping him bare. The power made him shudder in fear, despite its very nature having a warm identity. It took him a few seconds to get his bearing as his eyes darted around the cafeteria, searching for the origin of the power. Shortly after feeling the power weighing down on his soul, Sen instinctively felt something magical rise within him, as if it was begging him to be let out. He succumbed to the instinctive magic, allowing it to emanate from his body and the area around him, including the area around Zulli, creating a still and silent calm. This effect lasted mere moments before the power weighing down on him increased enough to stifle the magic Sen had used to counteract it. Whoever or whatever was pushing down on him was at a much higher power level than he was. He looked to Zulli, who¡¯s posture was stiff, as if the power was affecting her as well. ¡°Mister Senadin.¡± A droning, monotone voice called to him as a group of men walked over to his table. They were all wearing the same style of robes as Vance, save for one, who was wearing what Sen assumed was a full set of combat gear. His entire outfit had matched as if he had killed the same monster over and over to collect all the pieces for his armor set. He wore heavy brown leather armor that had traces of a smooth green chitin-like plate that was embedded and subdued into the large parts of the armor, including the mask and helmet covering his face. As Sen looked up at the group of men, his eyes met the man in the leather-chitin armor, and Sen could feel the heavy power weighing him down emanating directly from that man. Sen looked at the rest of the men to see Vance looking sheepish off to the side. ¡°Sen, I told them to give you some time, but they were insistent.¡± Vance said apologetically. ¡°Mister Senadin, Miss Zulli, I am sorry for the intrusion, but you are both to come with us, right now, for questioning and testing.¡± The droning voice told them, coming from the man with a sharp face and long ears, wearing the same robes as Vance, but with a stole around his shoulders indicating a higher ranking official. He stood directly next to the man in the chitin-embedded leather armor. ¡°My name is Varnus Ezebal. I am the deputy director of the Magic Society¡¯s investigation branch here in Vitesse. You both may have particularly dangerous powers that we made need to¡­¡± His monotone voice droned off a bit. ¡°¡­Quarantine for the safety of the people of the magic society and Vitesse, and for your own safety as well.¡± The immense power that froze the two outworlders in their seats lifted, and Sen and Zulli shared gasping breaths as their bodies relaxed. Sen looked down at the delicious chocolate, frosted cake on his tray. He thought not of the quarantine he was about to be put in, but whether it would be worth it to just have a bite of the cake. ¡°So it begins.¡± Sen said under his breath, realizing from the intimidating group of men that this was going to be his first real, potentially dangerous encounter in this strange new world. ¡°Sen?¡± Zulli asked him as she stood from her chair. She wondered what could be going through his mind as he stared ponderously at his tray. She hoped he wouldn¡¯t do anything foolish. ¡°Given that power you were pushing onto us, I guess I don¡¯t have a choice?¡± Sen asked. The man in the leather armor fixated his stare on Sen once more, his eyes looking through the thin slit between his mask and helmet. ¡°How dangerous could he be if he doesn¡¯t even know what an aura is?¡± The leather-clad adventurer asked Varnus, while keeping his eyes locked on Sen. ¡°You felt the spike, both when he met the novabound and when you just released your aura onto him.¡± Varnus responded. ¡°His ignorance may be his most dangerous aspect.¡± ¡°We¡¯re right here.¡± Zulli told them. ¡°You can talk to us like normal people.¡± The group of men looked at her, their eyes surveying her dark form. A couple men put on patronizing smiles directed at Zulli. Vance stayed quiet, embarrassed by the entire situation. Only his face could be seen behind the shoulders of the other Magic Society researchers, and his reluctance to take the two away into quarantine was showing through his own aura, though Sen and Zulli were unable to read it. Varnus opened his mouth to retort to Zulli, but was interrupted by Sen. ¡°Let¡¯s go then, gentlemen. I was hoping to try and get some good sleep tonight, so let¡¯s see if we can get this over with and come to an agreement about me living in this world.¡± Chapter 4: Dillema The new surveillance room that Zulli and Sen had been escorted to what much like the one Sen had woken up in. The only difference Sen could notice was two exam tables instead of one. The Magic Society officials that had escorted them to the room asked them both to lie supine on the exam tables, and Sen and Zulli had conceded to the request. ¡°Mister Senadin.¡± Sen crooked his neck upward to set his gaze on Varnus, though it was unnecessary to know it was Varnus speaking to him in his monotone voice. Sen had an algebra teacher that sounded just like Varnus in high school. Sen set his head back down on the thin pillow and closed his eyes. While he was laying on the table, he felt the deja¡¯vu of falling asleep in class back in those days as Varnus¡¯ voice droned on. ¡°I¡¯m aware that you may not know fundamental aspects of magic, or even the vocabulary and nomenclature used. You have absorbed a certain kind of magic known as an essence.¡± Varnus told him as he walked over to Sen¡¯s exam table. He turned to two of the other researchers. ¡°Get a normal set of vitality readings, as well as resonant and astral readings on her...¡± He pointed at Zulli with his tablet. ¡°¡­While we conduct these tests on him.¡± ¡°I have seen that, but not I¡¯m not familiar with what an essence is.¡± Sen told Varnus, peeking one eye open to see Varnus standing over him. ¡°¡­But I¡¯m hoping this isn¡¯t going to turn into the probing kind of test. I¡¯m shy when it comes to that kind of stuff.¡± He said coyly. Varnus¡¯ face didn¡¯t change, but Sen didn¡¯t care if Varnus noticed the sarcasm in his voice or not. ¡°We will try to stay away from any invasive procedures. But that isn¡¯t going to change the fact that this might be an uncomfortable experience for you. Know that I, as a respected member of the Magic Society, am only doing this for the safety of the people, and the knowledge we are attempting to glean is integral to that safety.¡± Varnus said. Sen nodded, his lips pursing as his eye shut again. ¡°As I was saying, you have an essence, which is a physical manifestation of a certain kind of magic, there are thousands of different kinds, but it is not very often that we come across a new one.¡± ¡°And I have a new one.¡± Sen surmised. ¡°I cannot speak to whether or not it is new, but you have one.¡± Varnus told him. ¡°Our initial readings from Vance Cour¡¯deLain¡¯s amateur tests are unable to identify it. More specifically, the tests identify it as nonexistent.¡± Vance said. Sen raised his head again to look for Vance, though it seemed like he wasn¡¯t invited into the exam room. Sen looked at the mirrored windows, wondering if Vance was outside watching him. He caught a look at the man in the leather armor as his eyes scanned the room. ¡°Who¡¯s the muscle?¡± Sen asked as he let his head down on the exam table again. ¡°I¡¯m with the Adventure Society.¡± The man said in a gruff, but dignified voice. ¡°That¡¯s all you need to know.¡± Varnus looked at the man and then back at Sen. ¡°We¡¯re going to do some more intricate tests to see if we can identify your essence using a ritual given to us some time ago by Knowledge.¡± Sen scoffed. ¡°Isn¡¯t everything given by knowledge in one way or another?¡± ¡°The goddess, Knowledge.¡± Varnus corrected. ¡°Ah, cool. Rituals. Goddesses.¡± Sen said, becoming increasingly frustrated with the number of revelations he was bombarded with. ¡°I think I just need to start making a list of what isn¡¯t real rather than what is.¡± Varnus looked over at another man in plain Magic Society robes, who was waiting patiently near the double-doors of the exam room. ¡°You may begin setting up the ritual.¡± Varnus told him. The man began walking forward and pulled out an ashen-gray colored wand from the sleeve of his robes. He waved it toward the ground, swishing and flicking it as streaks of blue light began to materialize under Sen¡¯s bed, falling to the floor and leaving a residue much like chalk in their wake. ¡°¡­And you¡¯re watching Disney channel.¡± Sen said under his breath as he watched the man wave the wand. ¡°You know you can just ask?¡± Sen asked Varnus as the ritualist finished his ritual circle, stuffing the wand back into the sleeve of his robes. ¡°About your essence? And you can just lie.¡± Varnus told him. ¡°Research is done not only by questioning, but by confirming and verifying. I also do not need ignorant guesses, which is all you have, tainting our already mixed assumptions about your situation.¡± Varnus said. Varnus placed several crystals of different colors in the air, and some floated in the air while others set themselves in fixed locations on the ritual circle underneath Sen. He stepped away from Sen¡¯s exam table and looked at the two researchers who had set up their own crystals around Zulli¡¯s exam table. They nodded to Varnus that they were ready to begin and were waiting by the wall. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feel much, just some tingling.¡± The ritual circle began to glow with a blue light and the glowstones lighting the room dimmed in response. The researchers studied their tablets while Varnus kept his eyes on Sen. Sen could instinctively feel the magic swelling and deflating in the area around him, as if certain parts of it were being rewritten and changed by the ritual circle. The familiar feeling of his own magic resurged inside him once again, begging to be released. Sen stifled the feeling, trying to conform and abide by what the Magic Society wanted from him. He suspected that if he released the magic inside of him, there could be some kind of backlash that would ruin the ritual or worse. His discipline and control over his own magic was not enough. He couldn¡¯t help but release the magic building up inside him. When he did, an unexpected calm flowed over his immediate area. It didn¡¯t fill the entire exam room, but the area around him and Zulli went completely silent, and the light coming from the ritual circle seemed to dim. One of the crystals floating around Sen fell to the floor, making a muffled clinking sound inside Sen¡¯s aura, and Varnus raised his chin in curiosity, watching from the edge of the room. Sen felt much more comfortable after releasing his own aura. The chaos of this different world transformed into a calming order as he let it out. He closed his eyes once more, allowing his physical body to reflect the calm presence of his aura. The calm created by his aura soothed him, allowing him to relax despite the brilliant glow emanating from underneath him, and the crystals floating around him. Sen could feel Zulli inside his aura, who was also calm and falling into a restful state. ¡°Now, Mister Niles.¡± Sen could hear Varnus say, though it seemed muffled and far away. Sen felt another aura crash into his, the same as when he was in the cafeteria. His eyes shot open and he grunted as he tried to fight it, pushing back with the miniscule amount of power he had in comparison. He felt it completely envelope his own aura, and it squeezed hard until Sen¡¯s aura shrank into nothing. As this happened, the blue light emanating from the ritual circle changed to a blinding, brilliant white, with rays of blue and gold. The light filled the room for a few moments before dimming and then disappearing completely. Everyone in the dark room stood in silence until the magic in the area regulated itself, and the glowstones on the wall returned to their previous non-intrusive luminescence. Sen lay on the exam table, breathing heavily and exhausted from pushing back against the powerful aura. He let out another grunt as his hands reached up to grasp either side of his head. ¡°You said I wouldn¡¯t feel much.¡± He said aloud, the pounding in his head berating him. ¡°It was your own doing. You expended the miniscule amount of mana you have.¡± Varnus told him as he walked over. ¡°Most of your stamina too, drink this.¡± He told Sen as he held out a small glass vial with a blue liquid inside. ¡°It¡¯s a mana recovery potion.¡± Reaching out with one hand and still cupping his head with the other, Sen grabbed the vial and inspected it. It was a deep blue that shimmered in the light of the glowstones. From Sen¡¯s own experience with magic and potions in video games, and assuming they had no real reason to poison him, he accounted Varnus'' words as truth. He flicked off the stopper, letting it fall to the floor, and drained the contents of the vial in his mouth, which seemed to have an instantaneous effect. His headache quickly dissipated but was still left with a minor amount of exhaustion. At the same time, Vance came through the double doors, confirming Sen¡¯s theory that he was watching from outside. He walked straight to Sen¡¯s bed and stood next to Varnus, looking Sen over before setting his gaze on Varnus. ¡°You had no way to know his essence wouldn¡¯t backfire against a divine ritual.¡± Vance said, a stern look on his face. ¡°We don¡¯t experiment on the innocent like this.¡± Varnus simply stood staring at Vance with dull eyes. ¡°The Adventure Society and Magic Society both considered this a calculated risk. Better to do it here than let him go and have dead innocents on his hands and ours.¡± He told Vance in his monotone voice before exiting the exam room, motioning for the rest of the researchers to follow. Mister Niles, the adventurer in the leather armor, stared at Sen for a few moments before following the researchers out and leaving the room to Vance, Sen, and Zulli.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Zulli?¡± Sen asked, not quite ready to move his body from his supine position. ¡°I¡¯m just fine.¡± Zulli said, raising herself to a seated position on her exam table, her feet swaying lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve had to come in for a few tests myself, but nothing as extravagant as that. They must be really afraid of whatever essence you have.¡± Sen was going to ask Zulli if she had any essences, but was cut off by Vance. ¡°Sen, what essence do you have? What did the tablet say when you took it from me?¡± Vance asked Sen, seemingly impatient for answers. Sen sighed. He was almost embarrassed by the power he had. He knew where it came from; he at least could make a decent guess. He knew what it took to get it, but couldn''t deduce the reason behind the voids intentions of giving it to him and ultimately putting him in this world with it. The tribulations of his own mind that brought him to this point were not something he was keen on speaking about. ¡°Void.¡± He said after a few moments of silence. ¡°Essence of the Void. It said I¡¯m a Voidwalker. I just now realized what it meant when it said Aura. That¡¯s the kind of power I got from the essence.¡± Vance put a hand to his chin as he contemplated the information Sen gave to him. He nodded as he paced the room, putting things together in his mind. ¡°So we can hypothesize that¡¯s why we were unable to read your essence. It¡¯s the manifestation of nothingness, so it gives us nothing. But void essences have been recorded before, surely we could have recognized some kind of pattern in it.¡± Vance said, speaking loud enough for both to hear, but mostly talking to himself. ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool.¡± Zulli told Sen. ¡°I suppose it is pretty cool.¡± Sen said, looking over at her from his lying position on the table. ¡°Vance, I told you that I wouldn¡¯t mind doing tests later for a fair bit of compensation. Getting taken away from¡­¡± Sen¡¯s voice trailed off as he remembered the single square of chocolate frosted cake that was now all alone at the table, or worse, placed in a trash bin. ¡°¡­My dinner¡­¡± Sen finished in a frustrated tone. ¡°¡­And forced to comply to the Magic Society and Adventure Society does not give me the best first impression of either.¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± Vance told him in a somber tone. He nervously strummed his thin mustache with a thumb and forefinger. ¡°We don¡¯t usually take people like this unless it¡¯s some kind of dangerous situation. And while I do not think you are a dangerous person, Sen, I couldn¡¯t prove to them that you weren¡¯t.¡± Sen nodded, now moving himself up to a sitting position like Zulli. ¡°And what about her? Why did she have to come?¡± He asked. ¡°When you two made physical contact with each other, we¡¯re guessing you shook hands when you met, there was a ripple in the ambient magic.¡± Vance told him, leaning against Sen¡¯s exam table. ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt anyone, and only those with good magical sensory abilities would notice it, but as you can imagine, there are a lot of those people in the Magic Society. We noticed it, and when we went to a security room to survey the details of the ripple, it contained three different kinds of magic: Resonant, Disruptive Force, and Transcendent.¡± He told them, counting the three types on his fingers. ¡°Resonant and disruptive force are very normal types of magic, though not usually mixed, but transcendent magic is incredibly rare, and usually only seen in divine magic from the gods, or powerful high rank abilities.¡± Sen rolled his eyes. ¡°Gods.¡± He mocked. ¡°What are they? Like extremely powerful magic users that call themselves the masters of the concepts they symbolize?¡± Vance smirked, being all-too versed in the rebellious attitudes that most outworlders exemplified against the gods of his world. ¡°They are very much gods, Sen. They have never been mortal, and have always existed, at least as long as their concepts have been conceived, and sometimes, they were the ones to conceive them.¡± Sen looked at him skeptically, not willing to accept his answer but taking it at face value. ¡°We can talk about them later, and if there¡¯s a god of frosted cake, they have some explaining to do. Anyways, me and Zulli made some crazy kind of magical reaction when we shook hands?¡± ¡°Yes. The deputy director of the investigative branch was notified, and you met him shortly thereafter; Varnus Ezebal. He¡¯s not a bad person, but he takes his research very seriously. Much like other researchers, he¡¯s lost some empathy along the way.¡± Sen lowered his head, then raised it again, reaching up to touch Vance¡¯s arm. ¡°Thanks for not being like him, Vance. I hope you don¡¯t lose yours along the way. This would be an entirely different situation if you weren¡¯t here. Like an Entrapment kind of situation, and I didn¡¯t want to have to stop Zulli from going all Catherine Zeta-Jones on you guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even going to ask what that means.¡± Vance told him. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something from your world and I wouldn¡¯t even understand if you explained it to me.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t the best reference anyway.¡± Sen said. ¡°So, they¡¯re probably going to want us to shake hands again, I bet?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be necessary. The divine ritual should give us enough data to understand everything completely.¡± Vance assured him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do it anyway?¡± Sen asked as he hopped down from the exam table and walked over to Zulli. She had her hands resting on the table with her arms locked where she sat, intently listening to the two men talk. ¡°You said something about the Astral last time didn¡¯t you Zulli?¡± Sen asked her as he held out his hand. Zulli didn¡¯t say anything but also didn¡¯t hesitate in grabbing his hand. Vance held out a hand to say something, but after they acted so hastily, he pulled out his tablet to collect what data he could. Sen could feel the same pulling feeling as he had last time he held her hand. It lasted a scant few seconds before dissipating. He looked at their clasped hands, then up to Zulli, then back down at their hands. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Yeah it just stopped.¡± Zulli confirmed. ¡°Hm.¡± Sen pondered as he let go of her hand and turned to walk back to his exam table. ¡°Well there you go Vance. I¡¯m guessing you have this on camera? That nothing happened?¡± ¡°What¡¯s¡­ Oncamra?¡± Vance asked. ¡°If you are asking if it was recorded, the answer is yes.¡± Sen nodded, putting a hand up to his jaw and tapping his lips with his forefinger. ¡°Vance, if you can get me one of those tablets, I¡¯ll be able to work with you on the nature of my essence.¡± Before Vance could respond, the double doors opened again, the leather-clad solo adventurer entering with a purpose. He swiftly stomped over to Sen, who raised an eyebrow as the man entered Sen¡¯s personal bubble. ¡°August Niles.¡± He told Sen curtly. He was holding a small translucent crystal and lifted it to eye-level with Sen. Waving it slowly back and forth in front of Sen¡¯s face, it glowed brightly as it got closer to Sen and dimmed as it moved away, but eventually cascaded into a solid dark purple hue. ¡°Essence of the Null. It¡¯s very nature is to be nothing. I¡¯m taking your aura reading back to the adventure society.¡± August told him as he stuffed the purple crystal into a small pouch on his hip. ¡°We will want you there for questioning within the week. Complying with the request is your choice, but you will be questioned either way.¡± Sen narrowed his eyes at August. ¡°It¡¯s essence of the Void, the tablet told me so, when my aura power reacted to the tablet, and I¡¯d trust my power over some manipulative higher being¡¯s tool they gave you.¡± He said. Sen was a few inches taller than August, but he was slightly slouched and leaning against the exam table, giving the impression that they were the same height, and both held their chins directly at each other. Sen knew at any moment that August could press down on him with his aura. More than that, August could most likely wrap Sen up like a pretzel if he wanted. Sen wondered what would happen if he figuratively poked the bear with his own aura, but quickly perished the thought. ¡°Essence of the Null doesn¡¯t sound as cool, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s completely accurate.¡± Sen said August watched Sen, said nothing, stepped away from him, and walked out the double doors as quickly as he came in. Varnus and his two research assistants arrived in the room as August left, as if on a cue. ¡°We have identified your essence and you are both free to go.¡± Varnus told the group. ¡°But before you do I have a few questions of my own. I want to know how you came across this essence, where it came from, and your previous connection to miss Zulli.¡± Sen thought for a moment, wondering if he should go into detail about the time he spent in the void, at least what he could remember. The memories of the Void were now fragmenting just as dreams would, especially after being bombarded with one new concept of reality after another. ¡°I honestly do not know.¡± He said. ¡°There are things I do know that I can¡¯t tell you, because I need to process them properly, but as for my connection to Zulli.¡± Sen said, looking over at her and then back at Varnus. ¡°I¡¯ve never met her before in my life. We just met a couple hours ago.¡± Varnus¡¯ face played no signal as to what was happening in his mind. He stared blankly as Sen. ¡°Eventually, we will need to know what you know, mister Senadin. We will figure it out either way, but it would be a more direct scholarly route if you would work with us.¡± Varnus said, his monotone voice sounding even more monotone. Sen clocked this as Varnus¡¯ frustrated voice, and a smile played on his lips before schooling his expression. ¡°It¡¯s my dilemma, Varnus, not yours, not yet. If I hand it off to you, I don¡¯t get to reap the benefits of carrying it. I will work with the Magic Society, but I¡¯ll give you only what I can tell you with certainty, and I¡¯ll only work with Vance.¡± Sen told him. Vance gave Sen a warm smile before schooling his expression as well. ¡°But I need help in return. I expect a fair exchange.¡± Varnus looked Sen over inquisitively. ¡°Outworlders.¡± Varnus scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re always so full of yourselves, and always have a need for control because of the lack of it you are burdened with.¡± Varnus said. Sen was slightly affronted. Varnus had read him like a book, and Sen realized too late that being affronted was all the confirmation Varnus needed. ¡°You two, go now, I must have a word with your friend.¡± Varnus told Sen and Zulli as his attention rested on Vance. They left the exam room, confirmed their way back with two guards the stairs, and slowly walked through the hallway. ¡°You seem to just roll with the punches, Zulli.¡± Sen finally said to her as they walked in silence for a while. ¡°Do you not-¡± Sen¡¯s voice trailed off, not sure how to finish the question without seeming rude. ¡°I just showed up a few weeks before you did.¡± Zulli said, taking over the conversation as Sen trailed off. ¡°And while I have a vast amount of universal knowledge at my disposal, I have no experience with people, or societies, or even worlds for that matter.¡± She told Sen as they continued walking. ¡°I have no idea what to expect from anything that happens, so I just let it happen.¡± She said to him, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, I think we should stick together. This has been the most interesting thing I¡¯ve seen so far. Well, second most interesting. Somebody threw something in the chili pot at the cafeteria. It exploded.¡± She said with a chuckle. Sen smirked. ¡°That¡¯s funny. Good to hear some people on this world might know what a good prank is. And good to know that there¡¯s chili here. I think I¡¯d like to stick with you, too. I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m going to have to create a team and start working with this Adventure Society. How would you like to be my first draft pick? Two outworlders ought to turn some heads.¡± ¡°Might as well.¡± She said coyly, holding back her excitement. ¡°What about you? You seem to roll with the punches as well.¡± She inflected the expression with an adroit cadence, despite never using it before. ¡°I lost everything.¡± Sen told her matter-of-factly, no positive or negative tone playing on his words, as if he was tired of saying it. ¡°I didn¡¯t, really, but it felt like it. First my mom, then my girlfriend, then my dog. One after another. And I don¡¯t mean they just up and left, I really lost them, and there was nothing I could do to change any of it. I was left with this void in my heart too great to fill, and I¡¯ve just been taking it day-by-day ever since.¡± Zulli nodded, she glanced at Sen who was just staring straight ahead, emotionless, as they walked through the hall. She chose not to say anything, as she didn¡¯t have the social experience to understand his plight. They walked together to their rooms in silence. Chapter 5: Denim It took a while for Sen to fall asleep, there was a lot to unpack after his first day in this new world. He had thought he had died and went to some kind of purgatory-like void realm, but then ended up in some new world much like his own, but radically different. He felt lucky to be gifted the power to translate languages, but he wondered who or what had gifted it to him. He was also given some other powers that seemed very weak compared to the adventurer he had witnessed, August Niles, who escorted the deputy director of the investigation branch of the Magic Society. Sen could feel the power oozing out of August, like he barely wanted to contain it, but was forced to for the sake of social courtesy. When Sen felt August¡¯s aura bearing down on him, it made him realize he could feel it coming from most of the people he interacted with, but each one had their own signature, almost like a fingerprint for their souls. He hadn¡¯t noticed them because they were so subtle, and it seemed like most people wanted to hide them entirely, suppressing themselves to the point where no one can read them. Sen wondered what his own aura felt like, and didn¡¯t even know if he was suppressing it or just letting it out for everyone to see. He needed to know more about his own power. Sen fell asleep after more than a few tosses and turns, but was able to sleep until he naturally woke sometime in the morning. The mental exhaustion from the onslaught of new information as well as his mana being drained during the divine ritual left him exhausted enough that when he fell asleep, he stayed asleep. He woke up feeling groggy but decided to get up and get some breakfast. He picked up his gray fitted shirt given to him by Vance off the back of the chair he left it on before he laid down in his decently comfortable single bed. He gave the shirt a sniff test to realize it must be enchanted as well, giving off the subtle aroma of some herb or flower that must be native to the world he now inhabited. He hadn¡¯t smelled it before, but it seemed to have reacted to being worn. He slipped it on and inspected his pants which he was still wearing. They were clean and unwrinkled. ¡°You can clean yourselves! That¡¯s very nice, but I¡¯m sorry, I am going to have to replace you at some point.¡± Sen said to his pants. On his way to the cafeteria, Sen thought about knocking on Zulli¡¯s door, but wasn¡¯t sure about her sleeping patterns and decided not to bother her. As Sen rounded the single right turn he had to make in a hallway on the way to the cafeteria, he was stopped by none other than Vance, the magic society official that was dedicated to his case for the entirety of the three years Sen was in a coma-like stasis inside a magical shadow-shrouded capsule. ¡°Sen! I¡¯ve got something for you!¡± Vance said, his voice level more than conversational but less than a shout. He had a small smile on his face, his thin mustache curling slightly. ¡°Compensation, for last night. It might seem like we are bribing you and that might be true.¡± Vance said, emphasizing the ¡°might.¡± ¡°But I was able to talk Varnus into offering you this as compensation and we can just let bygones be bygones.¡± He held out one of the magic society¡¯s tablets on top of which sat a sack of what Sen could only think was gold coins. Sen took the tablet and the sack of gold coins, looking down at them with a begrudged look. If he took them, he felt like he was being bought-off for being mistreated, though they really didn¡¯t hurt him at all, and he left with more information than he had before. He grabbed the sack of coins with one hand and the tablet in the other and looked up to Vance and nodded to him. ¡°Varnus is really not that bad, I¡¯ve never seen him actually hurt anyone, he just has very straightforward methods.¡± Vance told Sen. ¡°I suppose I could let it slide, this was what I needed, after all, and you didn¡¯t take much from me.¡± Sen responded. ¡°Fifty iron rank spirit coins in there, and the tablet you asked for, you may keep.¡± Vance said, pointing to each in Sen¡¯s hands as he did so. ¡°I suppose I need to get a bag¡­¡± Sen said, but was cut off when both items were engulfed in a thin layer of black shadow before disappearing into nothing. ¡°..Uhh.¡± Sen said as he stared incredulously at his empty hands. A shocked look came to his face when a wall of text with a purple background opened in his vision.
MSRT Obtained: Interface System Dialogue Boxes are now active.
¡°Oh my¡­¡± Sen said, his face aghast. ¡°Sen, I think you might have a dimensional storage space to keep your belongings in.¡± Vance deduced from watching the items disappear when Sen had mentioned a bag. ¡°Is that normal?¡± Sen asked him, his face still in shock. The solid window of text became less opaque as he looked at Vance through it, though he was unsure of how to minimize or close it, or if Vance could see it. Once he had focused on it and mentally asserted that he wanted to close the window, it disappeared. ¡°It is normal for outworlders to have the magical tools necessary to survive in other worlds. Their racial abilities are usually revolved around being self-sufficient, rather than specialized.¡± Sen nodded. He held his hand in front of his chest and thought about the sack of coins. The black silhouette of the sack materialized in his hand and soon it became the same fully colored, fully realized cloth sack that jingled a tinny sound as it dropped onto Sen¡¯s palm. ¡°Racial abilities? Vance, are you going to breakfast? I have some questions I¡¯d like to ask.¡± Sen asked him as he untied the sack to inspect its contents. Sen fingered out a single small coin that was in fact iron colored. Its sheen wasn¡¯t dull but also couldn¡¯t be described as brilliant, and Sen could tell it was made of some kind of crystal, rather than actual iron. ¡°I ate on the way here. There¡¯s a croissant stall in between the magic society campus and my home. I¡¯m sorry Sen, I¡¯ve got a lot of work to do today and must get to it. I was told you are free to go wherever you wish, as long as it¡¯s available to the public.¡± Vance told Sen as he stepped away from the direction of the cafeteria. He turned to face Sen before leaving. ¡°And Sen, do not be a stranger. If there¡¯s anything you need after I get these reports done, I¡¯ll be sure to do what I can for you. Would you like me to check on you later?¡± Sen knew by now that Vance was a genuinely good person but was still faltered by his empathy. Most people he knew on Earth were so caught up in the rat race of their own lives, they usually didn¡¯t care enough to oblige themselves with the concerns of others. He paused before replying. ¡°That¡¯s okay Vance, I¡¯ll find you tomorrow, sound good?¡± Sen said, awkwardly raising his thumb in the air. Vance smiled at Sen and raised his thumb before walking away. Most the of the cafeteria had been empty save for the few late risers like Sen, and a few quiet night-shifters eating their breakfast-themed dinner. The cafeteria workers started cleaning up the breakfast buffets shortly after Sen had filled his tray. He seemed to be transfixed on the empty table in front of him, but he was carefully reading a wall of text that materialized in his vision.
Racial Abilities (Voidwalker): You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Sen read through his racial gifts over and over in an attempt to commit them to memory. ¡°This is a lot.¡± He said to himself as he spooned some hot oats into his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m obviously here to be on some kind of adventure with powers like these.¡± He closed the window as he had before with just a mental nudge and stared down at the tray of food. He thought about his dinner with Zulli before they were taken into the exam room the night before. ¡°You should have woke me up.¡± Sen heard a voice tell him. Zulli was standing right next to his table, and he hadn¡¯t notice her sneak up on him. ¡°Jeez!¡± Sen retorted as he looked at her, startled. Zulli was wearing a more presentable set of clothes than her previous casual shorts and cropped top, this time conforming more to the common culture of the region, a set of dark blue pants with a flowing long-sleeved blouse colored in the Vitesse style of neutral browns and grays. Zulli¡¯s posture didn¡¯t change when she watched him jump in his seat, and he couldn¡¯t read any expression on her blank face, but he suspected she meant to scare him. They shared a look before Sen let out the breath he was holding. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even sure if you slept, or how long if you did. I didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡± Sen told her, finally relaxing in his seat. ¡°Well now I missed breakfast. So how about we go out and I can get a shawarma?¡± Zulli asked him. ¡°Shawarma? You guys have that here?¡± Sen asked her, but he noticed an odd inflection at the translation, indicating his translation power was hard at work. ¡°Oh.¡± He said. ¡°That¡¯s not what it¡¯s called here, but it¡¯s pretty much the same thing.¡± He said, mostly to himself but loud enough for Zulli to hear. ¡°I tried it last week and had it every day since.¡± She told him. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to find some kind of income for my shawarma habit pretty soon, though. Are you done eating?¡± She asked him, looking down at his tray that was barely picked through. ¡°I could go for a shawarma.¡± Sen said as he picked up his tray and stood from the table. He deposited it into a trash bin, and they made out for the city of Vitesse. *** Sen couldn¡¯t help but stare in awe at the fantasy-inspired, cobblestone roads and huge sprawling stone and wood buildings of Vitesse. In the distance he could make out what seemed to him to be huge towers and more than one castle in the heart of the city. The Magic Society campus wasn¡¯t located in the outskirts, but it maintained a position that was easy to ship materials in and out of the city by carriage, and so it was built just out of the commerce area and far from the estates of the political factions. On their way through the busy roads, Sen caught a glimpse of the Adventure Society campus when Zulli pointed it out to him. Most of the people were common folk but every so often they would pass by a group of people in robes that denoted their affiliation to a church, or saw a couple of people in all styles of combat gear that implied they were a part of the Adventure Society. Surrounding the entirety of the city were massive stone walls covered in some kind of foliage. As he peered more at the towers, he could tell that the foliage was dotted with all different kinds of flowers. As he looked around the city, he noticed there were many areas covered in these same flowers, which left the city smelling fresh and quite lovely. ¡°I¡¯ll have two today, actually.¡± Zulli told the owner of a small stall. Sen could smell the aroma of the shawarma and was taken back to his other world for a moment before coming back to reality. ¡°They¡¯re on me, Zulli. I got compensated for last night¡¯s shenanigans and you were part of that too. Actually, we should probably split it half and half now that I think about it.¡± Sen said as he plucked the air, and a shadow-shrouded sack of coins materialized into his hand. He handed the man at the stall two iron spirit coins, which the man alighted upon. ¡°Sen!¡± Zulli shouted, watching him hand the coins to the man. ¡°You just paid for a year supply of shawarmas! How much did they give you?¡± ¡°Fifty of these iron-rank spirit coins.¡± Sen said. Sen peered around to see several people notice his remark, some with sneers and some with simple surprised expressions. Most people they walked by would stare at Zulli and leave Sen unnoticed. When he saw that most of the people stared at him now, he realized that the iron spirit coins were not easy for the common folk to come by. He degenerated the sack of spirit coins back into his voidspace before drawing too much attention. Zulli quickly looked at the stall owner. ¡°Leith, consider that a shawarma credit for days to come.¡± She told him, a finger pointing at him. ¡°I will hold you accountable for it.¡± Leith, the shawarma stall owner was a middle-aged man that was almost a round as he was tall, dressed in a traditional Vitesse style of flowing fabrics of neutral colors. He had a thick salt and pepper mustache complimented by a sharp salt and pepper beard coming out from his chin. He laughed at Zulli, placing the two iron-rank spirit coins in his pocket. ¡°Of course, my young little raven. And if you promise to bring your friend more often, I¡¯ll even throw these two on the house.¡± Leith told Zulli, holding out two paper-wrapped shawarmas for her to take. ¡°If they taste as good as they smell, there will be no need for promises.¡± Sen told Leith while Zulli took the wrapped goods, handing one to Sen. Zulli opened her shawarma and placed the end of it where her mouth would be, leaving a crescent shaped emptiness where she took a bite out of it. ¡°We¡¯re going to get you some new clothes, and I know you¡¯ll help me out if I need it, so just keep the money for now.¡± Her voice seemed muffled as if she was actually chewing the bite of shawarma. Sen took a bite of his own shawarma as well. ¡°I like your style, I assume you¡¯re going to take me where you got yours?¡± Zulli chuckled. ¡°My experience tells me most men here don¡¯t wear girls¡¯ clothes so no. But it¡¯s close by.¡± She said, walking in another direction down the road. They arrived at the shop nestled into a quiet part of one of the commerce junctions. The junction was a circular roundabout surrounding a large fountain in the middle. It was large enough that crowds would gather around criers and carts could set up around it selling all sorts of curio. The shop itself was familiar to Sen, as if he was walking in a shopping center in any large town in America. Two large glass panes on each side of the door displayed mannequins adorned with the shop¡¯s attire. On the left of the door was tailored cloth armor, one was a set of purple combat robes complete with hood and cloak, while the other was a blue set of tightly fitting shirt and bell-bottom pants, lined with a gold cord that shined in the sunlight. Behind the right pane of glass were more casual sets of clothes, ranging from an everyday set of shirt and pants to a full three-piece suit. They walked in the shop to find it surprisingly empty. ¡°Hello!¡± A voice came from the back in response to the bell ringing above the door. A stout man about a foot shorter than Sen came from the back, well dressed in a fitted suit with flowing lines and a loose measuring tape hung around his neck. ¡°Welcome to Jerald¡¯s Irrepressible Attire! I¡¯m Jerald, but you can just call me Jerry. I can tell that at least one of you has come from a faraway land and are in desperate need of extravagating your attire. Would I be correct in my assumption?¡± Jerry asked, his hand movements matching the whimsy of his voice. Sen and Zulli looked at each other with raised eyebrows, then back at Jerry. ¡°Mmm. Yes. Indeed.¡± Sen said, mimicking Jerry¡¯s posh accent as he patted down his plain gray shirt with both hands. ¡°I see the young lady has visited one of my colleagues, Miss Vortaine. Would I be safe in assuming she sent you my way to adorn your friend here with some of my finery?¡± Zulli would have had a large smile on her face if she had a mouth. ¡°Mmm. Quite. Indeed.¡± Zulli told Jerry in her own posh accent. ¡°I am Zulli, and my friend here has arrived very recently and could use a set of casual wear for general use, post-haste.¡± ¡°My name is Senadin, but you can call me Sen. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Jerry.¡± Sen told Bert, dropping his posh mockery to greet Jerry properly. He held out a hand to shake, which Jerry took with a firm hand, firmer than Sen was expecting. ¡°I think I¡¯d like a set just like Zulli¡¯s, but maybe a little bit more rough-and-tumble, if you will.¡± ¡°That is something we can definitely do, Mister Sen. We specialize in attire that will keep you protected and protect itself.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Just Sen, please.¡± Sen said. ¡°For the pants, I¡¯d like something special, where I come from, there¡¯s this special fiber layering technique called denim.¡± Chapter 6: My Turn To Kill Something ¡°Nothing remarkable. They walked around the city yesterday taking in the sights.¡± August Niles was standing in front of a desk and behind two plush chairs. There was another man sitting behind the desk with his hands clasped together, resting his chin on them while listening to August¡¯s report. He was well dressed, though his suit jacket hung haphazardly over the back of his chair and the top two buttons of his shirt were loose. ¡°And they didn¡¯t cause any scenes?¡± The man asked, in a gruff but disciplined voice. ¡°Nothing more than a few gawking common folk. A couple adventurers may have caught a glimpse of them, but nothing remarkable, like I said. They were talking about leaving the city today, to see outside the walls. I¡¯ll follow them if they do.¡± ¡°Good. We can¡¯t lose them too early. I doubt they could take out an iron rank monster on their own, let alone the few sneaky bronzes that can get close to the walls from time to time. Remember that Succubus that walked right up to the southern gates? Lucky I wasn¡¯t closer to that aura.¡± The man scoffed as he waggled his eyebrows at August. August stared blankly at the man. ¡°The adventure society may not yet see their value, but I do.¡± The man finished, pulling on the collar of his shirt to help himself regain his composure. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Senadin kid is going to be pushing my one-week deadline to its limits, I¡¯ll follow them for that long, but afterward you¡¯ll have to set up another contract with the Adventure Society. I am not a mercenary, and I¡¯ll be reporting everything to them that I¡¯ve told to you.¡± The man smirked. ¡°Of course, August. I am thankful you were the one to take the contract in the first place. We still share the same values; I hope you recognize that.¡± *** Early in the morning, while on his way back to his office, Vance veered by the cafeteria, finding both Zulli and Sen characteristically sitting at a table eating breakfast. ¡°I know the shawarma is delicious, but I don¡¯t know if anything else is, so I have to keep trying new things. We¡¯ll get one later, when we get back into town.¡± Sen said to Zulli. ¡°Oh, hey Vance.¡± ¡°Good Morning, you two.¡± Vance said, pulling up a chair and sitting on the side of the table between them. ¡°How was your escapade into the city yesterday?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be picking up my set of clothes in the late morning, and then we¡¯re planning on heading out of the city to see some nature.¡± Sen said. Vance looked at Sen with a raised chin and lowered brow. ¡°Remember what I said about getting ahead of yourself, Sen. There are dangers out there.¡± ¡°Yes, Vance, I know. With everything else I¡¯ve become privy to, I¡¯m sure dragons, goblins, and orcs are on the list as well. We¡¯ll be careful. I have a power I need to test out.¡± Sen said. ¡°Well, in the next couple of days, we were hoping you could come sit down with me and we could list out your racial abilities? We will figure out a compensation package before we question you this time.¡± Vance asked. Sen paused and thought for a moment. He wasn¡¯t sure if allowing a worldwide society to know his strengths and weaknesses would behoove him. He had already been witness and near-victim to their shady dealings, and could only imagine the moral ebb and flow of a globally unchecked society. ¡°I need essences and awakening stones.¡± Sen told Vance flatly. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been busy. You¡¯re taking the adventuring route then? You know, you would make an excellent magic society official with that aura power you have. The way you change that tablet to display data is unheard of. It¡¯s like insight from the universe is pulled straight from thin air.¡± ¡°Zulli and I have been talking, and yes, we¡¯re going to be adventurers. Sorry Vance. I¡¯m not the sitting-behind-the-desk type.¡± Sen said. ¡°I¡¯m not so blind as to ignore ambition when I see it.¡± Vance said, nonchalantly waving his hands in the air. ¡°You¡¯re aware of how hard it can be to start adventuring in Vitesse then? Many people, like the Gellers, move away to start adventuring in lower-magic areas, while others spend years in training at the Remore academy just to get their foot in the door on an adventuring team.¡± ¡°We¡¯re hoping the novelty of being outworlders will help us get in the door.¡± Zulli chimed in. ¡°Somebody ought to see the potential in having our powers, that apparently no one else has.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Vance asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t given us much information on your confluence essence, Zulli. Are you willing to share some things with us now?¡± ¡°Ask him.¡± Zulli said, pointing at Sen. ¡°He¡¯s the one that can scan people.¡±
Sen closed the window blocking his vision without giving any sign of divulging the information it showed. ¡°Essences and Awakening Stones, Vance. Apparently I need two more essences, and that will spawn my confluence essence, and I''ll be at iron rank. Then Zulli and I can start shopping for our awakening stones on our way to bronze.¡± Sen told Vance, clearly headstrong in his decision to be an adventurer. Vance looked at Sen just as an adult would look at a child who asked if they could swim across the ocean. ¡°Essences are very expensive, Sen. You must have been going through the records on your tablet. The usual prices are in there aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we need help Vance. It¡¯s not like I have a power that just creates spirit coins out of thin air.¡± Sen said. He postulated that his looting power, Bounty From Nothingness, would give him spirit coins, but hadn¡¯t tested it out yet, so he technically wasn¡¯t lying to Vance. Vance raised an eyebrow at Sen. ¡°Right.¡± Vance said flatly. ¡°I don¡¯t think essences are even on the table, but some awakening stones might be possible.¡± He told Sen, emphasizing the might. ¡°The power you¡¯re going to test out is a looting power, I assume.¡± Sen¡¯s eyes opened wide after being caught in his near-lie, as a child would when asked if they raided the cookie jar. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t try to get anything past you, huh, Vance?¡± Vance let a playful smile rest on his face. ¡°I am on your side, Sen. You don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯m not looking for you to work for me, I just want to be your friend, and we can¡¯t be friends if we¡¯re lying to each other.¡± Sen looked down at his tray, nodding. ¡°Sorry.¡± He said with a begrudged smirk. ¡°Come by the investigation branch later, when you get back from your adventure. I¡¯ll see what we can do, and you can tell me all about your looting power. And please, be careful out there.¡± He told them both as he stood up to get to work. *** The morning went swiftly as Sen and Zulli went around town picking up what they needed for the day. They had stopped by a smithy to pick up a couple weapons. The smithy, often frequented by many adventurers, was a busy place, with many orders being made and fulfilled daily. It wasn¡¯t the only smithy in Vitesse, and far from the busiest, but its reputation was renowned for reliable, cheap weaponry. After paying Jerry for two sets of clothes, Sen¡¯s reserve of spirit coins was nearly wiped out. The clothes didn¡¯t seem special, but were enchanted to clean and repair themselves, as well as being marked by one of Jerry¡¯s own runes to provide some protection to the wearer. Sen had left a few iron rank coins in his reserve in case of emergency, along with a slew of lesser spirit coins given to him as change. He also met a street alchemist after picking up his new sword, whom he paid a handful of lesser coins for a couple weak healing potions. ¡°We¡¯re going outside the walls, you think we¡¯ll be able to see anything, maybe find a couple monsters?¡± Sen asked the alchemist. The alchemist was a skinny man about Sen¡¯s age, lanky, with a bit of scruff on his chin. Just looking at him, Sen was able to perceive his general shadiness, and Sen knew he had to read between the lines when speaking to him. The way that he stood and peered around in different directions gave him the impression that this alchemist was generally up to no good and trying to get away with it. Combined with the long red coat filled with potions, he seemed like a drug dealer you¡¯d find in any comic strip. With the blatant sale of street potions in broad daylight, this man was no crime lord, and most likely a rabble rouser at best. ¡°You two? No escort?¡± ¡°That takes all the fun out of it.¡± Zulli responded before Sen could manage an answer. ¡°I¡¯m iron rank, I¡¯ve gone outside the walls a few times, you should be fine as long as you don¡¯t go too far. The adventure society patrols take out anything that has a powerful aura. If they miss anything, it''s usually a bronze rank monster or two that have naturally weak or hidden auras. They also tend to skip over some iron rank monsters when they''re busy, and it''s the busy season. Sometimes iron rank renegades such as myself go out there to have a little fun. Be safe or be deadly, I always say.¡± The alchemist replied. ¡°Sounds good. I like that: Be safe or be deadly.¡± Sen replied. ¡°I¡¯m Sen, by the way, thanks.¡± ¡°Arty.¡± The alchemist replied before nonchalantly walking off at a brisk pace, as flakily as he looked. *** ¡°I can¡¯t get over how perfect these jeans are.¡± Sen said, feeling the denim between two fingers.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The two stood in a short queue to leave the city. The walls of Vitesse loomed over them, too tall for Sen to guess their actual size, with erratic towers serving as watchpoints. Zulli was in her previously warn subtle blue pants with flowing blouse. She now wore a new leather belt that held a knife on each side of her hips. She allowed her blouse to drape over her belt, concealing the weapons rather well. Sen was dressed in his new outfit of dark jeans, dark brown boots, and a dark gray long-sleeve shirt, which he rolled the sleeves on to reveal his forearms and tucked the bottom of his shirt into his jeans. Over his shirt a leather strap crossed his chest from shoulder to hip, connected to a large belt that has several small pouches of its own. Attached to the strap, on Sen¡¯s back, was a budget-made leather scabbard holding a cheap sword bought off-the-rack at the smithy. ¡°And this shirt, it¡¯s so thin but I don¡¯t think I could tear it if I tried.¡± ¡°And if you do, it¡¯ll mend itself back together.¡± Zulli said. ¡°The sword¡­ It looks cool, but I did not think of how hard it was going to be to put back in the scabbard.¡± Sen said, moving his hand up to feel the awkwardness of having the sword on his back. ¡°Business outside the city? No escort?¡± One of the guards at the gate addressed them as they fronted the queue. ¡°We¡¯ll just be right outside for a stroll. Do you guys have a stamp or something for us to get back in?¡± Sen asked. ¡°For your safety we highly recommend at least a bronze rank escort for any business outside the walls. Silver is preferred, if you have the coin.¡± The guard said, ignoring Sen¡¯s question. ¡°Like I said, we¡¯ll be right outside the walls. Just a short stroll. We¡¯ll be back before dinner.¡± The two guards shared a look. ¡°You two seem new here.¡± The other guard chimed in. ¡°Silver rank monsters are normal occurrences for the area surrounding Vitesse. We would be doing you a disservice in not informing you of the dangers outside the walls. There is plenty of room for a stroll in the park district.¡± ¡°Gents, we¡¯re going to stay within running distance of the wall. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Sen explained. ¡°Maybe we should listen to them. Could be dangerous.¡± Zulli mentioned, playing devil''s advocate. ¡°Your iron rank friend has the mind of a survivor.¡± The original guard said. ¡°Don¡¯t bow out now, Zulli. We have to see what¡¯s out there.¡± Sen argued. Zulli sighed. ¡°You heard him, guys. It seems he¡¯s already made up his mind.¡± Leaving the city was when it finally all hit Sen. Being in this new world was overwhelming, especially after his time spent in the void. He was hit with multitudes of revelations and met so many people that he hadn¡¯t had the time to process it all. To top it off, he had been cooped up inside the magic society campus or the bustling streets of different commerce areas. He hardly had any space to let his mind wander. As the two stepped out of the gates and onto the road, Sen¡¯s vision rested on the horizon. Vitesse sat in a mountain range surrounded by rolling hills, and leaving the walls of the city allowed him to see far into the distance. The open sight of unoccupied sprawling nature gave his mind the mental space it needed to finally come to the realization that an enormous adventure lies before him, opportunities abound. The vista seemed familiar to him, much of the natural formations mirrored those on his own world, but scattered across his vision were impossible manifestations. From one high mountain, he could make out a giant deluge of water spouting from it, despite having no water source in the vicinity. Across from that, a perfectly circular ring made of white stone jutted from the rolling hills around it. He could see large, winged creatures flying around the ring, but they were too far away to make out what they were. Even some of the trees were dotted with blue and purple leaves. Sen¡¯s mind raced with all the fantasy novels, movies, and games he had played back on Earth. Most of these forms of content had similar motifs, usually a new take on ancient myths. He wondered if the legends of gods and mythical creatures originated from this world, or if they were simply multiversal truths that breached all universes. He then wondered if magic was real in his world, and the powers at be had hidden them from the public eye. ¡°Um, Sen? You okay?¡± Zulli asked, her attention shifting from the horizon to Sen. Sen didn¡¯t even notice he had a huge smile on his face and his hands on his hips, standing tall as he looked at the vast landscape before him. He nodded, the smile not leaving his face. ¡°This is insane.¡± He said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of just hitting me now, the fact that I¡¯m in a completely different world.¡± ¡°I wonder what that¡¯s like.¡± Zulli said, looking out at the horizon again. Her Universal Knowledge racial ability gave her a general sense of basic knowledge of this universe, but since Sen was from an alternate universe, she couldn¡¯t imagine the change he experienced. ¡°If you stick with me, Zulli, I bet you¡¯ll find out eventually.¡± Sen said, not sure if what he was saying was true, but saying it with confidence that it was. The two strode off the road, walking a safe distance along the wall of Vitesse, but deliberately off the road to come across any magical creatures that Sen could scan, and if they were lucky enough, a monster or two. ¡°So, just to go over this again-¡° Sen said. ¡°I¡¯ll be your back-up, but you want to be the frontliner.¡± Zulli reiterated to him after hearing the plan a couple times already. ¡°You¡¯re iron rank.¡± Sen deliberated to Zulli. ¡°So you¡¯re my safety net. I¡¯m trusting you to have my back.¡± ¡°I have your back, Sen.¡± Zulli told him, patiently and genuinely. Her cadence reminded Sen of a song from his world that he realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to listen to anymore, it was a song he would listen to with his girlfriend, before she lost her battle to brain cancer. ¡°We¡¯re going to be adventurers, Zulli. Having each other¡¯s backs is going to be core to our very being.¡± Zulli didn¡¯t even nod, but her assent was apparent in her body language. Her shoulders stiffened and her chin raised as the dignity of duty to her team, and her friend, empowered her resolve. After a short time of wandering, Sen¡¯s eyes locked onto movement between a few trees. ¡°Oh look!¡± Sen whisper-shouted, pointing to a spot between the trees. There were mostly open areas of grassland outside the walls of Vitesse, but there were patches of trees that created groves large enough to house their own wildlife. Sen was hoping these groves would be the home to magical mammals or birds, or perhaps animals he couldn¡¯t even imagine. Zulli¡¯s eyes followed Sen¡¯s finger to a short-haired creature with a pointed nose, two pinhead eyes, six stubby legs, and skin that hung over itself like a Shar Pei. ¡°It¡¯s some kind of mole, it looks like.¡± Sen said. ¡°Are you going to scan it?¡± Zulli asked.
A uncommon magical creature in grove and forest biomes around mountainous regions. Usually friendly but skittish, they can climb trees and burrow into the ground to escape prey. When cornered, their claws normally used for digging and climbing can be used as weapons, though their poor eyesight leaves them no choice but to flail their four forearms in defense.
¡°What a chunky little guy.¡± Sen said. ¡°Not a monster. Must be native.¡± ¡°For some reason I want to hug him.¡± Zulli said, not understanding her own feelings toward the creature. ¡°That¡¯s normal.¡± Sen said. ¡°He might mess you up with those claws though.¡± The two watched the mole for a moment, before they saw its nose turn upward. It sniffed the air before using its front four legs to burrow into the ground, comedically kicking its back legs in the air before disappearing into the earth. ¡°I think it smelled something.¡± Sen said, perking up to look around the area. He nudged Zulli forward so they could hide themselves behind the thick trunk of a tree. They quietly hid behind it, Zulli crouching low while Sen stood above her, looking around. Not too long afterward, they heard the rustling of leaves. They could hear something hopping around the area where the molesloth was sitting, and when they saw it, they both locked onto it without a word. It looked like a mouse, but much larger, with a hefty pelt of reddish-brown fur.
Weak but nimble, Mousekrats can hear very well and usually lurk in dark areas such as caves and sewers. When left without food for long periods of time, they develop an affliction making them rabid enough to wander into open areas to hunt for food. This affliction can be transferred to their prey via bite, afflicting the prey with a frenzy debuff. Their main attack is using their sharp tails to skewer prey.
Sen slowly moved his arm to tap Zulli on the shoulder. When she looked up to him from her crouching position, his finger was already over his mouth, signaling her to stay quiet. She nodded. From his voidspace, Sen pulled out one of the lesser spirit coins he had left. His hand holding the coin flung it in the direction of the mouse, making no noise as it passed by it, and making a barely audible tink as it hit the ground. The mouse, hearing the coin but not Sen, quickly pounced on it, biting ineffectively into the dirt. Sen rounded the tree, pulling his sword from the scabbard, expecting the mouse to be frightened by the sound of the coin, which in turn would force it to run towards him and into his trap. This was not the case, as it was now facing away from him, lashing furiously at the ground. Sen thought quickly, now committed to act as his hefty boots stomped the ground. He was in the open and if the mousekrat saw him, his initiative would be wasted. He charged forward, sword in hand. Upon reaching the small monster, it jumped away, landing itself on the trunk of a nearby tree before pouncing again, this time directly at Sen. Sen could barely react to the mousekrat¡¯s speed as it dodged his sword and already made for a counterattack, but he was lucky enough to place his sword in between himself and the monster. It¡¯s feeble, rabid mind bit down on the sword, cutting open its cheeks, slightly pushing Sen backward. Its mouth held onto the sword as its tail whipped in the air, making an audible whoosh before impaling Sen just above his right hipbone, right through his magically enchanted shirt. When Sen grunted in pain Zulli charged forward from her crouching position behind the tree, pulling one of the two knives from her belt. ¡°Wait!¡± Sen yelled at Zulli as he heard her moving toward him. She stopped, keeping her knife at the ready. Sen¡¯s free hand grabbed one of the giant mouse ears, and then his other hand let go of the sword to grab the tail impaled in his hip. The mousekrat relinquished its bite on the sword to attempt a bite at Sen¡¯s arm. The bite was ineffective. Sen pulled on the Mousekrats ear to keep its mouth away from him. He rotated his whole body, spinning on one foot to build momentum, holding onto the ear and the tail, before using the momentum to bring the monster over his head to slam it down onto the ground. The monster let out a violent squeal and then a pained squeak that Sen would have found hilarious if not for the pain he felt in his hip. Sen¡¯s eyes darted back to his dropped sword, hoping to use it to finish the fight quickly while the monster recoiled. It was too far behind him to make a move for it. He held onto the monster¡¯s tail, keeping positive control of its main weapon. It tugged at Sen¡¯s grip, but it was clearly meant for quick stabbing rather than overpowering an opponent. It struggled to get to its feet after the impact with ground knocked the wind out of it. Sen frowned at it. His eyes turned cold as he realized he was about to take its life. He hadn¡¯t put much thought to killing monsters, but in this moment wondered if they felt any real emotions. He wondered if somehow monsters weren¡¯t actually monsters, or that they could be friendly under the right circumstances. He didn¡¯t know, but what he did know was that this monster in front of him most likely wasn¡¯t thinking about the same empathic concepts. The mousekrat¡¯s black eyes locked onto Sen and it bared its teeth, letting out a chilling hiss before Sen¡¯s boot came crashing into its face. Sen lifted his boot from it, but the monster still clung to life, and it started to ineffectually crawl away as Sen still held onto its tail. Sen let out a frustrated grunt as his boot crushed the head of the mousekrat once more. This time, the monster stopped moving. Sen let go of the tail, and it fell limply to the ground.
Sen stood over the monster, breathing heavily as the adrenaline still coursed through his veins. Zulli stared at him. ¡°Sen, you¡¯re bleeding.¡± She told him, pointing at his hip. The blood had already run down his pant leg and began to pool in his boot. The monster began to make a sizzling sound as rainbow colored smoke drifted from it. Before it fully dissolved, Sen was brought to his knees by the rancid smell emanating from the rainbow smoke. ¡°Holy-¡± Sen yelled out before covering his mouth, barely stopping himself from puking out his breakfast. He crawled away from the monster, holding onto his hip before falling onto his back. Zulli crouched over him to inspect his injury.
¡°That went just about as well as I thought.¡± Sen told Zulli, his face scrunching in pain as Zulli lifted his shirt to inspect the wound. ¡°Do you want me to try and heal this?¡± Zulli asked him, placing a hand at the ready over his hip. Her renewal essence was a classic and generic essence used for most healers on an adventuring team, though her confluence essence of the supernova was very far from a generic healer¡¯s confluence. Her essence ability Cauterize was also not a favorite for most healers as the pain it caused was generally not as practical as a Lifebolt or Cure spell.
¡°No, my power worked, I think I just got something for it.¡± Sen let out, placing a hand on top of hers. In his other hand, a tin container appeared. ¡°Can you try putting this on it?¡±
Zulli grabbed the tin, inspecting the black shiny metal that had an artistic caricature of Sen¡¯s face smirking on the lid. She would have made a confused face at the tin if she had one, but she opened it without saying anything, revealing a jelly-like pomade. She scooped out a couple fingers worth of the jelly and applied it to the hole in his hip. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s working really fast.¡± Sen said as they both watched the shallow hole in his hip close, leaving nothing but a red welt in its place. ¡°That is probably better than me burning your skin.¡± Zulli confessed. ¡°Is it my turn to kill something now?¡± Chapter 7: We Missed Dinner Sen was inspecting the teeth of the recently slain mousekrat as he and Zulli walked through an open field of knee-high grass.
¡°Question, Zulli.¡± Sen said. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Can you feel my aura?¡± ¡°Not really. When you project it, I can feel the calm nature of it, but not normally, no, I usually just feel emptiness from you.¡± ¡°Emptiness?¡± Sen asked. ¡°Yeah. I can feel your emptiness. I can feel it all the time, at least when we''re around each other. It''s like there''s something that supposed to be there, but theres just emptiness.¡± Sen went silent. They walked a short way before Sen tried to feel Zulli¡¯s aura. He could feel most auras he came across, though the more powerful auras were unreadable, as if they were locked behind a door he didn''t have the key to. When he tried to sense something from Zulli, he couldn¡¯t feel what he knew to be an aura, he felt something else. It¡¯s like he could feel the immense energy that created her. ¡°I can¡¯t feel your aura either.¡± Sen told her. ¡°I don¡¯t have an aura power, so maybe you could if I did.¡± Sen¡¯s eyebrows rose and he nodded as he considered her point. ¡°Yeah you¡¯ve basically just got special attacks, and that one magic ability. I wonder why I got an aura ability, rather than something I can use to fight monsters.¡± Sen said. ¡°Well, maybe monsters aren¡¯t what you¡¯re supposed to be fighting yet.¡± Zulli said. Sen stopped walking and looked at Zulli, perplexed by her profound insight. His eyes squinted at her, considering her words. Zulli stopped as well, turning back to look at Sen. The sun was still high in the sky, and its light bounced off the rounded curves of her shadowy head and hands. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m totally supposed to be fighting monsters.¡± Sen said, continuing his march in the tall grass, allowing the mousekrat teeth to dissolve into his voidspace. The two had made their way far enough through the grassland around Vitesse to find themselves on another road leading to a different gate into the city. The walls still loomed over them, a promising goliath at their backs. They stopped on the road as they saw a group of people walking toward the city. ¡°An iron ranked weirdo with a normal? Are you guys lost? The big city is that way.¡± One voice in the group spoke up as they neared the pair of outworlders. The group count was five, and they all wore combat gear and were outfitted with weapons of all kinds. From his distance, it looked to Sen like two humans, two elves, and a dragon-man in the back. Since Sen had met Zulli, he was more conscious about averting his gaze from the incredible and audacious people he could find in this world. Zulli, herself, was usually more physically diverse than most that he came across. Elves fit in for the most part and were quite common. He had seen a certain race that was mostly blue with runes carved into their tough skin, though in the crowded streets of Vitesse he was unable to get a good look. This was not enough to prepare him for the giddiness he would feel when seeing a draconian for the first time. When attempting to scan him, Sen¡¯s scanning power left much to be desired.
The group was walking from somewhere beyond the vast forestland and rolling hills beyond, and the two outworlder¡¯s stood silently as they waited for the group¡¯s approach. ¡°Seriously, you two, its dangerous out here. The guards warned you, right?¡± The same male voice spoke up, a short young elf not much older than eighteen, with tan skin and black hair. ¡°Leave ¡®em.¡± The draconian sneered, showing his teeth as he turned up his long snout. ¡°No, Jalex.¡± A dark-skinned human woman said, standing in the middle of the group. Jalex let out a grunt as he closed his mouth and set his snout low. ¡°Introduce yourself, then ask them their business.¡± The woman said, the command indicating she was the leader of the group. The draconian let out an exaggerated, raspy sigh through his nostrils as he stared at Zulli. ¡°I am Jalexectrand Urbonticos. I¡¯m a bronze rank adventurer with the Adventure Society. What business would an iron ranker and a normal human have outside the city without an escort?¡± Jalex asked, his cadence seeming forced as he strained to keep decorum in front of his team leader. ¡°We¡¯re on our first adventure, I¡¯m trying to find something to kill.¡± Zulli said to them matter-of-factly. A couple people in the group couldn¡¯t hold in their laughter, to include the young elf boy and the beefy human male standing next to Jalex, who let out a hearty belly laugh. Even the draconian held a smirk on his long face. The girl in the middle, however, a dark-skinned very handsome woman, trained her eyes upon the two, inspecting them. ¡°He¡¯s a little too old to be playing adventurer.¡± The woman said, pointing at Sen. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Sen frowned, noticing how much younger they all looked than himself, though he didn¡¯t consider himself old. ¡°We¡¯re really out here having an adventure.¡± Zulli responded. The woman separated herself from the group to walk closer to Zulli, inspecting her shiny, yet shadowy form. ¡°What ability turned your skin that color?¡± The woman asked Zulli skeptically. ¡°Its not an abi-¡° ¡°She¡¯s not lying. We came from pretty far away, we¡¯re just visiting the city, taking in the sights. Wanted to play adventurer.¡± Sen told the woman, interrupting Zulli. The woman looked at Sen with a curious expression, then back at Zulli, then at the walls of the city, then back to her team, then back to Sen, looking at the stripe of blood that cascaded down his leg. ¡°Already found out what adventuring¡¯s like, have you?¡± The woman said curiously, motioning her chin towards Sen¡¯s bloodstained jeans. ¡°Mousekrat.¡± Sen said, slightly lifting up his shirt to show her his healed wound. ¡°All better now, and stronger to fight the next one.¡± The woman frowned, a sudden rage building up in her eyes. The beefy man put on a face of quiet appreciation. ¡°Who said they cleared the sewers?¡± The woman said under her breath, barely loud enough to hear. ¡°That was Evin¡¯s job today.¡± The elven girl in the back spoke up. She was also tan-skinned much like the elven boy, Evin, and her long ears jutted out from auburn hair, which flowed freely down to her shoulders. Evin, turning on the girl, then back to his team leader, looked like he had seen a ghost. He was almost a head shorter than the elven girl, who was already shorter than the rest of the group, leaving him to look almost like a child playing dress-up. ¡°Master Remore, you can¡¯t expect I¡¯d be able to get every single one.¡± The boy said, raising his hands in surrender. A fleeting darkness passed through Master Remore¡¯s eyes as she looked back to Sen. ¡°That essence you have must be a good one. Do not squander it.¡± She told Sen, then looked back at her team. ¡°Let¡¯s go, since Evin skimped on sewer duty, he can make up for it in the latrines at the marshalling yard.¡± She said to her team before looking back at the two outworlders. ¡°Don¡¯t stay out too late. The next patrol just set out, and they¡¯re fresh now, but as the day goes on, complacency may come to them as it has to us.¡± She told the two before walking away. Master Remore¡¯s team followed, walking by them with confused faces, the draconian bumping into Sen as he walked past. Sen couldn¡¯t help but gawk as the nine-foot-tall, scaled draconian walked away from them and toward the city. ¡°Did you see that? That was a dragon-guy with wings. And that one girl was definitely an elf ranger.¡± Sen whispered to Zulli giddily. *** ¡°Reyna Remore.¡± August acknowledged as the handsome dark-skinned woman rounded the top of a spiral staircase set inside one of Vitesse¡¯s many watchtowers. The towers didn¡¯t stand much taller than the walls themselves, but they didn¡¯t have to, the vantage was great enough that fair warning of any threats could be made with ample time to prepare no matter where any guard looked out from the ramparts. Petals from the many flowers strung across the wall flittered in the air. ¡°August Niles.¡± Reyna replied. ¡°I thought I saw someone watching. Didn¡¯t expect it to be you. Is this for the Adventure Society or for your extracurricular activities?¡± August¡¯s laser focus didn¡¯t falter as he scanned the open areas. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. But both.¡± August told her. ¡°I knew there was more to this. There is something off about both of them.¡± Reyna said. ¡°They¡¯re outworlders.¡± August said. His stare shifted to her for a moment before returning to look out from the tower. ¡°Word will get around soon enough, but only a select few know, for now. Silver rank information.¡± ¡°Two Outworlders.¡± Reyna muttered. ¡°And they let you in on it? I can keep a secret, but can you? You¡¯re not leaking this to your friend are you?¡± ¡°He set up the contract.¡± ¡°So, Garrus has taken a liking to these two? He thinks they¡¯re part of all the astral nonsense?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll look into anything if it means getting closer to answers.¡± August said. Reyna was first to affix her gaze down at a beam of white light emanating from one of the outworlders August was stalking. They were too far for a normal pair of eyes to see in much detail, but August was at the peak of bronze rank and Reyna was well into silver. August grimaced when the beam of white light crossed his vision. In an instant, he conjured a steel spear in his hand and launched himself off the tower to the ground below.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. *** ¡°Zulli!?¡± Sen yelled. Zulli was sent a beam of light from her hand before the monster scored a hit on her. With one swipe of the monsters claws, Zulli let out a wail before being flung to the ground. Sen hadn¡¯t even had enough time to scan it before it was upon them; it seemed it simply appeared out of thin air. The monster was a bipedal feline and stood about five feet tall. It looked like a hairless cat standing on its back legs, with forelegs that ended in two serrated blades each. It used one set of these claws to strike Zulli to the ground. It all happened so fast the even Zulli¡¯s iron rank reflexes couldn¡¯t react fast enough to damage the enemy or get out of its way. The monster¡¯s attention turned from Zulli, who lied motionless on the ground, to Sen, who drew his sword. Anger flowed through Sen, righteous fury steeling his resolve. He felt sorrow tickling the back of his neck as his eyes darted between the monster and Zulli¡¯s lifeless body, but he shut out the feeling. He had no time for it. Sen¡¯s aura rushed from the air around his body, through him and into his sword. He felt the calm emptiness enshroud him. He felt the void, like it wanted to consume everything through him. The basic metallic luster of the sword turned a deep black from the tip of the blade to the pommel. Sen braced to attack when the cat-monster disappeared. Sen could see movement in the knee-high grass, odd swaying juxtaposed to the wind¡¯s natural bellows. As fast as the thought could be produced, Sen gasped at the revelation: The monster could become invisible. He already felt outmatched. What was he supposed to do against something so fast and so untraceable? He wanted to get a better look at Zulli, but wouldn¡¯t break the lock on the unnatural movement in the grass that he could only hope to be the creature. It moved in a clockwise circle around him, getting closer, a predatory dance between a hungry wolf and its next meal. Sen heard a whizz come from behind him as a spear landed in the ground just a few feet in front of him. A shrill cry followed, and the cat-monster appeared again, showing itself to be impaled by the spear, skewered in place. A man then crashed into the ground, almost as quick as the spear, cleaving a two-handed axe cleanly through the cat-monster¡¯s neck. Its head flew away as its body went limp, still held aloft by the steel spear stuck in the ground. Sen recognized the dark leather armor inlaid with green chitin plates, but paid hardly any mind as he ran to Zulli. He checked her wounds, which didn¡¯t seem to be bleeding, but Sen could see two deep gashes across her chest. Zulli was unresponsive, and the two silver stars Sen knew as her eyes were absent from her face. He fumbled in one of his leather pouches on his belt, pulling out the dark red potion he bought from the street alchemist. Before he could flick the stopper of the vial, a hand reached down and snatched it from him, tossing it away as if it were poison. ¡°She needs-¡± Before he could finish, August was already handing him another potion, this one bright red, and it shimmered in the sunlight. Sen flicked the stopper and put the rim of the vial to where he thought Zulli¡¯s mouth was and tipped it back. Some dripped down her cheek, but most of it found its way home. As Sen held her head in his hand, his other hand felt her wounds as they closed. He was perplexed by the recovery power of the potion. August stood over them, silent. Zulli began coughing before the two silver stars came to her empty face once more. ¡°I was not ready for that kind of pain.¡± Zulli finally said as her hand felt her chest. ¡°Did I kill it?¡± She asked. ¡°Not even close.¡± Sen said, almost with a chuckle. Sen set Zulli ¡®s head down on the soft grass and pulled away from her. He sat back on his butt with his feet flat on the ground, his elbows rested on his knees as he covered his face with his hands. He let out a deep breath, both in relief and in regret. ¡°You¡¯re just going to hide your face in shame!?¡± August scorned Sen. ¡°At least have the decency and humility to stand up straight and accept your downfalls.¡± ¡°This was your idea wasn¡¯t it?¡± August dug in after Sen didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You wanted to come out here and have an adventure. Well guess what? This is adventuring. Your friends will get hurt. Your friends will die. And you will too.¡± Sen dropped his hands from his face and looked up at August, his eyes glistened with tears that couldn¡¯t fall. ¡°You thought this was just some game. Like you could try again if you failed.¡± August railed him. ¡°What if I wasn¡¯t here? Your story would be over.¡± Sen shifted to kneel on one knee. He looked over at Zulli, who was looking at him. Their eyes met, and he wished he could read what was on her mind. She was characteristically silent while August berated him. He stood up, still too shameful to face August directly. ¡°My story was over a long time ago, August.¡± Sen told him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing anymore or why I¡¯m doing it. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing here! In another world!?¡± Sen tightened his mouth shut before his expression became hysterical. Despite the emotion he wanted to feel, he couldn¡¯t feel it. That feeling had left him long ago. The tears in his eyes refused to fall. In these moments, he felt closest to the void. He felt all its emptiness and loneliness. It wanted nothing from him, and it wanted everything, and it was always there. ¡°Damnit.¡± Sen said under his breath. He clenched his eyes shut. Sen¡¯s mouth shot open, along with his eyes, as his head jerked hard from being slapped by the palm of Zulli¡¯s hand. The two tears building up in his eyes flew from his face and finally shot onto the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you like this, Sen.¡± Zulli told him, more like a command than a request. She had sprung up from the ground with iron rank quickness and was standing in front of him, arm across her body, clutching her recently closed wounds. Her shirt was torn, but her wounds seemed completely healed. She fell to one knee, exhausted. ¡°Rest, Novabound.¡± August told her, and returned his attention to Sen, who was still frozen in shock. Zulli fell back on her butt and laid back down in the lush grass. Her whole body felt like it was drained of magic, exhausted. ¡°What kind of potion was that?¡± She asked. August ignored her. Sen felt his face with his hand before shaking his head. His hand lowered, and he clenched both of his fists. Silence fell upon him. The wind swayed the tall grass back and forth, except for the immediate area around Sen, which was a still calm. He could hear nothing, and no one could hear him. He said several words, but August and Zulli couldn¡¯t hear anything. Zulli, looking at the sky from her bed of plush grass, had no idea he said anything. August¡¯s bronze rank perception could see Sen¡¯s chest heaving as he let out a breathy statement, and also read Sen¡¯s lips as he spoke. Sen unclenched his fists, and the silence and calm created by his aura receded. ¡°Then act like it.¡± August told him. ¡°Stand up straight. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Hold myself responsible.¡± Sen replied. ¡°Good.¡± *** The cold reality of this dangerous world set into Sen¡¯s psyche as he followed August back inside the walls of Vitesse. Zulli hung from him, hanging an arm around his neck. The moment Zulli was cut down played through his mind, over and over. He heard her yell in pain, the feeling of helplessness plaguing him again and again. They walked through the streets of Vitesse for some time, Zulli finally regaining her strength and walking on her own. They found themselves walking through iron rod gates into a manor. They made their way up a few steps, and August opened the front door to the main house, holding the door for them as they walked inside. ¡°Wait here.¡± August told them, as they entered a parlor room past the foyer. He exited out the back door of the parlor into another room beyond. The parlor was large, two stories tall, with staircases on both sides. The floor and stairs were built from a rich brown wood, the walls also brown, but made of some kind of plaster, with intricate texturing only possible with the help of magic. Plush, tasseled rugs covered the sitting area and walking paths. Sen and Zulli found nice soft chairs and melted into them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zulli.¡± ¡°I wanted to go just as much as you did. I want to be an adventurer.¡± Zulli replied as if she was waiting for Sen to say it. ¡°It¡¯s not your weight to bear.¡± ¡°I want to bear it.¡± Sen said. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to have to get strong enough to take it from me.¡± ¡°Senadin and Zulli.¡± The voice of an older, dignified gentleman rang throughout the parlor. The man stepped through a doorway, August in tow. He was wearing a casual black suit, no tie, with the top two buttons of his white shirt unbuttoned. What was revealed underneath seemed solid, and the casual suit did not hide his broad shoulders. He had a cropped salt and pepper haircut with matching salt and pepper stubble on his face. August himself had taken off his helmet, revealing long, wavy brown hair that flowed down past his jawline, which was revealed to be chiseled. He looked like a fantasy version of Rambo, only more handsome. ¡°I¡¯m glad we can meet so early in your tenure with this world.¡± The man told them as he walked over to the bar on the side of the parlor, some fifteen feet away from their chairs. ¡°I¡¯d have someone here to serve you, but our conversation is going to be delicate, I don¡¯t want any distractions. Can I get you a drink?¡± The man asked. Sen looked at Zulli, and they both looked at August. ¡°This is Garrus Carbon. He set up a questionable contract with the adventure society. I took the contract to see what he was up to.¡± August told them. ¡°Just like old times, August!¡± Garrus jested. He poured a short glass of brown liquor and pointed the bottle at the two expectantly. Zulli waved her hand in rejection and Sen did as well, after taking a moment to consider. Garrus poured two tall glasses of water instead, placed the drinks on a silver tray, and brought them over. They each took a glass from the tray as he held it out for them, then set the tray on a side table, before sitting down on the end of a couch facing them. He crossed one leg over the other as he sipped his drink in one hand. ¡°Continue, August.¡± Garrus said. ¡°The contract was meticulously worded just so a single adventurer would be dispatched to spy on two outworlders new to the city. I brought you here because despite his questionable activity in the city, he might be able to offer you the best deal to help you get your bearing. He is fair, and he expects compensation, like you Sen.¡± August explained. Sen raised an eyebrow as his eyes went from August on one side of the room, to Garrus on the other. ¡°You¡¯ve been acquainted with the magic society. And I assume you had a choice to make, am I right?¡± Garrus asked before taking another sip of his liquor. Sen, after watching Garrus sip his drink, looked down at the glass of water in his hands, before taking a sip himself. ¡°A choice?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°There¡¯s always choices, but this one would mold who you become in this world.¡± Garrus responded. ¡°The magic society or the adventuring society.¡± Sen interjected. ¡°I believe you can elaborate a little more than that.¡± Garrus mused. ¡°To sit and study this new world or go experience it ourselves.¡± Garrus snapped his finger and pointed at Sen. ¡°Very good, young man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that young.¡± Sen said, training his eyes back onto Garrus. ¡°Do you think that choice was given to you, or was it just happenstance?¡± Garrus asked, playing the tip of his finger around the rim of his glass. ¡°Real questions.¡± Sen said. Garrus grinned. ¡°Real questions. You¡¯ve thought about it. Who was behind the curtain, pulling the strings of your appearance in this world? It couldn¡¯t have been just a random chance. But you don¡¯t think it matters, do you? You don¡¯t think much of anything matters.¡± Sen¡¯s face scrunched in affront. He looked at August, who stood as he had been, stone faced. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°You know things we don¡¯t. More importantly, you seem to assume you know things about us that we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Moreso him than you, Zulli.¡± Garrus replied. ¡°At first, I thought you were just a hitchhiker. But as it turns out, you two share a connection. One tied to your souls.¡± Sen was at a loss for words. He had watched Zulli slashed near to death by a single swipe from a monster, and was now sitting in some rich man¡¯s manor who was claiming to know things about his sudden existence in this world. The man could be playing a meticulous game of words, or he could be the answer to all of Sen¡¯s questions. After a few moments of silence, Garrus set down his drink on the side table and reached into his inner coat pocket. From it he produced a semi-translucent silver cube that emanated with bright light from the center. It was too large to not print through his jacket. He looked down at the cube cradled in his fingers. ¡°I want to give this to you, Senadin.¡± Garrus said, standing up from his couch. ¡°But it does not come for free.¡± Sen watched as Garrus walked over, holding the cube in front of him. Sen touched the cube.
Sen¡¯s hand recoiled from the essence. ¡°What do you want?¡± Sen asked. ¡°I want you to consume the essence. Then I want you to use an awakening stone with it. In return I want you to go on a quest for me. After that, you¡¯re free to do whatever it is you want.¡± ¡°What kind of quest?¡± ¡°One that you will be able to handle, but not without hardship. And August will go with you.¡± ¡°Sen, we should talk about this.¡± Zulli said. Sen took a moment to consider. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Sen said to Garrus. ¡°This affects both of us.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Garrus said, putting the essence back into his jacket. Despite its size, it made no print, as if it had disappeared. He smoothly walked back to his couch, picking up his glass and turning back to them. ¡°If you wish, you may stay the night in my guest rooms. Talk it over between yourselves, and we can discuss your decision in the morning. I bet you¡¯re both hungry. I¡¯ll have some food sent up, August, could you show them upstairs?¡± August nodded once. ¡°Senadin, Zulli. I want to be honest with you. I know you have no reason to believe me, but I think I can help you get acquainted with this world better than anyone else. I don¡¯t want you to feel like you owe me, so a simple transaction is all I ask for. There will always be bad blood if either party is dissatisfied.¡± Garrus remarked. Sen let out a heavy sigh in exhaustion. ¡°Zulli, you cool with staying here tonight?¡± Zulli was staring at Garrus, before she rested her attention on Sen. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, we missed dinner at the cafeteria. I don¡¯t even know how to get back from here. But I don¡¯t know if I trust this guy.¡± August finally moved from his stalwart position and walked over to the stairs on the other side of the room. ¡°Just say yes you two. Garrus can be trusted. You have nothing that he already doesn¡¯t have. I¡¯ll take you up to the guest quarters. You can rest and talk it out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we have much to lose.¡± Sen told Zulli. ¡°Okay. We can talk it over. Show us the way, August.¡± She said, standing up from the chair, not having taken even a sip of her water. Sen followed her, walking over to August, before looking back at Garrus. Garrus was smiling at them, still standing in front of the couch. It was a happy, warm smile that Sen could feel. He didn¡¯t trust it. ¡°I¡¯ll see you all in the morning.¡± Chapter 8: Not The Handholding Type Chapter 8: Not The Handholding Type In the morning, inside Carbon Manor, Senadin and Zulli were awake before the sun came up. Each had their own room to sleep in connected by a larger living area with its own balcony. On the other side of the living area from their rooms were two other rooms which were empty, giving the impression the that these quarters were meant to house traveling groups of up to four individuals, though the beds in each room were large enough for two for any that were keen enough to double up. Sen and Zulli both noticed there were multiple doors in the hallway that they assumed led to quarters of the same kind, making this a rather large manor to reside in. That wasn¡¯t to include the other buildings connected by grand courtyards they had seen on their way in the evening before. Their visit with the manor¡¯s owner, Garrus Carbon, was fast and simple, while the whole day seemed to fly by. Sen had killed his first monster, not without a fight, and Zulli had nearly been killed by her first monster, which Sen had come to regret. He felt responsible for leading Zulli into such a dangerous situation. Sen had trouble falling asleep, which was normal in his world. In this world, he had been so drained by the amount of information and things he had to understand that sleeping came easier. Last night, his demons caught up with him. Sleep had not come easily, and he woke before even getting a few hours of needed rest. Before bed, he and Zulli had a quick conversation with August, then when he had left, had a conversation with each other. Zulli curtly avoided the topic of how she was hurt so badly by the monster that cut her down, and talked to Sen about their plan as adventurers and as friends. They reiterated the fact that they wanted to stick together through whatever they chose, and they reinforced that they would make their decisions together. Zulli posited that they could stay in Vitesse and work things out with the adventure society, to become proper adventurers. August gave them little information about the quest that Garrus had in store for them, but was able to divulge that it would be located in a lower magic area, spawning lower ranked monsters, which sounded better to Sen. After August had left, they came to an agreement while gorging themselves on the veritable feast Garrus had sent up via magical dumb waiter. After going on the quest, they would dedicate their time to the adventure society, become proper adventurers, and then build a team. Traveling to whatever area Garrus had planned would give them a better view of the world, culturing them in it, and Zulli was finally convinced when Sen mentioned the quest was most likely a better adventure than the adventure society could offer them at their current power level. They both said their goodnights and retired to their connected rooms on one side of the guest quarters. Alone in his room, Sen couldn¡¯t even act like he could fall asleep. He sat down on his bed, his clothes and equipment engulfed by shadow, before being replaced only by the pants he acquired on his first day in this world. He hadn¡¯t known if he could instantly replace his outfits using his voidspace ability, but it worked, shrouding him in shadow and replacing the clothes almost instantly with the comfortable pair of gray cloth pants. He solemnly closed his eyes, and put his face in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. *** ¡°You already have a lot of weight you¡¯re carrying.¡± Zulli said. They both leaned on the railing of the balcony in the crisp morning air before dawn. From the balcony they had a decent view of the park district. The morning birds were waking up and sending out their songs. Zulli obviously couldn¡¯t sleep either, as she had come out of her room soon after she heard Sen¡¯s door open. Sen made them a pot of tea, after messing around for some time with a teapot that was able to heat water magically with its own intrinsic magic. They sipped their tea from intricate porcelain teacups. ¡°That¡¯s why you wanted to get out of the city. You need the distraction, because the weight is hard to bear.¡± Zulli continued. ¡°I feel like I have to carry it. That weight.¡± Sen responded after thinking for some time. ¡°Strong people carry weight.¡± Zulli told him. ¡°But carry too much weight and it crushes you.¡± She put a hand on Sen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And if it gets to be too much, other people can help you carry it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still sorry.¡± ¡°I know, Sen.¡± Zulli responded, pulling her hand away from his shoulder. ¡°And I know you will be sorry even if I tell you not to be. But you don¡¯t have to be. I can make my own decisions. It was my decision to go out there.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Sen said. ¡°I should probably lay it out for you now. My mind is not healthy.¡± Zulli leaned into the balcony, but positioned herself facing Sen, her body language insisting Sen to continue with what he had to say. ¡°Despite knowing the reality of any situation, my mind tends to tell me that what I¡¯m doing is wrong, or that I could do it better, or that it¡¯s a waste of time. All at the same time. Over time I have developed some certain principles, and I have to stick by them, or else I¡¯ll lose myself.¡± Sen told her. ¡°And you¡¯re going to tell me these principles, right now, right?¡± Sen let out a raspy sigh of exasperation. ¡°I was hoping what I told you would be enough. You remind me of someone I knew back in my world, you know?¡± Zulli¡¯s head leaned toward Sen. ¡°They sound pretty cool. And no, you were the one who decided to tell me about yourself, you can¡¯t leave me with more questions.¡± Sen looked away from her and into the sky, which was still dark but brightening in the morning. The two moons that orbited the world were on the other side of it, and only the brightest stars outmatched the coming dawn. ¡°You¡¯re going to think it¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°Sen, I have more fundamental knowledge about this universe than most people on this world. I pretty much can¡¯t think anything¡¯s stupid because I can see the reason behind everything.¡± Sen¡¯s eyes looked sideways to Zulli, and she saw the purple tinge around his dark irises that almost sparkled in this specific instance at this specific time. ¡°You¡¯re pretty reckless for being so smart.¡± ¡°No deflecting. What principles?¡± ¡°I have to be righteous.¡± Sen said, lowering his eyes to the courtyard below. ¡°That¡¯s a simple as I¡¯ve been able to make it. I have to make sure that innocent people don¡¯t get hurt, that my actions don¡¯t hurt anyone they¡¯re not supposed to, and that I get and give respect when it is earned. Those are the top three. There¡¯s smaller ones, like don¡¯t be greedy, don¡¯t be too proud. Stuff like that.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Zulli said, looking into her empty teacup. ¡°That is pretty stupid.¡± Sen frowned. He poured out the miniscule amount of now-cold tea left in his teacup over the balcony and turned around without saying a word, walking back into the guest quarters. Before he could make it to the door, Zulli had wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a huge hug. Her shadowy body was cold, at least, colder than any other body Sen had been hugged by, but he could feel a positive reaction, as if the immense energy from a supernova was being leaked into him, giving the impression that her embrace was warm all the same. ¡°I thought you¡¯d know I was kidding.¡± Zulli said. ¡°I¡¯m messed up, Zulli.¡± The moment played through his mind again. In hindsight, it should have been so easy for him to realize she was making light of a heavy conversation. The unhealthy and enigmatic poison inside his mind, however, had other plans. This was the same poison he imagined led him to inhabit the void before coming to this world. ¡°Thank you for telling me. I can already feel what you¡¯re feeling, even without your aura. You don¡¯t have to try and hide it.¡± Zulli told him. ¡°I think I can feel you too. Garrus said our souls are connected. Knowing that now, I can actually feel it more.¡± Sen said, grabbing Zulli¡¯s arms and pulling them down to release her embrace. ¡°I think its like any other ability I have. I hardly know how to focus it, and I¡¯ll have to work on it to feel it better. But I will try.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, Sen.¡± Zulli said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it should be your duty to reciprocate anything I do for you. Just let it come naturally, and try to relax a little bit. I think that¡¯ll be the best way to go about it.¡± Sen nodded, despite knowing he couldn¡¯t relax, and they heard a knock at the door before it opened. August walked in, no longer wearing his armor, instead wearing a tan, collared shirt with black pants. He strode a couple steps before setting his stalwart eyes on the two out on the balcony. ¡°Have a seat.¡± August said, pointing at the couch in the living area before taking a seat in a chair across from it. Sen could see the sculpted tone of August¡¯s chest and neck, and was taken aback by the comic-book look of his muscles, to include his definition of his arms seeping through the sleeves of his shirt; even the print of his abdominals could be seen through his shirt. ¡°Why is everyone so good looking in this world?¡± Sen asked as he walked in with Zulli following close behind. They both sat on the couch, not too far apart from each other. ¡°It¡¯s a product of essences and going up in rank.¡± August told him. ¡°Every essence user is naturally more attractive. That being said, I want to formally apologize to both of you before anything else.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Apologize? For crushing our auras in the cafeteria?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°No, that was my job, and I¡¯m not sorry about that.¡± August responded. Sen made a defiantly skeptical face. ¡°I assume that you will be taking Garrus¡¯ offer. When you do, you¡¯ll be under my tutelage until we get back.¡± August told them. ¡°I¡¯ve never had any pupils before, and I never planned on having any, at least not for years to come. I will fail you multiple times in the process of figuring it out, but Garrus insisted I do it anyway.¡± Sen and Zulli shared a look. ¡°I meant to ask last night, you seem pretty close with Garrus, he¡¯s not part of the adventure society, right? Why do you work with him so much if you¡¯re an adventurer?¡± Sen asked. August put on an uncharacteristically soft expression as his elbows met the arms of his chair and he interlocked the fingers of both hands. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding. ¡°You¡¯ll get a better impression of our relationship if you choose to go to Silverwind.¡± August curtly remarked. ¡°That¡¯s where this quest is taking us?¡± Zulli asked. August nodded. ¡°Instructor August Niles.¡± Sen said, half-sarcastically. August said nothing, while staring intently, directly into Sen¡¯s eyes. His gaze was cold and unwavering. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sen said, almost immediately. ¡°I should be thankful to have someone show us the ropes of this adventuring thing.¡± August still said nothing. The morning sun breached the horizon and was sending its rays through the balcony windows. He stood up and walked towards the door. ¡°I¡¯m going to talk with Garrus, meet us in the parlor room within the hour.¡± August said before walking through the doorway and closing the door without waiting for a response. ¡°He¡¯s so intense.¡± Zulli said to Sen after August had left. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sen replied. ¡°I think he¡¯s seen some things. I knew a few guys like him, back in my world. Really reliable guys. Just rough around the edges.¡± ¡°Does everyone hide things?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Almost everyone. And if they say they don¡¯t, they¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t your world. Maybe it¡¯s different.¡± Sen nodded. ¡°I hope so.¡± *** ¡°Ah, great to see you two.¡± Garrus had announced while walking into the parlor room from the same room he had the night before, August in tow. Sen and Zulli hadn¡¯t finished descending the stairs before witnessing him entering the room, the timing a little too peculiar to be coincidence. ¡°Sleep well?¡± Garrus asked. ¡°No.¡± Both of them retorted at the same time. ¡°I usually don¡¯t.¡± Both of them said at the same time, again. ¡°Woah!¡± They both exclaimed, pointing their fingers at each other. They shared a look of whimsical confusion infused with admiration before looking back at Garrus. August had his own look of confusion on his face, the most generous look behind the curtain of his stalwart fa?ade that either of the outworlders had seen. Garrus didn¡¯t show his surprise if he was, and ushered them to a fanciful wooden, circular table off to the side of the parlor. They all took their seats, filling four of the six wooden chairs surrounding it: Zulli and Sen on one side, with Garrus and Zulli on the other, a chair separating the two parties on each side. Garrus and August stayed silent for a moment, their attention dressed onto the two outworlders. Garrus knew the silence would be filled if he allowed a social vacuum, and August didn¡¯t mind the silence. Sen could see the game being played, and didn¡¯t like it, but broke the silence anyways, knowing there would be no benefit in winning. Zulli looked back and forth between everyone, unsure of the social cues at play. ¡°I want to know why you have an interest in us.¡± Sen said. Garrus interlocked his fingers and rested his hands on the table. ¡°Your essence, Senadin. And Zulli, your confluence essence, in particular. They are special.¡± Sen¡¯s eyebrows raised, and Zulli¡¯s chin raised inquisitively. ¡°Like, Uniques? Legendaries?¡± Sen asked. ¡°Is my translation power working right?¡± Garrus¡¯ lips curled downward as he thought. ¡°Not exactly unique, and not exactly ranked as any kind of rarity. They are simply special. I dare not say too much more on it. The knowledge I have of them is fragmented, but I¡¯ve been to a place where there may be answers waiting for you.¡± ¡°You have to be getting something out of this, right?¡± Zulli interjected. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll be bringing me back my sword, and finishing an excursion I started many years ago.¡± ¡°Your sword?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes. I left it where you need to go. I retired from adventuring not long after I had left it there. It has great sentimental value to me, and I wish to display it on my wall.¡± ¡°A rich man¡¯s chore.¡± Sen said. ¡°A rich man¡¯s chore, indeed.¡± Garrus agreed. ¡°I understand your mistrust, Senadin-¡± ¡°He likes to go by Sen.¡± Zulli interjected again. ¡°Sen-¡± ¡°My friends call me Sen.¡± He corrected. ¡°Friends?¡± Garrus asked. ¡°Indeed.¡± Garrus said, his eyes lowering, and Sen could see a look of regret crossing Garrus¡¯ face, if but for a moment. Zulli looked at Sen, then to Garrus, then to August¡¯s blank expression, not understanding why people just didn¡¯t say what they felt. ¡°Perhaps -friends- is something that we could be, eventually, Senadin. Zulli.¡± Garrus said, pulling out the Potent Essence from his coat pocket, followed by a smaller, bluish-gray stone, followed by a translucent, dark crystal wand that had a pointed light emanating from the base, giving the impression of a comet flying through space. Given that Garrus had pulled all the items out of the same pocket, Sen had finally surmised Garrus'' coat was a sort of dimensional storage space much like his own voidspace. ¡°Last night, I had nothing for you Zulli, so a friend of mine found this for you, to sweeten the deal.¡± Garrus said, pointing at the crystal wand. Zulli¡¯s silver orbits lit up for a moment. ¡°But as I was saying, your mistrust is well placed, I understand that. I have not proven to you that I am worth your trust. My accommodations made for you last night were barely an inconvenience and could easily be an elaborate ruse to earn your trust.¡± ¡°Carbon manor is used during the monster waves to house adventurers protecting the city.¡± August said plainly. ¡°Do not say it, Garrus.¡± ¡°Carbon is pure.¡± Garrus said with a sheepish grin. August looked at the ceiling in defeat before his stoic expression returned. ¡°Anyone who says-¡± Sen started. ¡°-that they¡¯re pure, isn¡¯t.¡± Garrus finished. ¡°Yes, yes, I know.¡± Sen gave Garrus a placid look. ¡°Of course I have my own demons. I am not on the best terms with the Adventure Society due to my not-so-legal dealings in and out of the city, but you¡¯ll find that in this world, compromises are made between those who mutually benefit from each other.¡± ¡°So the Adventure Society knows you break the rules, and they allow it?¡± Sen asked. ¡°I don¡¯t break the rules so much as bend them, and you¡¯ll find that restrictions are made to limit the use of certain accoutrements, not outright abrogate them. In return for their legal disregard, when it¡¯s my time to help out, I help out.¡± Sen clenched his lips together in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t want to work with you if you¡¯re doing some really bad stuff. But I feel like I¡¯m a good judge of character, and I don¡¯t think August would work with you if you¡¯re doing those things either.¡± Sen said. ¡°August is a good boy.¡± Garrus remarked. August made the lightest of grunts while looking to Garrus, a tinge of dismay in his eyes. ¡°A good man. August is a good man.¡± Garrus corrected. A quiet giggle came from Zulli, quickly halted upon August¡¯s gaze reaching her. ¡°Can we get on?¡± August asked the group. Sen nodded at August, mutually understanding his distress. ¡°I just wanted that peace of mind.¡± Sen said. Garrus put a hand on the Potent Essence and slid it across the table, where Sen caught it before it slid onto the floor.
Sen read the text carefully, wondering what power divinated it, giving it the ability to brand an item as stolen. He put that thought on the backburner while he lifted the brilliant silver cube in his hand. He felt the power ooze from it, and while it felt heavy for its size, it seemed to help him move it to whatever position in space he wished it to go. It felt to Sen as if one universal force was acting against it while another bent to its will. ¡°You want me to unlock my full potential?¡± Sen asked Garrus, looking past the Essence in his hand. ¡°I want to see your potential for myself.¡± Garrus told him, his attention bereft of any distraction. A thought crossed Sen¡¯s mind. He had no idea how to absorb the essence. He looked at it, hoping a dialogue box would open in his vision to give him a yes or no option, like a video game would. This specific game was not the handholding type. He would have to experiment and experience all the game had to offer to uncover its secrets. Sen¡¯s fingertips pressed against the side of the cube cupped in his hand. His hand began to tremble, the cube obviously jittering as Sen applied more and more pressure. Garrus¡¯ lip curled in the most paltry of grins. ¡°What is he doing?¡± August asked, a look of distress coming to his face. The Essence cracked like glass before shattering, a tinny sound reverberating throughout the parlor. Zulli scooted her chair back as silver light exploded from Sen¡¯s hand, twirling in the air before strands of silver light pooled and collected in Sen¡¯s chest. It felt like his blood pressure skyrocketed. He could feel his heartbeat not just in his head, but everywhere. A rush of power saturated him. He kicked his chair back as he fell to his knees, one hand on the ground while the other clutched his chest where the Essence had entered his body. Garrus stood up, and August followed suit, and they walked around the table to watch Sen. ¡°Should we-?¡± August asked, looking at Garrus. Garrus simply shook his head, his eyes never leaving Sen. Zulli seemed unfazed as her leg crossed over the other. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon, Sen.¡± She reassured him. Sen let out a loud grunt that silenced to a low grumble. He was unable to come up with any words to say but quieted as the silver light emanating from his chest dimmed. When the light was gone, Sen held himself up on all fours, heaving his breaths. ¡°I have never seen an Essence absorbed without a ritual before. Do they always crush it like that?¡± August asked Garrus, his expression obviously surprised. ¡°Never have I seen an Essence crushed in someone¡¯s hand like that, August. Never.¡± Sen caught his breath. Zulli had scooted her chair closer to him to place her hand on his back, comforting him. He felt the immense nature of her supernovic energy through her hand, and it ironically helped to calm his nerves. ¡°Ha!¡± Sen let out. ¡°That was awesome!¡± He said as he sat back on his rear. Zulli pulled her hand away. Sen¡¯s arms locked behind him as he threw his head back and he closed his eyes, his face toward the ceiling. He relaxed as the relative peace of the parlor room washed over him. ¡°It was like Kaioken times twenty. I felt like I was going to pop.¡± ¡°Kaioken?¡± August asked.
Sen mentally swiped away the dialogue box. It minimized itself to a faintly glowing purple tab on the side of his vision. His mind was still too stimulated to fully comprehend the information. The potent essence linking to the spirit attribute effectively tripled the amount of mana he had in store, and he was feeling the debilitating effects lower mana levels had on his mind. His perception was also increased, which gave him the feeling of paranoia and hypervigilance. His mind also raced with more memories, remembering certain smells and conversations he thought were long forgotten, or at least placed in the deep recesses of his mind. ¡°Wow.¡± He said, not opening his eyes, still attempting to calm himself. ¡°Perhaps you need some time to recover before we continue.¡± Garrus told Sen, his hand waving nonchalantly. ¡°No, no.¡± Sen retorted. ¡°I can feel myself recovering. It¡¯s noticeably fast.¡± The spirit attribute was also linked to how quickly his mind could recover from debilitating effects. He could feel the ambient magic around him soaking into his body to recover his mana. ¡°Can you feel the Essence Ability you gained?¡± Garrus asked him, his impatience seeping through his tone. ¡°It feels like it can wrap around me.¡± Sen said, feeling the new ability as any essence user would, even without a textual implement like he had with the MSRT in his quick-use slot. Sen¡¯s attention shifted back to the dialogue tab he had minimized, and his mental acuity opened the Essence Ability¡¯s description box on its own. Sen read it over. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Chapter 9: I Win ¡°Feeling better, now?¡± Zulli asked Sen as he stood up from his sitting position on the floor of the parlor room. After being absorbed, the Potent Essence seemed to have bolstered Sen''s vigor tenfold, but Sen felt it twice over, both in his mind and in his body. After the phase of Essence absorption had faded, he still felt jittery and his fight or flight response still sent an immense amount of adrenaline coursing through his nervous system. He felt tingly and alive. The Potent Essence had linked to his Spirit attribute, boosting his awareness and perception, as well as his mana pool and mana recovery. His eyes darted back and forth as any of the other three made any movements, whether toward him or otherwise. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sen replied to Zulli, sitting back down in his chair. When he did so, Garrus Carbon moved around the table to sit back down in his chair, having enough space between his chair and the table to cross one leg atop the other, his hands clasped in rest. August stayed standing, his own eyes stoically focused. ¡°Just feeling a little tense still, but I¡¯m feeling good. I need to meditate." Sen said. "I had completely forgotten about doing it. The last time I meditated was right before I met you.¡± Sen said. The Potent Essence was a very sought-after Essence due to its synergy with almost all other Essences, especially in the journey to iron rank, as having the Potent Essence allows other essences to unlock more powerful versions of the abilities it already has. Since it had linked to Sen¡¯s spirit attribute, his mind felt more potent, and he could focus and remember things better, as if a cloud of distraction was lifted from the pathways of his mind. ¡°I looked up that Essence last night.¡± Sen said to Garrus. ¡°It¡¯s expensive. I don¡¯t think what I¡¯m going to do for you is equal in recompense.¡± ¡°But yet you took it anyway?¡± Garrus mused. ¡°I wanted it. And you made the terms.¡± ¡°The terms were vague. How do you know you¡¯re not being sent to your death, or a labor camp?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re sending August with us.¡± Sen said, his low eyes looking over to the man whose presence seemed massive, despite being a few inches shorter than Sen. ¡°And you trust August?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Why?¡± August asked before Garrus could. ¡°Just¡­ that look in your eyes, August. You¡¯ve felt pain before, you¡¯ve seen savagery, and despite what the Disney channel might tell you, savagery only lets you understand kindness more. I''m also very lucky when it comes to guessing things, so maybe that''s it.¡± August¡¯s lips stiffened as his eyes studied Sen. Sen¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t waiver. ¡°How old are you?¡± August asked. ¡°Actual years? I think thirty. But I was in stasis for three of those, apparently.¡± August nodded, not saying anything more. ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic, Senadin, I am very curious about the Essence Ability that came from the Potent Essence for you.¡± Garrus chimed in. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Sen said.
Effect (Iron): Conjure a set of plated abyssal armor. The armor produces no sound. The user can expend mana to provide the wearer with moments of weightlessness. The armor can focus void abilities and is considered [Armor] as well as [Weapon] for the use of other abilities. Cost: High Mana (Conjuring) - Low Mana (Weightless Moment) Cooldown: None
¡°How much is high mana?¡± Sen asked himself, feeling that his mana pool was not quite topped off after gaining a bonus to his maximum capacity of mana after linking the Potent Essence to his Spirit attribute. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Garrus asked. ¡°Well I have this ability that has this other ability that lets me use certain things subconsciously. Basically, I have one of those Magic Society tablets in my brain and it gives me information that even the Magic Society doesn¡¯t know.¡± Sen said before pursing his lips, feeling like he said too much. Garrus looked at Sen with a bemused grin. ¡°Very interesting. And it is telling you that the Essence Ability costs you a high amount of mana? Is it the Bolster ability?¡± ¡°No. I think I just want to show you.¡± Sen said. ¡°I think you¡¯ll like this, Zulli.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t wait.¡± Zulli said. Sen stood up and took a couple steps away from the table. He was suddenly covered by shadow, which darkened to the point of looking like a hole was cut in the universe, revealing only the silhouette of a man. The shadow tightened against his skin, his clothes disappearing underneath, becoming a pliable full body covering made of a material somewhere between leather and polyester, cut off at his neck and wrists. What happened next raised both Garrus¡¯ and August eyebrows, and probably Zulli¡¯s too, if she had them. Plates of black chrome jutted out from different points on Sen¡¯s body. They were light and thin, and only covered certain parts while leaving the obsidian black lining open to the air. First was his chest, which scaled the black chrome plates from his collar down to his solar plexus, leaving his abdomen free to rotate and move without hindrance. Plates covering his back followed, staying uniform with the plates in the front. Next was his right shoulder, which wrapped a few pointed plates around his upper arm, flaring off like raven feathers away from his body. From those plates, more plates grew down his right arm, covering his whole arm in a scaling gradient of black chrome, ending in a jet-black gauntlet covering his entire hand. Sen positioned his arm upward and watched as the plates covered his fingers and felt the weight of the armor covering his entire arm. It felt heavy, but light enough for him to still have dexterity in his fingers with and outstretched arm. Sen expected his left arm to be next, but it stayed bare. Two large plates formed around each of his thighs, one wide towards the top of his leg while the other thinned out from the middle of his thigh to the top of his knee. Small round knee-plates formed, followed by more scaling plates forming on his shins, flaring outward from his calves like the shoulder plates had done before. The armor¡¯s conjuration finished by placing more scaling plates on the top of his feet, but leaving the bottom bare, and despite his feet being covered in the black-shadow lining, he felt barefoot, the shadow lining itself wrapping in-between his toes. Oddly, the entire process created no sound, and they all watched in complete silence. Sen stood before them, a smirk on his face. Only his left hand and head were uncovered by the Abyssal Vestments. His right arm was covered in armor while his left was unburdened. The bottom of his feet could feel the floor underneath him. His head being unprotected was an oddity for an armor conjuration ability. They usually came with a full set, or only one piece, like a shield or helmet. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± August said. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what we were waiting for, August.¡± Garrus replied. ¡°Some guy from another world in some dark, brooding, and if I must say, kind of sexy armor?¡± Sen asked. ¡°Zulli? Was I correct in my assumption?¡± ¡°I do like it.¡± Zulli said. ¡°Pretty cool.¡± Sen bowed at her sarcastically, then felt the light shock in the back of his head from the use of mana. Apparently high mana was indeed high mana, and while he still had a small amount left in reserve, he¡¯d rather not go any lower just for show. ¡°Senadin-¡± Garrus started but was cut off by a finger raised straight into the air on Sen¡¯s empty left hand. ¡°It¡¯s my first time, Garrus, let¡¯s not rush it.¡± Sen said, lowering his finger and taking a few steps around the parlor, moving around his armored arm and patting the plates on his legs. He also did some nimble stretches, crouching down a couple times and rotating his torso like he was getting ready to step into a boxing ring. Garrus sent him an unamused scowl, but obliged by not rushing Sen further. ¡°How does it feel, Sen?¡± Zulli couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°An armor set made just for you must feel pretty nice right?¡± ¡°It feels good. It feels badass, really. I feel free while also protected. Kind of an OP starting ability.¡± Zulli stood and walked over to Sen, pulling and pushing at the plates and feeling the fabric underneath between her fingertips. ¡°It feels like oil.¡± She said as she pinched at the fabric on his left arm. It pulled out from his skin as she pinched it, but leaked out of her grasp to reform tight against Sen''s skin once more. Garrus and August shared a look, wishing to continue with Sen absorbing the Awakening Stone, but also wishing to respect the first moments of receiving a new ability. They had done it themselves, twenty times with a full set of essences and the abilities that come with them. They knew the giddiness, excitement, and confusion that came with uncovering one¡¯s abilities. But Sen¡¯s was a little bit different. ¡°Sen, I hate to rush you along.¡± August said with an inflection implying he would finish the sentence, but he never did. ¡°Yeah, August. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll have plenty of time to check this out. Do you guys think that Awakening Stone will drain me of any mana? I¡¯m a little low.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Can you see how low?¡± Garrus asked, genuinely curious as to the extent of the information that Sen could see. ¡°Like a mana bar? No. Nothing like that. No numbers or bars, I just have to feel it out. I can feel it in the back of my head when I¡¯m running out of mana, and the front when I¡¯m really low.¡± ¡°That¡¯s par for the course. No, this Awakening Stone specifically should not give you any mana trouble.¡± Garrus said. Sen looked at Garrus under lowered eyebrows. ¡°Do you have golf here?¡± ¡°Golf?¡± Garrus asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rich man¡¯s sport on my world. Well, more like a sport for people that think they¡¯re rich, but rich people play it too. My translation power must have taken a phrase you have in your world and changed it to one relative to mine. Magic is crazy.¡± The armor Sen wore liquified and melted back into his body in what seemed like a sticky ichor being sucked into his pores. His clothes, the gray long sleeve shirt and pair of blue jeans, and even his boots, were revealed underneath, unblemished by the inky liquid and unwrinkled. ¡°I had a feeling I was going to be naked when I did that. Also, I feel like I should get mana back for absorbing the armor. That is not the case.¡± Sen still felt a tinge of pressure in the back of his head. He and Zulli walked back over to the table. Zulli sat back down in her chair, while Sen stayed standing, picking up the bluish-gray crystal off the table.
When he was reminded that most of his abilities were still unawakened, he wasted no time. He had a lot to do before he hit the end game. Sen clasped the stone in his fist, and his fist trembled for a moment before a tinny sound of broken glass reverberated through the parlor again, this time with less gusto than the Essence before it. A pale blue light shone from Sen¡¯s fist, glowing faintly. His feet felt planted into the ground, while he felt lightheadedness rush through his cranium. The room began to spin, and he felt like he was going to fall over, but his feet were planted firm. The feeling wasn¡¯t as intense as when he absorbed the Essence, but it had its own flavor of disorientation. Vertigo creeped up on him, motion sickness, and he began to sweat. He hadn''t eaten anything yet this morning but had gorged himself the night before on Garrus'' charitable dinner. He felt like he was going to throw up, but he held it back on the precipice of evacuation. The vertigo soon passed, and Sen was greeted by another dialogue box.
Effect (Iron): Your void special attacks and spells can be transfigured into different forms.
Sen read the ability and re-read over some parts. ¡°I don¡¯t have any special attacks or spells.¡± He said disappointedly. Garrus tapped his finger against the table, his impatience for something seeping through his body language. Sen looked at Zulli, then the rest of the group. ¡°It¡¯s an augmentation power, it changes my special attacks and spells, but I don¡¯t have any.¡± Garrus nodded, a small smirk playing on his lips. ¡°August, have a seat.¡± August obliged with Garrus¡¯ request. ¡°August said that the ability you gained was impossible. And it is.¡± ¡°Yeah, we kind of glossed over that, didn¡¯t we?¡± Sen replied. ¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡¯ Zulli impatiently reached across the table to grab the wand that was waiting for her. She inspected it thoroughly: the jagged edges of the dark, smoky crystal, the light emanating from the base where she held the wand in her hand. It resembled a comet flying through space and crashing into her palm. She looked up to see everyone staring at her unamused, except for Sen, who had his trademark smirk on his face as he watched her. ¡°Continue.¡± Zulli said unabashedly, waving the wand as a conductor would direct her orchestra. August¡¯s head shook slightly as he looked away from Zulli and directed his attention on Sen. ¡°There are certain abilities linked to Essences and Awakening Stones. You have a certain chance to get certain abilities based on the Essences and Awakening Stones you use. A set of all black armor has never, ever been awakened by the absorption of the Potent Essence.¡± ¡°But the next ability, Senadin, does the information in your mind tell you the name of it?¡± Garrus asked. ¡°Oh- uh¡­¡± Sen had already forgotten the name. It was a lot to take in. ¡°Primordial Transfiguration.¡± He said, having quickly opened and closed the dialogue box containing its details. August and Garrus shared another one of their astounded looks. ¡°That is also not an ability given by the Awakening Stone of Balance or the Potent Essence.¡± Garrus stated. ¡°It is by all rights and reason, impossible for you to have these abilities.¡± ¡°From the tone of your voice, Garrus, I¡¯m guessing you know why I do?¡± Sen remarked. ¡°I have a theory, but it is so preposterous that most of the people I have talked to about it have labelled me as mad. Going insane. Lost my marbles, what have you.¡± Garrus said almost with a laugh. ¡°Your quest.¡± Zulli chimed in. ¡°Are we travelling to where you first came up with this theory? The place that drove you mad?¡± She asked, tapping the end of the wand pertly against her cheek in boredom. Garrus took a second to connect the dots on his own, wondering how she had come to that conclusion so quickly. He didn¡¯t think he had given enough information for it to be teased out so easily. Despite Zulli¡¯s unconventional nature, both physically and mentally, as well as most likely spiritually, she seemed rather clever. ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll go and see what I saw, maybe more.¡± Zulli nodded, placing her head in her hand and leaning onto the table, her bleak silver eyes drawn to Sen. ¡°Ah. So it''s personal. Why didn¡¯t you just say that from the beginning? You didn¡¯t have to be all creepy about it.¡± Sen asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you were the one. Or the two, rather.¡± Garrus said, his eyes dancing between the two outworlders. ¡°And would you have believed me? I must admit, I even doubted myself more than I should have.¡± Sen shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe. August, you¡¯re in on this ¡°theory¡± too? Is that why you¡¯re working with Garrus?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well alright. What else do we need to know about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not spoil the surprise, like I said before, your Essence is special, and my own knowledge is fragmented, as if I was only supposed to know the bits I know and nothing more. What I can tell you is that when I see you after the quest, I¡¯ll answer any questions I can.¡± ¡°And if this quest ends in our demise?¡± ¡°It will not.¡± August said. ¡°It can not.¡± Garrus added. Sen raised an eyebrow at the resolve of their answers. He believed them, for whatever reason, both August¡¯s determination and Garrus¡¯ beseeching tone resounding in his mind. ¡°It will not.¡± Sen agreed. He looked over at Zulli. ¡°We have adventures to go on after.¡± Her body language lightened, and he could feel her smile through her expressionless, blank face. ¡°Silverwind has a magic level around the rank of mid-bronze. I will be able to kill any monster there, even if a silver manifests.¡± August told them. ¡°It will be an excellent place for you to become acclimated with your abilities.¡± ¡°And a perfect place for August to train you two.¡± August pointed a dull look of dismay at Garrus. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about going too hard on them, August. Something tells me they can take it. Something tells me they will have to.¡± *** ¡°You think they were outworlders?¡± A man said, pulling an intricate pointed dagger from the gut of a combat dummy and patting it twice on the shoulder, whereby it walked to a wall and hung itself on large, looped hooks. He was a tall, somewhat lanky man, wearing a tight black t-shirt with a pair of dark blue pants and a set of black boots. ¡°He smelled like my mother.¡± Jalex said to the man. ¡°Ah, that outworlder smell. She has it even though she¡¯s a draconian?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a draconian from another world, why wouldn¡¯t she?¡± Jalex responded curtly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, just weird to think of a draconian smelling like springtime. Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°You were thinking about putting a team together and moving out of the city. I thought you might want to consider them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s two kinds of outworlders, Jalex. Those that can¡¯t hack it and die immediately, and those that survive and thrive.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard it all before, Arc. These two don¡¯t fit either of those. And it¡¯s not true anyways, my mother is blatantly average.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think your father thought so. So what about them drew your eye?¡± ¡°The shadowy one, she gave me the chills, even with her high-pitched voice, maybe because of that voice, I don''t know. It was like some kind of immense power was trying to get out of her. And her eyes were just creepy, always open. And that guy, his aura was¡­¡± Jalex stopped to think. ¡°I get it Jalex, I trust your judgement and I¡¯ll look into it. If they¡¯re outworlders, the Magic Society ought to have something on them.¡± Arc told the huge draconian. ¡°What were they, bronze?¡± ¡°She was iron with all her essences but not a trace of any other awakened abilities. He was normal with one essence, one ability, probably his Aura ability.¡± Arc looked at Jalex with a tinge of disbelief. ¡°An iron-ranker gave the great Jalexectrand Urbonticos, the first Celestine Draconian, the chills. And you said a normal had an aura?¡± ¡°This is why I¡¯m telling you, Arc.¡± Arc rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°A normal having a perceptible aura is interesting on its own. I just don¡¯t know if it would be worth it to train them. I want to get out there and adventure, not be bogged down by students like the Remores are.¡± Jalex grumbled at the remark. ¡°My parents say that adventuring isn¡¯t about-¡± ¡°I know what your parents say, Jalex!¡± Arc said, overdramatically raising his hands in the air and turning away from the draconian. ¡°It¡¯s about the power the world has in store for you. That¡¯s what built the great Urbonticos empire of steel. Y¡¯know, some of us weren¡¯t born from royalty?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep reminding me of that, either.¡± Jalex sneered, looking down his long snout at Arc. Arc looked back at him, his eyes narrowing. A tense moment of silence fell over them. It was early in the day, the most ambitious adventurers were starting to fill the training grounds of the Adventure Society, but Arc and Jalex met in the same corner most mornings before setting off on their daily patrols or contracts. That is, before their original team split up. They stared at each other still, one waiting for the other to make a move. In a flash, Arc was in front of Jalex, his fist balled and extended directly toward the end of Jalex¡¯s long snout. At least, that¡¯s where Arc thought he was, before he felt the knuckle of the draconian¡¯s wing impacting his side. Jalex not only had enough speed to move out of the way of Arc''s punch, but had enough capacity of mind to position himself in a spot that allowed him to counter with his wing, leaving both of his arms ready to defend or strike as necessary. Arc fell to the ground, a decent fall from the height of a few meters above, where Jalex¡¯s snout always hung. A large, scaled fist came down, and Arc rolled away before the fist crushed his head. He spun around in the dirt, quickly getting back on his feet with his fists in front of his face like a classic boxer. He got in close to Jalex, who towered over him and kept his long arms down at his sides. ¡°Arc, this isn¡¯t like the old-oomph!¡± Jalex retorted before being cut off by a quick jab in the nose from Arc. ¡°Like the old what? Like the old ladies you take downtown?¡± Another scaled fist came for Arc¡¯s gut, but he both stepped back and blocked with his arms, removing some of the impact of the blow, which still had enough force to push him back a few feet as he slid in the dirt on his toes. ¡°Arcturus! Urbonticos! No sparring against each other in the dummy racks!¡± A voice yelled from behind a counter facing the training grounds. ¡°I win. Gotcha in the face.¡± Arcturus said. "Not a chance, I got the last hit." Jalex sneered. Chapter 10: I Just Need Some Air ¡°Three days.¡± Senadin said to Zulli as they stepped out from the massive iron-rod gates of Carbon Manor. Before leaving, the two had finished up some details with Garrus Carbon and August Niles about the upcoming quest on behalf of Garrus. They decided, together, that they would set out in three days. They would head out of Vitesse by carriage, make their way to a port town where they would start a series of portal jumps to Silverwind, far to the northwest and over a huge body of water. ¡°Yeah.¡± Zulli said. ¡°We should stock up on some Shawarma for the trip. It should stay fresh and warm in your voidspace.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯m not so sure. Fresh and warm is not how I would describe that place. But we can try it out, grab some early, throw it in there, then have some for dinner.¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯m gonna have some for breakfast too.¡± Zulli mumbled under her breath, stepping off with Sen. Sen heard Zulli mumble but only smirked in reply. Garrus had supplied them with a reasonable stipend of iron rank and lesser spirit coins to use in preparation for their journey. They chose three days so they had time to prepare, but mostly so they could secure the chance to say their goodbyes and thanks to Vance for his help in becoming acclimated in Vitesse and the new world they resided in. They had stopped by an adventurer¡¯s general store, one of many in Vitesse, and were able to get their hands on some tools that Sen claimed as necessary, while Zulli scolded him for being so cavalier with their money. ¡°Do you even know how to use a block and tackle?¡± Sen scoffed. ¡°Of course! Well no, not exactly, but I bet you do, don¡¯t you?¡± Zulli folded her arms. Sen could feel the scowl through the shadow of her face.
Racial Ability: Universal Knowledge You have an understanding of basic concepts of the universe you reside in. These concepts will be accounted based on the traditions, sciences, folklore, practices, techniques, and disciplines of that universe, but do not apply to social nuances, behaviors, and sophisticated arts. This ability will grow as your knowledge base does.
¡°Look, I¡¯m not expecting you to handle all the tools-¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to handle a tool right now.¡± ¡°Oh, Zulli! Was that a quip? Did you just quip at me? Who taught you to talk like that young lady?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pretty common term. I¡¯ve heard it a few times already.¡± ¡°Okay, seriously Zulli, I really want to be prepared, so I¡¯m filling up the voidspace. Yes, I may not exactly know what a set of pulleys with rope can help us with, except for maybe a very large treasure chest at the bottom of a well, but you never know. Plus, with your Universal Knowledge you can teach me some things I might not know. It¡¯ll give us something to do in our off time, and it¡¯ll help us work better together, we can learn how each other learns, stuff like that.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Zulli said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ A good idea, yeah.¡± ¡°Mhm. Not so much of a tool now, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t even know if I used that word right, what does it actually mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of those words that you¡¯ll understand better through context. Like¡­¡± Sen thought a moment, before snapping a finger in epiphany. ¡°Like when August suppressed our auras in the cafeteria and never said a word. Real toolbag move. Especially since he was being used by someone else, like an actual tool.¡± ¡°Toolbag?¡± ¡°You can add bag to the end of a word to kind of emphasize it a little bit more.¡± Zulli was looking at him, but looked around the shop to gain some inspiration. She couldn¡¯t find much in the utilitarian shop to draw from, and was distracted when her eyes met a wall of small pouches. ¡°Bag. I need a bag.¡± Zulli said. *** Gone from the shop, with many new tools and toys acquired, the two outworlders walked along the roads of Vitesse. They took in the bustling sights under the assumption they wouldn¡¯t be back for some time. They stopped in some other niche shops and found a museum outside the Temple District that was devoted to some heroes that were no longer around, but mostly held some inert artifacts from bygone eras. Sen was shocked at the amount of time that coalesced between all the items, and if they could tell their stories, he didn¡¯t think he would be able to hear them all before he died of old age. It was a strange feeling for him that deepened the world around him. Growing up in middle America, most of the old artifacts he had seen were certainly not magical, and maybe only a few centuries old. There were other parts of his old world that held artifacts much older than a few centuries that provided insight into the history of his world, but he simply wasn¡¯t cultured in them. Amongst the plethora of old relics, he felt like a toddler in an incredibly old universe, both excited for what lay ahead of him, and humbled by his lack of knowledge. Looking around, Sen saw no security and no glass walls barring someone from simply walking up to the artifacts and taking them. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to, but the thought of these amazing artifacts being open for anyone to just nab bit at his conscience. ¡°Wonder if they have any problems with thieves trying to steal these.¡± He posited to Zulli. ¡°Why would anyone steal them?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Well they¡¯re certainly valuable, right? I mean what if one of these was a family heirloom and a begrudged bastard son wants his grandpa¡¯s stuff. He hires a thief to get his stuff back. There¡¯s an intense scene where you don¡¯t know if he¡¯s going to get it, but he does, setting off the alarm and suddenly he has to run away from some powerful magic people, resulting in the penultimate chase with big explosions happening in the background.¡± Sen said, waving his hands for dramatic effect. Zulli envisioned the story in her mind. ¡°That¡¯s not likely.¡± She said coyly. ¡°Seems like something that would happen here.¡± ¡°Maybe. Are you the thief in the story?¡± ¡°No, not my style. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I don¡¯t disregard dex, but I¡¯m more of a strength and wisdom kind of guy.¡± ¡°Dex, like Dexterity?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m definitely not the thief either. Those attributes don¡¯t match our Essence Attributes though. Are those from your world?¡± ¡°That¡¯s very -perceptive- of you.¡± Sen said, inflecting his insinuation. ¡°But kind of, just in games. Strength, Dex, Fortitude, Intellect, Wisdom, and Perception are the usual six, or an off-shoot of those.¡± Zulli pondered the attributes for a moment. "I don''t know which one of those I would be. Do you pick two? Like Strength and Wisdom? Can I have them all?" "Oh this is great!¡± He said. ¡°I can go over some team composition stuff with you about this, if you want.¡± ¡°Ok¡­¡± Zulli said, not sure if the advice would help since the attributes native to Essence Users didn¡¯t match the ones he would be speaking on, but she was curious enough to oblige. ¡°So, in a classic team, around five or six chara- err, team members, each person has their own strength, say a frontliner having high fortitude for example. He can take the hits for the team, effectively called tanking.¡± ¡°Tanking.¡± Zulli nodded. ¡°Yeah, taking hits for the team. Someone else is strong in another attribute, say Dexterity, where they¡¯re able to maneuver around the fight, staying out of the tanks way, not getting hit, and getting in some damage and utility or crowd control.¡± ¡°Crowd control?¡± ¡°Like, controlling the enemy through the use of debilitating effects.¡± ¡°Like my Blind effect?¡±
Effect (Iron):Attack with a beam of starlight, dealing [Disruptive] damage and causing the [Blinded] effect to targets affected by the beam, leaving them [Blinded] afterward for an amount of time corollary to the target¡¯s resilience and recovery.
¡°Exactly.¡± Sen said, snapping his finger and pointing at her. ¡°That¡¯s crowd control. It provides a little breathing room.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I don¡¯t have to breathe anyway.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Sen said, easily playing through the awkwardness of the comment. ¡°What I¡¯m getting at is that each person covers the other one¡¯s weakness.¡± ¡°How is the damage covered that the tank is taking?¡± ¡°Usually by a healer, or the use of items, maybe a leech build.¡± ¡°Leeches?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that one. It¡¯s kind of a novelty that never gets enough love.¡± ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a but at the end of this.¡± ¡°But!¡± Sen said, playing into her comment again. ¡°That¡¯s just a classic way of doing things. There¡¯s a little bit a more fun, possibly more rewarding way of going about it.¡± ¡°Ok, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re going to tell me all about it.¡± Zulli said. She was excited to hear what he had to say, but didn¡¯t want him to know that. ¡°We go off-meta.¡± ¡°Off-Meta? I don¡¯t think that term makes sense in this situation.¡± ¡°Stay with me Zulli!¡± He said, pointing a finger in the air. His own excitement was building, and some people inside their wing of the museum were passing glances at him as his volume increased. Zulli shook her head. ¡°Why do you get like this sometimes?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t follow the traditional rules. We just play how we want!¡± ¡°Sen, I think people play¡­ er, make their teams like that for a reason. It¡¯s a sound tactic, I don¡¯t see why it would be a bad idea.¡± ¡°To what end?¡± ¡°Well, it makes your team harder to kill and makes your team kill the monsters better.¡± ¡°A fair point, Zulli. Is that what you want? What about when you¡¯re not fighting the monsters? How much time have you and I spent fighting monsters since we¡¯ve known each other?¡± ¡°Well, I kind of wish we¡¯ve fought more." Zulli replied. "So, you¡¯re saying it¡¯s not just about fighting monsters?¡± Sen raised a provocative eyebrow at Zulli. *** ¡°Vance, I thought I¡¯d find you here. Getting along well in the Magic Society?¡± Arcturus said as his lanky, tall frame strode into Vance¡¯s office. He was wearing what he had before in the training area with Jalex, but had a black leather duster hanging over him, as well as a wide-brimmed black leather hat. His shaggy hair bushed out of the hat, covering most of his face. Vance paused, sitting at his desk. ¡°Arcturus.¡± He said nonchalantly. Arcturus sighed. He looked down at the floor and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this short. Jalex told me about a couple outworlders in town, I¡¯m going to check the records now, and I thought I¡¯d stop by, see how you¡¯re doing, and maybe see if you know anything about them.¡± ¡°I am fine, Arcturus.¡± Vance said and proceeded with an exhausted sigh of his own. ¡°Thank you for stopping by.¡± Arcturus put on a sad smile. He wanted to say he was sorry but knew that it wouldn¡¯t help at all. He had said it before to no effect, multiple times. No one even blamed anyone, but they all apologized. ¡°Sorry, how are you doing?¡± Vance asked him, looking up from his desk. ¡°Getting by, putting my effort into my work, like you.¡± Vance solemnly nodded, he stroked his mustache just enough to push the bristles away from his top lip. ¡°What do you want to know about these outworlders?¡± ¡°Jalex said they¡¯re pretty low ranking on the power scale, but were very interesting nonetheless, was kind of thinking about grabbing them up for my¡­ next team.¡± Vance looked away from Arcturus. ¡°Pao said you wanted to get away with a new team. I can¡¯t blame you.¡± Vance said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her at all lately.¡± ¡°She¡¯s seen you. I think I¡¯m the only one she talks to anymore.¡± Arcturus¡¯ lips stiffened, but he said nothing. ¡°Honestly, Arc, I know both of the outworlders personally, I would call them friends, and I don¡¯t want them to be on your team. They¡¯re both fairly reckless, daring, if I may. They need a formal, disciplined mentor.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Arc said. ¡°Yeah. Alright Vance. Good seeing you.¡± He stepped toward the door of Vance¡¯s office. ¡°Wait, Arc, have you seen them? They have quarters in the transient housing, but didn¡¯t come back last night.¡± ¡°Jalex ran into them yesterday, outside the walls.¡± ¡°By themselves?¡± ¡°Jalex didn¡¯t say, I didn¡¯t think about that. I assume Reyna Remore was there with him, surely she would not have them out there alone.¡± Vance nodded, but the concerned look did not leave his face. ¡°Vance.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about-¡± ¡°-I am too, Arc.¡± *** After finishing their quick conversation about team composition, Zulli and Sen decided to go out and find some lunch, then maybe check out the Temples devoted to the Gods in the Temple District, which could take an entire day on its own. Sen made it clear he didn¡¯t want to go inside any, just marvel at them from the outside while they enjoyed a peaceful lunch. They made it to the large open doors at the entrance of the museum, when they saw a figure standing on the steps, looking inside. The figure wore a set of robes of gray coloration with blue accents. It reminded Sen of the robes of the Magic Society, but just a little more off, a little more holy. They had their hood over their head, covering their eyes, but to Sen and Zulli, the figure seemed to be staring right at them. ¡°Senadin. Zulli. Hello.¡± The figure said in a woman¡¯s voice as the two neared, their strides slowing in building anticipation. Sen stopped, as did Zulli. ¡°Hello.¡± Zulli said cautiously. Sen stayed silent. After dealing with Garrus, absorbing magical crystals, and almost socially exhausting himself explaining team compositions with Zulli, Sen was in the mindset of eating a peaceful lunch. He wasn¡¯t inclined to stray from that course. ¡°I am Marydeth Palona, a priestess of the goddess Knowledge.¡± Zulli looked at Sen for some kind of answer. He shrugged. ¡°Nice to meet you Marydeth.¡± Zulli said. ¡°Is there something that you need from us? We were just going to grab some lunch.¡± ¡°I have brought you these, my Lady told me that you would want them by now.¡± Marydeth said, holding out two items wrapped in paper. Zulli instinctively grabbed both of them, feeling their warmth in her hands. ¡°I did want them by now.¡± Zulli said, looking at the delicacies she held in her hands. ¡°But¡­¡± Sen kept his face directed at Marydeth while he looked at Zulli with a sideways gaze. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right being given them like this.¡± Zulli said, looking up from the shawarma, to Marydeth, then over to Sen to see his stern sideways look. He nodded. She handed him the shawarma. He put them in his voidspace. ¡°Because it¡¯s a test. Gods only want things from people to use to their own gain. They are inherently self-righteous, radiating themselves without abandon. The are all inherently a plague.¡± Sen said. ¡°Indeed it was a test.¡± Marydeth openly admitted. ¡°My Lady is interested in knowing what she doesn¡¯t know. She did know the blasphemy that you would spew, Senadin, but it still takes me by surprise, the audacity of it.¡± Marydeth said matter-of-factly without any change in her soft, womanly tone. Sen''s eyes narrowed. ¡°My Lady doesn¡¯t know much more, admittedly. Only that Zulli has the most unpredictable mortal mind she has ever witnessed.¡± Sen gave another passing glance to Zulli. He sighed. ¡°But one thing, the last thing that she told me, was that you would try to be a good person for her.¡± Marydeth said, the hood of her robes pointing at Sen, while pointing a heavily robed finger at Zulli. ¡°Why is that, Senadin?¡± Sen¡¯s face stiffened, and his eyebrows lowered. Was she provoking him, right after giving him a gift? Was Knowledge committing blatant manipulation tactics on purpose just to see how they will react? Was she playing the long game? Despite his rebelliousness, he couldn¡¯t pretend he knew the intentions of the goddess of Knowledge, but he could imagine that they were very well researched. Sen also knew that knowledge was not wisdom, and he felt wisdom could outmatch her. Was there a god of Wisdom? There had to be. He wondered if the two gods were acquainted, maybe friends, maybe relatives. ¡°Your goddess knows what I know.¡± ¡°She knows everything everyone knows.¡± So the goddess knew the answer to the question not when, but before Marydeth asked it. ¡°Tell her she can take what everyone knows and shove it up-¡± ¡°Sen!¡± Zulli interjected. ¡°You don¡¯t act like that.¡± She told him, more accusingly than commandingly. He looked away to let his gaze rest on the sky, still stern faced. The open space in his eyes allowed some space to open in his mind, and his face relaxed. ¡°You are a person and you deserve respect like anyone else.¡± Sen said to Marydeth, reminding himself of his principles. ¡°I am sorry for calling your god a plague.¡± The two could see the priestess¡¯ lips curl into a smile from under her hood. ¡°Enjoy the shawarma.¡± Marydeth said, before gracefully turning around, stepping across the road and disappearing in the crowd on the road facing the Temple District. A few moments passed while the two watched her walk away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that was about, I just want to say I am still hungry.¡± Sen said. ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll keep the shawarma in my voidspace. We¡¯ll check and see if it¡¯s still warm at dinnertime. Let¡¯s find something else to eat, something good.¡± *** ¡°People around here seem to like the gods, and you just don¡¯t at all. Like you completely reject them. There weren¡¯t any on your world, right?¡± Zulli said with one side of her mouth full of sandwich. Sen had just taken a bite and held up his finger while he hurriedly chewed and swallowed. They were sitting at a small table in a quiet half-populated caf¨¦. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal for you, because nobody can see your mouth, or what¡¯s in it, but people don¡¯t usually talk with their mouth full. It¡¯s like a manners and decorum thing.¡± Sen said. ¡°But a lot of people also talk with their mouth full.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very true. Like I said, not that big of a deal. Anyways, no there weren¡¯t any gods on my world, or magic at all, as you know. Maybe that¡¯s why I don¡¯t like them, I don¡¯t know. It just seems like the living manifestation of a concept is going to be the most zealous entity regarding that specific concept. That zeal just doesn¡¯t sit right with me for some reason. About anything.¡± ¡°Even MoleSloths?¡± ¡°Like the zeal you have for MoleSloths?¡± Sen asked with a smirk. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Okay, so you like MoleSloths right?¡± ¡°Just wanna hug ¡®em.¡± Zulli said, this time after swallowing her bite of sandwich. Of course, Zulli didn''t wish to be the goddess of MoleSloths, she was simply probing Sen''s reactions to gain insight. ¡°Exactly. You hug the MoleSloth. Awesome. How about a million other MoleSloths? You want to hug them too?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Zulli said, her sarcastic grin undetectable on her black, shadowy face. ¡°Yeah right, you¡¯d get tired of it.¡± Sen accused. Zulli didn¡¯t reply and they sat and ate in silence, Sen enjoying the peacefulness of the moment, and Zulli working up the courage to say something. ¡°Sen I don¡¯t want to be another weight you have to bear.¡± Zulli blurted out. Sen paused his chewing. Then continued and swallowed. ¡°You¡¯re not a weight, what do you mean?¡± He asked, putting down his sandwich onto his plate. She looked down at the sandwich on her plate, thinking of what the priestess of Knowledge said. ¡°You¡¯d try to be a good person for me? What is that about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my friend, Zulli. Maybe the best friend I have now.¡± ¡°But why for me? Why not for yourself? Or anyone else?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, I want to do it for other people too, I suppose. And myself. You know I have my principles that I told you all about.¡± ¡°Why would the priestess of Knowledge say that though?¡± Zulli said, her shoulders and neck were obviously stiffening. Her foot began to tap lightly against the floor. Her hands pressed down against the table. ¡°You okay, Zulli?¡± ¡°It makes me tense and shaky to ask you these questions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s anxiety.¡± ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t like it. I know what I want to do but my body won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I would tell you to breathe, but you don¡¯t have to. Just take a second. Feel out your body and try to relax a little bit. Relieve your stiffness.¡± Zulli let out a breath as if she was holding it in for dear life. Her chest deflated as her shoulders relaxed. ¡°It¡¯s rough, I know. Sometimes you can¡¯t stop it, but there are ways you can adapt to it. Have you not felt that yet?¡± Sen asked her. ¡°Not like that.¡± Zulli said, pausing to take another breath and then slowly let it out again. ¡°It has only happened in social situations, and not to that degree. It¡¯s like when I talk about something I care about, I get worried that I won¡¯t be able to express myself clearly, and I won¡¯t be understood like I should. I guess that deeply frightens me.¡± Sen took a moment to appreciate the vulnerability and trust she gave him. ¡°I think you can express yourself quite well, Zulli. The priestess of Knowledge was playing a game, it¡¯s one of those social games. The ones where people don¡¯t let other people know how they feel and what they¡¯re up to. This reaction, right here, is probably what that goddess wanted all along.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d like to get up and walk around. I just need some air.¡± Zulli said. ¡°You want me to come-?¡± ¡°-No. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll catch up with you in front of the gate to the Temple District, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 11: Disgruntled Confusion Outside the Temple District in the city of Vitesse, an old man sat on a bench. The gates to the Temple District themselves almost never closed, as everyone in the city was welcome to visit the temples for worship and veneration. During monster surges, the gates were monitored to limit the coming and going of people as the temples tend to have a higher frequency of visitors from all walks of life, high nobility to the meek. There wouldn¡¯t be another monster surge for some time however, as the most recent surge occurred just a few years ago. The benches outside the gates were made of some kind of limestone, bleached white, and carved in a comfortable rounded fashion. It featured a gentle curve from the seat to the backrest. Despite how hard the limestone was, the contours of their shape allowed people of all sizes to sit in them comfortably. The old man on the bench was older looking but not quite elderly, sporting a rugged but handsome face, covered in a bushy but well-kept white beard. He wore an oversized tan poncho, covering most of his body in a wavy single layer. He had one leg crossed over the other, opening the draped covering of the poncho to reveal a pair of blue jeans, but no shoes on his feet. A kid walked over to the man, not really a kid, but young compared to him. Oddly, the kid was also wearing a pair of jeans, a little bit darker than the old man¡¯s along with a long-sleeved gray shirt. The kid had eyes that were sunken in a little bit, with dark circles underneath, suggesting he didn¡¯t get much sleep. ¡°Mind if I sit with you?¡± The kid asked the old man, a smirk on his face. The smirk told the old man a lot about the kid in that moment. It didn¡¯t seem like the kid was hiding anything behind the smirk, there was warmth to it, as if there was an inherent happiness that it originated from. It struck him with a sense of innocence, an innocence that was bereft of naivety. This kid had seen a few things in his life, maybe experienced some horrible episodes. He chose to smile despite his experience, and what came out from that choice was a sly smirk, as if the smirk itself was designed specifically to cut through those evils. ¡°Not at all.¡± The kid sat down, leaving a comfortable amount of space for two strangers on a bench. He seemed to like the bench when he sat down on it, impressed by its comfortability. He interlocked his fingers together resting his hands on his belly as he sunk into the bench, letting his back slouch against its curvature. He watched the roads and the people walking by. He seemed to take in the sights like a tourist, amazed at everything he saw. It wasn¡¯t too long before his eyes caught a glimpse of the old man in his periphery, sporting a pair of blue jeans. ¡°Hey, nice pants. Thought I was the only one with a pair of those.¡± The kid said. ¡°My friend just told me about them. Had to get a pair myself.¡± The old man replied. ¡°You get them from Jerry¡¯s then?¡± ¡°I believe Jerry has shared the technique with other tailors. Word is: He got the technique from an outworlder. I got mine specially fitted.¡± The kid¡¯s eyes lit up as if he was surprised to be wearing pants from another world. ¡°That is the way to do it. Nothing tops a perfectly fitting pair of practical pants.¡± ¡°I¡¯m seeing that now. They¡¯re practical but done right, the material folds in way that makes them quite fashionable.¡± ¡°Yep. Glad you like them.¡± The kid said, nodding. ¡°You¡¯re not from around here are you?¡± The old man asked the kid in a warm tone. ¡°No, I¡¯m just visiting the city. Gonna head out here in a few days.¡± ¡°Enjoying Vitesse?¡± ¡°I like the city, but I feel like a very small fish in a very large pond here.¡± The old man chuckled. ¡°Yes, The City of Flowers is home to many legends, many elites, many people who think they know what they want. Hard to climb the ladder when there¡¯s already so many people on it.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s a good way of putting it.¡± The kid agreed. ¡°Just you here then?¡± The old man asked. The kid peered at the old man, looking into his eyes as he openly guessed his intentions. ¡°Just waiting on someone right now. She needed some time to herself.¡± ¡°Ah. Girlfriend troubles. You probably know what you¡¯re doing with that better than me.¡± ¡°Nothing like that. Just a friend.¡± The kid said. ¡°We had a run-in with a priestess of Knowledge. Does that happen often around here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon for Knowledge to spread what she knows, but she alone is the decider of who is ready to hear what.¡± A look of annoyed distress came to the kids face. ¡°Not many priests where you come from?¡± The old man asked. ¡°Not much divine intervention at all. I don¡¯t like it.¡± The kid replied. ¡°The intervention? Or the divinity?¡± The kid looked down at the ground, then craned his neck to look over at the old man again. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name. I¡¯m Sen.¡± ¡°You can call me Dominick.¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve been around for quite a while, Dom. You¡¯re older than you look, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I am, yes. Most people are around here. Maybe not as old as me but there are certainly some that are older.¡± Sen tried to perceive Dominick¡¯s aura to get a feel for him, but his own aura was pushed back and suppressed immediately upon doing so, without feeling any of Dominick¡¯s emotions behind it at all. They stared at each other for a moment before Sen looked away. ¡°You know, Sen, even having a perceptible aura that you can manipulate as a normal is a rarity. Your aura control leaves much to be desired, but your aura has the potential to be very strong.¡± Sen could feel the compliment as an apology for suppressing his aura. ¡°It¡¯s all just so new to me.¡± Sen admitted. ¡°Because you¡¯re the outworlder, right? The one that brought us the pants?¡± Sen froze, then chuckled to himself. ¡°The outworlder that brought you the pants. Yeah.¡± Sen said under his breath. ¡°But being as old as you are, in all your wisdom, you knew that already, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Wouldn¡¯t you think it wise to try and hide it, at your level?¡± ¡°Seems like a fool¡¯s errand. You¡¯re not a priest, are you? Sitting outside the temples wishing someone would come worship?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± The old man said with a small laugh. ¡°Just an old man wishing to make a new friend.¡± ¡°So, do you actually like the jeans, or is it some kind of tactic to get me to like you?¡± ¡°I do, actually.¡± Dominick said, pulling at the denim. ¡°They were quite stiff when I first put them on, but it seems they¡¯ve loosened up as I wore them longer.¡± Sen looked at him with a skeptical expression, then looked away, checking to see if he could see Zulli anywhere. ¡°I¡¯ve hardly had an actual chance meeting since I¡¯ve been here, Dom. Everyone who has any sort of power knows who I am before I even meet them, and everyone is more powerful than me.¡± ¡°So, you already know the path to remedy that.¡± Dom said. ¡°Sure, but it doesn¡¯t help me right now. It¡¯ll take time to accrue that power. I mean, how old are you? How long has it taken you?¡± ¡°A very long time.¡± ¡°Any tips?¡± Dominick smiled. He stood up from the very comfortable limestone bench, his poncho draping around his body to his knees. He looked down at Sen. ¡°Do not try to take any shortcuts. Make the hard decisions just for the sake of making the hard decisions, and remember you have a long life to live. Enemies now can be friends later, as well as the other way around.¡± Dominick turned around and walked away without saying goodbye. Sen merely watched him walk away, which was by chance, or maybe not by chance, the same direction Zulli was heading from. She spotted Sen on the bench and quickened her pace to reach him. ¡°You okay?¡± Sen asked as she was nearing the bench. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just exhausted I think.¡± Zulli replied, sitting down on the edge of the bench. ¡°It can take a real toll on your mind, more than you¡¯d think.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Anatomically, I don¡¯t have a mind. My body is a reflection of my soul.¡±
¡°But anxiety exhausts me all the same.¡± Zulli said. Sen nodded, exhausted in his own right. ¡°Maybe we should call it a day. Head back to the Magic Society, try to get some rest. We can talk with Vance in the morning. We still need to get some warm clothes for the trip, but we should be ready to go otherwise.¡± Sen said. ¡°I like that idea. Do you know how to get back from here?¡± Sen pointed toward a tower in the distance, across the rooftops of the city, it was built with dark gray stone and had blue banners hanging from the highest windows, but the tower was so far away that the symbols on the banners were hard to make out. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s the Magic Society Director¡¯s tower.¡± Sen said. ¡°We should run into Leith¡¯s shawarma stall on the way there.¡± *** As Sen had guessed, they had passed by the shawarma stall. They decided to hold off on stocking up for now. They would both take some time to themselves for the rest of the afternoon, and meet again for dinner, where they would try out the shawarma given to them by the priestess of Knowledge, Marydeth Palona. Zulli walked with Sen back to his dorm, they were both expecting to run into Vance as they entered the Magic Society campus, but he never showed. Zulli told Sen she was going to walk around on her own for a while, while Sen decided to recluse himself in his room to meditate. When he opened the door to his room, he found a folded piece of paper that someone had slid under it. It was neither sealed nor wrote by a calligrapher, it just seemed to be a quick note written by someone walking by. Senadin, My name is Arcturus, I was told by a friend that you were new to this world, and I was considering offering you an invitation to my team that would soon be leaving Vitesse. Vance Cour¡¯deLain is a good friend of mine, and I sought his council on the matter, ultimately deciding that we would not be a good fit as teammates. This is not to say that we couldn¡¯t be teammates later in life, if we both survive that long. I am writing to encourage you to train hard, and find someone that can help you along the way. I am realizing now that I am not that person. I have a lot to learn. This letter is as much for you as it is for me. Stay alive, -Arcturus Grandstream ¡°Arcturus Grandstream?¡± Sen asked under his breath. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to ask Vance about him tomorrow.¡± Sen threw the paper on the kitchen table as he walked into the living area, pulling one of the dining chairs into the middle of the room. Shadow engulfed him, taking away his shirt, jeans, and boots, and replacing them with his comfortable set of Magic Society issued pants. Sen sat on the chair as he had done days prior, right before he met Zulli and before he sent himself on his relatively wild escapade around Vitesse. He collected his thoughts, putting them all in boxes, trying to organize them in chronological order. He tried to sift through the thoughts that were hidden by the great silhouettes of the obvious. His mind seemed to have developed a more adept ability to recall and recollect since the Potent Essence linked to his Spirit Attribute. His mind felt cleaner, easier to pilot, as he closed his eyes to begin his meditation in earnest. He remembered leaving Vitesse, Zulli giving him one last chance to turn back when they were stopped by the guards at the gates. He wondered where he would be now if he had taken that chance. He remembered his first monster kill: The wily mousekrat rabid for its next meal. The fight didn¡¯t go as planned. He had thought it would have been a more grand, action-packed and mythical experience, but it ended with a minor wound on his hip, and the mousekrat¡¯s blood on his boot. He couldn¡¯t bear to think his injury was something major when he thought back to Zulli being cut down. His face cringed, his eyes closing tighter. He took a deep breath in. He had to look back on the memory objectively and accept it. He exhaled slowly. Zulli¡¯s scream rang through his mind. Maybe there was something in the grass he could have noticed. Despite the monster being invisible, it would have displaced the grass it was standing on, as he noticed while the monster was circling him, before August landed in front of him like a comic book hero, tearing through the monster¡¯s neck with his large axe. He had to make sure to be more perceptive out there. He was lucky August was watching. He remembered August berating him. He was weak, he knew that now. ¡°You think this is a game!?¡± Sen heard August yell once more, deep in his mind. Did Sen think it was just a game? Maybe. Maybe he wasn¡¯t taking this as seriously as he should. He¡¯d have time on the trip to get his priorities together, with August¡¯s guidance. Garrus Carbon; what was Sen to make of the man? Was he a crime lord or just a criminal? Ex-Adventurer? He had money enough to own an entire city block in Vitesse, but Sen saw no sign of henchmen or the like. Other than Garrus, the only other person Sen and Zulli saw at Carbon Manor was August. Despite that, Garrus seemed like a busy man, as if his matters were many but invisible. Sen still didn¡¯t quite trust him, but Sen trusted August enough that he would take on the quest Garrus had proposed for them: To go to Silverwind and retrieve Carbon¡¯s sword. That¡¯s all it could be, a simple quest. But Sen knew it wasn¡¯t that simple, and he didn¡¯t want to play the game if it was. ¡°No. Stop. It¡¯s not a game.¡± It was serious. It was life or death. He had to get that through his head. Zulli could have died, and then Sen along with her. This wasn¡¯t like the fantasies he distracted himself with back home. There were no respawns or checkpoints. Or were there? Surely there was a god of death. Even the idea of gods implied immortality. Could he respawn? Could he become immortal? It was too much to think about now. He had to focus on staying alive. Which meant right now, he had to focus on his meditation. He needed to clear his mind to be ready to make the tough decisions. Sen took in a deep breath after realizing he stopped breathing. He nearly gasped for air. Then let out a sharp breath and took in another. ¡°Okay.¡± He said, catching his breath. Sen stood up from his chair and slid it out of the way with a push from the sole of his bare foot. He felt like a martial artist wearing nothing but his free flowing, light gray pants, and he embraced it, sitting down on the floor in a cross-legged pose. He attempted to meditate, but not like he had learned in the void. In the void he had taught his mind to escape everything, to be unerring despite any consequences. No responsibility. He had responsibilities now. He had weight to bear. He closed his eyes and freed his mind. He allowed thoughts to enter it and be released. It was difficult at first, he wanted to focus on things and analyze them as he was doing before. He fought himself for half an hour before his mind relaxed enough to allow the thoughts to flow without reason. Despite knowing he had weight to bear, he could feel his shoulders lightening. Tension released from his body as he let his mind be free. His head hung low, not in surrender, but in relaxation. His hands hung limply with his arms rested on his legs. ¡°Wooow.¡± Sen said in a breathy sigh as he raised his arms and let his back fall to the floor. He lay there, spread-eagle, as he stared at the pale light of the few glowstones on the ceiling. *** Leaning against a balustrade on a raised bridge between a couple of the many buildings in the Magic Society campus, Zulli looked out to a courtyard below. The courtyard below seemed to be closed off to the public and was meant for Magic Society staff only. She had only seen people with magic society robes walking from one building to the next, dropping off documents, briskly walking to meetings and taking breaks on the many benches. Some of these people had looked up to the bridge to see her staring at them. Some stopped, obviously taken aback by her unconventional shadowy form. Some had walked by on the bridge, sending whispers back and forth between their groups, talking about the strange person with shadowy black skin and no facial features. She paid them no mind, or so she wanted them to think. Of course she paid them mind. They openly regarded her as a freak despite trying to hide their intentions. They had seen Draconians, the blue-skinned tattooed race known as the Runics, the fiery Smolders, the gruff and furry Leonids, and even some essence users had their own traits that set them apart, but none had ever seen a Novabound before. Even Zulli hadn¡¯t the faintest idea if there was anyone else out there like her. She didn¡¯t even know why she existed. She knew she was the conscious manifestation of an extreme amount of energy released in the universe, but even to her it sounded far-fetched the longer she thought about it. Her racial ability, Twilight Visitor, gave her a little bit of insight into her own existence. She could only feel it, since she didn¡¯t have an interface like Sen did, and when Sen had scanned her to tell her about it, his interface had told him that its description was blocked by the inherent effect of the ability. She could only feel the power it gave her, and the power was odd, like it was juxtaposed to her existence. Maybe she had made a mistake. She liked Sen, his outgoing attitude, his penchant for adventure, his ability to make light of heavy situations, and that look he gave her when things got serious. But maybe she wasn¡¯t meant to be with him in this world. ¡°But you just latch on to the first person who¡¯s as lost as you are.¡± She grumbled to herself. Their meeting seemed fated, but maybe it was all just chance happenings, so closely tied together that there was no sense to be made from them other than an ignorant understanding of destiny. Zulli¡¯s stroll through the Magic Society campus was meant to clear her head, but the more she thought, the more anxious she became. Before reaching the bridge that she now looked out from, she decided to decide. She needed to make a decision and stick to it. Maybe it was best to leave Sen and find her own path. She knew that Sen wouldn¡¯t let her live in his shadow. He was good enough not to allow her to do that. But she was still afraid of it. Without Sen, she could have more opportunities and maybe find answers. She would be free to carve her own path without worrying about whatever hoops Garrus wants them to jump through, just because Sen has some special Essence. But she had a special essence too, her confluence Essence of the Supernova. ¡°Supernova.¡± She whispered. ¡°Out there, alone, radiating that powerful energy that no one feels.¡± She contemplated its meaning. There had to be some kind of reason for having it, there had to be some reason it was special. She let out an annoyed groan and turned around. One of the magic society staff¡¯s brisk pace abruptly halted by her sudden turn and they clutched their paperwork close to their chest as they peered at her, peering at them. Zulli simply raised her arms in disgruntled confusion, and they hastily went on their way. Maybe if she had some friends she could talk about it with them. If only she could make friends. Zulli¡¯s palm swiftly met her face. Sen was her friend. He wasn¡¯t holding her hostage. Why couldn¡¯t she simply talk about it with him? He would understand. She walked across the bridge, through some more halls, corridors, and courtyards as she made her way back through the massive campus to her and Sen¡¯s dormitories. Her shoulders and her neck stiffened as she felt anxiety rush through her in anticipation of the confrontation. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t understand. Maybe he would be upset about her wanting to leave him and go off alone. Maybe he would try to talk her out of it. Maybe he would try to force her to stay. What if there was a dark part of Sen that he was hiding from her? What if Zulli was about to experience that darkness? Her gait slowed as she rounded the corner to the dormitories. She could feel every step she took. The steps felt huge, as if she couldn¡¯t walk normally. The pressure of the floor pushed against the bottoms of her feet, through the light pair of boots she wore. Her breath became heavy. Dizziness came upon her as she walked up to Sen¡¯s door. She fought through it, knowing she had made the decision and there was no reason to turn back. She steeled her resolve through her own willpower alone and knocked on the door. The moment seemed like an eternity before she heard the doorknob held and watched it twisted counterclockwise. The door swung back. Sen stood there, shirtless, in a comfortable pair of pants, holding two paper-wrapped sandwich-tacos, one in each hand. His sunken eyes seemed tired, but they curved in a way that matched his gentle smirk, which instantly cut through Zulli¡¯s frustration. Zulli¡¯s mood lightened, as if her ego dropped all its weight and floated within her, unburdened by her anxiety. The connection between their souls that Garrus had mentioned reinvigorated through Zulli¡¯s body, like a dam was opened and the dry creek that was her lonely frustration was filled and flooded. How could she forget? Their souls were connected, somehow. She felt comfort she didn¡¯t know she could have. She felt like she was where she was meant to be. Sen arms lowered when she didn¡¯t take her shawarma. Zulli stood at his door, staring at him for a moment. ¡°Uh, Zulli, you alright?¡± Zulli paused, and as always, the expression on her face was unseen. She smiled, stepping into Sen¡¯s room, taking her shawarma, and closing the door. Chapter 12: Timorous Intonation ¡°This evening.¡± ¡°Good.¡± A sultry voice responded to Garrus. ¡°How much does he know?¡± ¡°About as much as I do, but not everything. Not what¡¯s in the cavern, specifically, and nothing you have shared with me. Only what was revealed to me by the rift.¡± Garrus Carbon replied to the origin of the sultry voice. A pale woman with dark black hair sat across from him as they conversed in Garrus¡¯ office. She wore a simple black dress, worn tight against her skinny frame, open from the side of her hip to her ankles. Her face was veiled by a light fabric draped from a circlet wrapped around her head. Inside Garrus¡¯ office sat his desk, which was clean and tidy, bereft of any incriminating evidence of his deeds done within the city. Apart from his desk, and the two chairs in front of it, there were a couple of lounge chairs canted slightly toward each other. The two, Garrus and the mysterious pale woman, occupied those lounge chairs. In front of them a small sofa table held not much more than a tea set on a silver platter. ¡°You didn¡¯t think it wise to warn him of the danger?¡± The woman asked Garrus. ¡°I wasn¡¯t a believer of fate before all this began, you know?¡± Garrus told her, waving a hand toward the tea set, implying an offer as the gracious host he was. The woman raised a prim hand in refusal. ¡°This prophecy business has changed all that for me. It changed everything, maybe for the better, maybe not, but it changed me.¡± Garrus said, resting back into his lounge chair. ¡°Not a prophecy, Garrus, it was a prediction made by a deranged cult.¡± ¡°A prediction that turned out to be true. Either way, to see it birthed into reality is revelatory. He is here, in this city, and he¡¯s going to the place I ventured to many years ago, to reveal his destiny and embrace it.¡± Garrus said as he raised his hand in front of him, grasping at nothing, mimicking the way Sen had crushed the Potent Essence in his hand. ¡°Garrus. The Order has no room for evangelical zealotry. If he is not properly prepared, things outside your purview, and maybe even my own, will turn this world upside-down.¡± Garrus smiled. ¡°It is not faith in Senadin that provokes such strong presupposition. It is my faith in August, and August has never let me down. I have placed my trust with him.¡± ¡°The Khepri. I admit that he is of strong mind, body, and will, but will he be able to supplant his values within the boy?¡± The pale woman asked. ¡°That boy, despite his immaturity, seems to have wisdom beyond his years. It¡¯s like he can see beyond the mortal coil. He judged August without even knowing him.¡± ¡°You believe him prepared, then? Without any external assistance?¡± ¡°I believe he is prepared, but I also believe there are other factors at play. I have seen people lie to other people, and I have seen people lie to themselves. I have seen people believe truths about themselves that are nonexistent, and I have seen people disbelieve truths that are right in front of them. Senadin is not a fool, no matter what he thinks about himself.¡± The pale woman looked away from Garrus in thought. ¡°And what of the girl? Has she complicated things?¡± ¡°Actually, no.¡± Garrus replied. ¡°She seems to keep him on track with our intentions. She will go where he goes, but he also lets her help him decide where he goes.¡± ¡°He respects her council? Someone he has only known for a few days?¡± ¡°Its like they¡¯ve known each other for a very long time. Like siblings, or best friends.¡± ¡°¡­Or an agent specifically designed to gain his trust.¡± ¡°At first, I thought she might be an agent sent to stop him. That does not seem to be the case, at least for now. They share a connection. I can¡¯t see it, but I have felt it.¡± ¡°You have felt their connection? In their auras?¡± ¡°Zulli barely has an aura, but no, the connection seems to be interlinked between something other than their auras. It is like nothing I¡¯ve felt before.¡± The pale woman nodded. ¡°Can anyone feel it?¡± ¡°The Magic Society¡¯s security system pinged it, but that has diamond-rank sensitivity. Even with my magic sense, combined with my silver rank perception, I can barely feel it, and it comes and goes, like it¡¯s not always there.¡± ¡°So, the Magic Society already has a hint.¡± She said. ¡°The Burning Violet has been investigating him since his arrival.¡± ¡°They know the Order has an interest in him, then?¡± ¡°No.¡± She replied. ¡°They know someone does, they do not know it is the Order. That being said, I¡¯ll be removing myself from the City of Flowers until Senadin¡¯s task is completed. If he lives, the Order will owe you a debt. If he dies, our next meeting won¡¯t be so genial.¡± *** ¡°I have to say, I¡¯m very relieved to see you two sitting here again.¡± Vance sat at the end of Zulli and Sen¡¯s cafeteria table, where they sat across from each other, as they had during their first dinner together. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let you go outside the walls, I don¡¯t know what I was thinking. There could have been a horde after you, or a silver rank monster, or even just a rogue agent preying on the weak.¡± ¡°Vance, we¡¯re fine.¡± Zulli said, taking a break from her breakfast to console him. ¡°Everything worked out. No one died.¡± ¡°But were you hurt?¡± Vance asked. ¡°Both of us, yes. We were hurt.¡± Sen said, looking down at his tray. ¡°Zulli more than I.¡± ¡°And everything worked out.¡± Zulli deliberated to Sen. ¡°And it set us on a path that will let us get stronger. That¡¯s what we wanted, right?¡± Sen nodded, lifting his eyes to look at Zulli responsibly. ¡°It won¡¯t be the first time we get hurt, if we ever actually get out there to fight any monsters again.¡± Zulli said in an annoyed tone. ¡°We will.¡± Sen assured. ¡°Listen to me you two.¡± Vance said, leaning into the table, holding himself up on his elbows with his forearms crossed. ¡°The pain of losing someone is almost a rite of passage for every adventurer. But I pray to Karma that either of you won¡¯t lose each other. Losing a teammate, a close one, can change your life in ways you can¡¯t imagine. It took me out of the adventuring life completely. It¡¯s why I now sit here in the safety of the Magic Society, in one of the safest cities in the world. I don¡¯t think I could bear to go through it again.¡± ¡°Arcturus¡­ Grandstream.¡± Sen remembered, searching his headspace for the last name. ¡°Was he involved in that?¡± Vance looked down and sighed. ¡°Yes. He was involved in that. We were on a team. It was our first team, since we took our Initial Adventure Society Exam. All of us. We fit together so well, until we didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°One of you died.¡± Zulli surmised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Vance.¡± ¡°It still hurts. I think it always will.¡± Sen looked away. He had already lost the person closest to him before coming to this world. Not to mention his mother and his dog, all within a short time. Why didn¡¯t he know better? Why didn¡¯t he try to hang on to the things he had? Why didn¡¯t he try to keep Zulli safe? ¡°It always will.¡± Sen said, his focus not shifting to look at either of them. ¡°Vance, when you lose someone, what it creates is a void. It¡¯s in our nature to try and fill that void with whatever we can, whether it be healthy or unhealthy. But that void is what you have left of the person. It¡¯s okay to not fill it. It¡¯s okay to have that void, knowing that someone was there before, that gave you¡­¡± Sen let out the tight breath he was holding in as he spoke. ¡°¡­Whatever they gave you.¡± Vance¡¯s eyes narrowed at Sen, not expecting him to have a deep understanding of loss. ¡°You can fill it.¡± Sen said. ¡°Sometimes you can. It can be replaced with a substantial amount of substitute substance. But sometimes the void is too great to fill. Sometimes feeding it is superfluous, and it will eat everything you give to it, until it ends up eating you. In that case you just have to live with it, and embrace the void, and move on a different person.¡± Vance cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sen, I didn¡¯t mean to lecture you on something you have experience with.¡± Sen blinked a couple times, checking the wetness of his eyes. ¡°It was silly of us to go out there, Vance. You were right to lecture us. But back to Arcturus¡­¡± Sen said, changing the subject. ¡°¡­Did he find you?¡± Vance asked. ¡°He found my room. Left me a letter.¡± Vance raised an eyebrow. ¡°A letter?¡± ¡°Basically, it just said that he was looking for me to join his team, but after talking to you he decided against it, and maybe sometime in the future, if we¡¯re still alive, we could team up.¡± ¡°The novelty of outworlders.¡± Zulli said, reminding them both of the conversation they had in this same spot. ¡°He left me a letter as well. Pretty much said the same thing. It also said we needed someone to help train us up, and he was not that person.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sen agreed, pointing a lazy finger at Zulli. ¡°Pretty much the same letter. Seems like an alright guy, if that letter is anything to go by.¡± Vance put on a somber smile. ¡°Arcturus is very ambitious. He was our team leader. He and Jalex became fast friends at the Initial Exam. Jalex liked him for his ambition and Arcturus couldn¡¯t hold himself back from being friends with the only known Celestine Draconian in the world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where I remember that name, the Draconian.¡± Sen said, snapping his fingers. ¡°He was on your team too?¡± ¡°Ah yes.¡± Vance said. ¡°Just having Jalex on our team was enough to raise our morale so that even the dullest of contracts were fun. We really were a great team. Then we had Pao, and the one we lost, Maxine¡­ Max.¡± Vance said her name slowly, reminiscing.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Was she special to you?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Special, yes, but not romantically. They are all special people to me. Pao may have had a thing for her, but she kept her demeanor professional, especially on contracts. Pao kept us in line, sometimes Arcturus got ahead of himself and he had to be reeled back in.¡± ¡°What did you mean by Celestine Draconian?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Ah, well, Draconians are native to this world but are quite rare as far as the races go. Jalex¡¯s mother is an outworlder, and her world is predominantly Draconian.¡± Sen was looking at Vance, but then looked to Zulli, wondering if that made any sense to her. ¡°So because she¡¯s an outworlder, her offspring is called Celestine?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, yes. When an outworlder has a child, the child is not an outworlder, they are Celestines, and are usually identified by oddly colored hair that matches their eyes.¡± Sen¡¯s eyes widened in revelation. ¡°So is that why his spines are that bright red color?¡± ¡°Indeed, most draconian spines and eyes are a neutral coloration of their scales. As you may have seen, Jalex is a black-scaled draconian like his father, but has those vibrant red spines and eyes because his mother is an outworlder. He¡¯s the only one of his kind that we know of.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Sen said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him. But I didn¡¯t realize he was the rare version of a rare race. Double rare.¡± ¡°His father is the head of the Urbonticos empire of steel. It¡¯s an unofficial name for his industry, but a fitting one. Many were lining up to offer him a spot on their team, but Arcturus has a charm about him that seems to attract people, and Jalex developed a liking to him.¡± ¡°Your team seemed very cool, Vance.¡± Zulli said. Vance nodded, pausing a moment to reminisce. ¡°Vance.¡± Sen said. ¡°I want to stress how appreciative I am for you being a friend to us. Whoever put you as the lead researcher for our cases made the best decision they ever could. Everything you ever did, brought you here, sitting at this table with us, and I am thankful for it. You will always have a friend in me, and I¡¯m sure Zulli feels the same.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Vance guessed and questioned. ¡°This evening.¡± ¡°Where and why?¡± Vance asked. ¡°We¡¯re going to a place called Silverwind. Have you heard of it?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, to the northwest. A lower-magic area. That might be good for you. Harshly cold outside of Silverwind, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what August said.¡± Zulli replied. ¡°August? The adventurer working with Varnus? Is he sending you there?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± Sen said. ¡°August was working with the Adventure Society on a contract deliberated by Garrus Carbon. Garrus has his own adventure he wants us to go on.¡± ¡°Carbon?¡± Vance asked. ¡°You spoke to him directly?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Zulli and Sen said at the same time. ¡°Is that rare?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Carbon went into hiding a few years ago, after the last monster surge. His empty manor is the focal point for some of the children¡¯s horror stories. Even before the monster surge, he was a bit of a recluse but his gates had opened during the monster surge, and people just walked right in to set up shop, the only permission that was given was some rumor that he was allowing teams to stay in his manor that were willing to protect Vitesse and its people. There are other rumors that he smuggles some restricted magic items around the city, but the Adventure Society either can¡¯t prove it, or doesn¡¯t care for the rumor.¡± Sen and Zulli looked at each other, confused. ¡°August seems to be friendly with him.¡± Zulli posited. ¡°Best not to expand on the subject too much, Zulli.¡± Vance warned. ¡°We know he still lives at the manor, but talking about him and knowing about him might land you in the hands of undesirable people.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was that serious. He seemed kind of¡­ goofy.¡± Zulli said. ¡°There was something off about him.¡± Sen agreed. ¡°Not sinister, but like Zulli said, a little goofy.¡± The three paused to mull over their musings. Sen and Zulli took the time to dig into their breakfast a little bit more. ¡°I just hope you two will be careful. Will you be coming back here to the City of Flowers, then?¡± Sen pulled up his napkin to wipe his mouth and swallow his food. ¡°Maybe. Not sure.¡± Zulli responded with an invisible mouth full of food. Sen smirked, lightly shaking his head as he swallowed. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re not sure. Eventually, hopefully, we¡¯ll come back. It might be smart for us to stay out there for a while though.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Vance said. ¡°Well, maybe before you leave, we could spend about an hour in an exam room, Sen. Could you humble me with couple of tests before you go?¡± ¡°We had some things to wrap up-¡± ¡°I can handle it. You¡¯ve been avoiding him long enough, Sen.¡± Zulli interrupted him before he could finish. Sen played a sheepishly disgruntled look across his face as he looked at Zulli. He could feel her smiling back at him. ¡°Alright. We should meet back up for lunch. All three of us. You got any good recommendations, Vance?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll be my treat.¡± *** Zulli¡¯s first stop was Leith¡¯s shawarma stall. ¡°Ah, my little raven!¡± Leith said as he saw Zulli walking up. ¡°I had wondered where you¡¯ve been.¡± ¡°No time to dally, Leith!¡± Zulli pointedly said. ¡°I need the rest of the shawarma that you owe us, and I need it today.¡± ¡°Oh, but I¡¯m not sure if I could-¡± ¡°Leith. I need it today.¡± Zulli said in a frustrated, imposing tone. She wasn¡¯t going to take any chances that she would leave the city without her bounty. ¡°I see. You¡¯ll be gone for some time then?¡± ¡°An adventure outside the city.¡± Leith smiled a warm smile. ¡°I will have them ready for you. Stop by after the lunch rush.¡± *** ¡°Alright Sen, just lay down there.¡± Sen lay back on the exam table, the same table where he had first awoken. It hadn¡¯t even been a week, and he was already feeling nostalgic. He had put on his Magic Society issued clothes. As it turned, out they were engineered specifically to not interfere with any of the Magic Society¡¯s testing equipment. Several crystals floated around him, the majority of them a clear coloration, but others were blue, with one red and one purple. ¡°Got your hands on another Essence, already?¡± Vance asked Sen without looking up from his tablet. ¡°Yeah, Garrus gave it to me.¡± Sen replied, watching the crystals twirl and spin around him, taking different positions, before glowing and fading to move to a different position around him. ¡°He wanted to see what abilities I got from it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s signature resembles the Potent essence, but it contains artifacts that are unknown in the records. You have two abilities allocated to it, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Even that is hard to recognize. If there were three, the data may be too complex for me to read.¡± ¡°Can I see what you¡¯re looking at?¡± Sen asked. Vance walked up to the exam table, flipping around the tablet to show Sen, who looked over at the tablet from his supine position on the exam table. The tablet showed two runes unknown to him at the top of the tablet''s glowstone screen, but beneath it, taking up most of the screen, was a coalescence of lines and circles. The data itself was unreadable to Sen, but he could see that some of the lines were pulsing like an electrocardiogram, and the circles may have resembled some kind of magical radar. ¡°Is that just me?¡± Sen asked, unable to make anything out of it. ¡°Yes, one of the crystals is filtering out the ambient magic around you to give a reading of the weave of your matrix. Another pinpoints your essences, then focuses on one at a time.¡± ¡°My magical matrix?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°What do those two runes mean?¡± Sen asked. Vance flipped around the tablet to get back to studying the data. ¡°Those are just the crystals I have targeted for inspection. They aren¡¯t your abilities or essences. Those take much more translation for the tablet to recognize, but I can manually understand things like that by way of my own magical perception co-referenced to the data of your matrix.¡± ¡°So, this Potent Essence is different from other essences, just like my Void Essence?¡± ¡°That seems to be the case. With this data we can theorize that your Void Essence is not necessarily a special essence. It seems your matrix may be affecting them, creating new version of their already established magical blueprints.¡± ¡°How far can you get with this data?¡± Sen asked looking back up at the ceiling, watching the crystals revolve around him in his periphery. ¡°I¡¯m recording it all, so going back and looking through it, I may have weeks or months of more research to do with it. I¡¯m still not done sifting through the initial scans we collected when you first woke up.¡± ¡°Are you happy with it?¡± Sen asked. ¡°The data I¡¯ve given you.¡± His voice was soft, giving the impression of timidity. Vance looked up from his tablet to set his eyes on Sen¡¯s face, wondering what changed in Sen¡¯s demeanor. ¡°We can stop anytime you want, Sen.¡± Sen looked over at Vance to look into his eyes, and then set his focus on the ceiling once more. His eyes darted around, reflecting his mind searching for the right things to say, or perhaps the courage to say it. ¡°I just don''t like it when people pry too deep.¡± Sen said, almost in a whisper. Vance pressed his finger to the tablet and brought it to his side in one hand. The crystals stopped moving, then floated into a line behind the exam table. ¡°Would you like to tell me why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid of what they might find.¡± Sen responded. ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m afraid of what I might realize. The fact that the Magic Society will have these records do not help, either.¡± Vance walked closer to the exam table, bringing his free hand up to his jaw, a finger crossing his lips to stroke his mustache. ¡°Ah, Sen.¡± Vance said, flipping around the tablet once more to show Sen the data on it. The lines constantly shifted and pulsed, while some of the circles glowed or even became hollow, where other lines came to fill that empty space. It seemed to always be in flux, never presenting a static image. ¡°This data is not who you are.¡± ¡°But you said it¡¯s most likely me that¡¯s changing the essences. You don''t think, maybe who I am is what''s changing them?¡± Vance nodded, seeing the relation Sen was trying to make. He wasn¡¯t sure how to comfort Sen in this moment, but tried anyways. ¡°Sen, when we put this data into the records, it will not have your name tied to it. I¡¯ve already done my best to scrub your name from the initial data. But more than that, this data cannot reflect the person your soul has decided you are, and your soul can shift what it wants to be, whenever it wants to do it. Zulli and I, we¡­¡± Vance looked down, searching for the right words to say. ¡°We are your friends, and we¡¯re not afraid of the secrets you hide in there.¡± He said, taking his hand from his face and pressing his finger down into Sen¡¯s chest. ¡°And if you have mysteries within, we can help you find them. Whatever the case, you have at least two friends who are here for you. It seems this August Niles may have become another, as estranged as that may be from your first encounter with him.¡± Sen closed his eyes. He knew what he had inside him. He had seen it. Or at least, he had not seen it, because there was nothing to see. It was cold there, and he literally drowned in it. He felt his connection to the void, being voidtouched, made him unworthy of any sort of kindness bestowed to him. He felt no matter what, he had to atone for having it. ¡°You haven¡¯t said much about it, but you feel a void, don¡¯t you? You think that¡¯s why you woke up with that essence. You theorize that the darkness and emptiness inside you has somehow maybe manifested itself?¡± Sen opened his eyes, glancing at Vance but quickly looking away. He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s pretty close, yeah.¡± ¡°If that is true, it is not something to hide. Even if you think it¡¯s horrible, and it¡¯s something that you hate about yourself, I know that it¡¯s not true, and I will never hate you because of it. I have seen the fullness of your spirit firsthand, Sen. Zulli has as well. I suspect Carbon and August have also seen it. I believe you are not special because of these incredible essences, I believe you are special because of what you will do with them.¡± Vance snapped his fingers, coming to realization in that moment. ¡°And look at it this way. If you do have a void, a huge oxymoronic mass of emptiness, that means you have that much space to fill with things of substance. Some people are overflowing with their own baggage and it¡¯s tearing them apart. I¡¯d say being in your position is a great place to be.¡± Sen played an unamused smirk. Vance was right, and even if he wasn¡¯t, Sen was thankful to have a friend that was willing to be so supportive. His emptiness, however, the emptiness deep inside him that he did everything in his power to hide and to stifle, consumed him. It seemed to rise up into the liminal space just to make sure he wouldn¡¯t be empowered by Vance¡¯s effort to support Sen¡¯s waning psyche. Sen was well versed in this feeling. He felt it often, and already practiced techniques to both hide it and fight against it. ¡°Thank you, Vance.¡± Sen said, his voice a whisper still. ¡°It helps a lot, really, to hear that.¡± ¡°How about this, Sen? You can refuse, if you want, and I won¡¯t be offended, but how about I open a channel with you in the Magic Society¡¯s network. While you¡¯re gone, you will have a direct channel to reach me, and you can write to me with the tablet I gave you. These channels aren¡¯t cheap to operate, and we will have a budget of messages over certain periods of time, but you can talk to me about your troubles whenever you want, and I¡¯ll always listen.¡± ¡°Like an e-mail? Or a text messaging system?¡± Sen asked. ¡°E-mail?¡± Vance repeated. ¡°Energy-mail, I¡¯m assuming? Is that something native to your world?¡± ¡°Ehh, close enough, yeah.¡± Sen replied. ¡°That description fits its use-case, I suppose. It¡¯s called the Ambient Resonance Network. It sends out a message into the world, that message bounces off the ambient magic circulating around and through our world until it finds the targeted user, then delivers the message. The Magic Society uses it to transfer records between campuses, and when the target is known and static, like they are at each Magic Society location, it is fairly cheap and affordable to send and receive the messages or records. When targeting a single user¡¯s tablet however, and their location is unknown, it costs much more materials and mana to send and receive them, and in some cases the message may take days to reach the target.¡± ¡°And the Magic Society will be okay with us using those resources just for conversation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost positive they will. The Magic Society has very large coffers allocated to outworlder investigation. You¡¯ll have to compromise something for its use, though.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°One of your abilities prevents us from tracking you, but when you send and receive a message, your location will be pinged in the Magic Society¡¯s records. It¡¯s mostly used for data collection to improve the network, but it will give anyone with the proper clearance the ability to see where and when you sent and received messages.¡± Sen lay on the exam table, still looking at the ceiling. Vance was the first person he met when he came to this world, and became his first real friend here. It made Sen¡¯s heart feel fuller to know he could always talk to him when he wanted, but was hesitant to surrender to the Magic Society more than they needed. Despite this reluctance, he was willing to take a leap of faith, with that faith hinging on Vance, specifically. ¡°I¡¯d like that, Vance.¡± Sen said, his voice becoming fuller than his previous timorous intonation. ¡°Awesome, Sen. I¡¯ll get it set up after you leave today. I¡¯ll send you a message to let you know the channel is open when it gets worked out.¡± A real smile crossed Sen¡¯s lips. ¡°Sounds good, Vance. Thank you again. I really am glad you¡¯re my friend.¡± ¡°I thank you for the data you have given me today, and doubly thank you as well, for being my friend.¡± Vance replied. ¡°How about we meet up with Zulli then, and get some lunch?¡± Chapter 13: This Is Going To Suck ¡°Thank you, Vance, for everything.¡± Zulli said. Vance stood across from Senadin and Zulli on a not-so-busy road. They had finished eating at a bistro and were saying their final goodbyes before heading off to Carbon Manor, to finally start their first adventure. ¡°At first, I must admit, I was just doing my job as an outworld investigator, but I¡¯ve become very grateful to call you two my friends. I believe in you two, I believe you¡¯ll do great things and help a great many people. I will pray to the Guardian that you find people to keep you safe, so that you may keep others safe.¡± Sen looked away from Vance in reclusion when he heard Vance would pray, trying not to look awkward and ruin the moment, knowing that Vance meant his best by saying it. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to miss you.¡± Zulli said. ¡°Is that what I¡¯m feeling?¡± Sen¡¯s eyes met Zulli¡¯s, who directed the question at him. ¡°Yes, and I will too. Thank you, Vance. Take care of yourself.¡± Vance smiled. ¡°Can I hug you?¡± Zulli asked Vance in a very straightforward manner. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± Zulli¡¯s arms wrapped around Vance, not giving him a chance to prepare himself for the embrace. Vance could feel her cold, shadowy body that alighted a meager amount of supernovic energy from her into him. Despite her cold body, he could feel the warmth of her energy brushing against his aura. Surprisingly, Sen wrapped and arm around each of them as well. ¡°Please stay safe.¡± Vance said softly when they all let go of each other. He gave them another warm smile, his mustache curling with his lips, and turned around and walked away. The two watched him walk away, then turned to walk their own path. ¡°That kind of hurts.¡± Zulli said to Sen. ¡°Knowing you won¡¯t see someone for a long time?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± *** Sitting outside Carbon Manor, Sen and Zulli waited patiently for the time they appointed to leave Vitesse with August, around the mid-afternoon. They both looked around and watched the lively people, taking in the sights of the city they won''t be able to see for some time. The walls and towers of the city seemed less imposing. The multitudes of flowers draped from the ramparts and balconies swayed in a fashion that provoked, almost commanded, a sense of tranquility. ¡°Hey, can I see that tunic?¡± Sen asked Zulli. ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Zulli acquired the final items on their shopping list while Sen was allowing Vance to do some final scans of his essences. The last things they required for the trip were their stock of shawarma as well as some warm clothes; Silverwind was surrounded by an unbearably cold tundra. Zulli revealed a small silver bag at her hip, hidden by her blouse, made of some kind of soft and shimmery silver material. She stuck her hand in it and pulled out a large, heavy, black tunic, much too large to fit in the small bag without some sort of magic involved. ¡°This bag is so nice. You got your tools, and I got my bag, a fair trade I¡¯d say.¡± Zulli said to Sen, handing him the tunic.
Sen held the tunic out in front of him. ¡°Oh, Zulli.¡± Sen said devilishly. ¡°Hm?¡± The tunic was soft but durable, and folded over itself on the shoulders and hips, providing insulated areas to hold more warmth. Its blackness was semi-matte, only reflecting enough light to accentuate the layering of its folds. ¡°I might have you do my shopping from now on. This is great.¡± ¡°So you like it?¡± ¡°Yes, its awesome. I want to wear it now, but I¡¯ll wait. I wonder how cold it¡¯s actually going to be over there.¡± Sen said as a corona of shadow enveloped the already black tunic, and it disappeared from Sen¡¯s hands into his voidspace. ¡°Wait, can you feel temperatures?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Zulli replied. She brought her hand up and placed the back of it on Sen¡¯s arm. ¡°I can feel that you¡¯re warmer than the air around us.¡± ¡°Do you sweat, like when it¡¯s hot?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I haven¡¯t before, at least not yet.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t bleed before, either.¡± Sen said, his voice settling slightly. ¡°Yeah, my body doesn¡¯t regulate biologically. It regulates magically.¡± ¡°Ohh!¡± Sen said, his eyes widening in revelation. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, when I first woke up, my body was reconstituting itself magically. Vance said my matrix was creating it without a blueprint or something like that. Maybe becoming the blueprint? I don¡¯t know, it was a lot to take in.¡± ¡°So you have a body made of magic like me?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± He said with a big smile. ¡°I still have all the human parts though, like a heart and lungs, and I think I have a brain. I definitely can¡¯t hold my breath like you can.¡± ¡°The brain thing is questionable.¡± She retorted. Sen rolled his eyes. ¡°You''re taking quite well to the use of sarcasm. I¡¯m just saying maybe that¡¯s why our souls made a connection to each other.¡± He said with a smirk. ¡°Ah.¡± Zulli realized. ¡°You might be on to something. I didn¡¯t feel that connection until we shook hands.¡± ¡°Right, when our physical bodies actually¡­¡± ¡°¡­made contact with each other.¡± They both said at the same time. ¡°I don¡¯t think it necessarily proves anything." Zulli said. "I¡¯m sure the Magic Society is looking into it after they made a big deal out of it the evening we met each other. Maybe Vance will look into it while we are gone. We should have asked him about it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to open up a direct line of communication with me through some kind of magic relay. I¡¯ll ask him when he gets it set up.¡± Sen told her. ¡°Like magical mail?¡± ¡°Yeah, It¡¯ll run through my MSRT, I think. I¡¯m curious to see how it works.¡± ¡°By the way¡­¡± Zulli said. ¡°I saw that alchemist again.¡± ¡°Arty?¡± ¡°Yeah, he saw me, and I saw him. He waved, but then ran off like he did the other day.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a pretty flaky dude. Weird that he wears that red trench coat. You¡¯d think he¡¯d be a little more subtle.¡± Just then, they saw August strolling up to Carbon manor in his casual clothes. He was easy to spot by his stout stature and all-too-perfect wavy hair. ¡°We¡¯re not meant to leave for another few hours.¡± August¡¯s voice reverberated through the bustle of the city, seeming to come from every direction around them, but only to them. They both gave a look at each other, wondering how his voice was so clear while he was still several steps away from them. They waited for him to approach before responding.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We¡¯re ready to go.¡± Zulli said. ¡°There was nothing left to do but wait.¡± August didn¡¯t seem very impressed, but he gave them a very quick smile at their ability to keep the schedule. ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple things to finalize with Garrus, but then I¡¯ll be ready.¡± He held out a hand and a large knapsack manifested into existence. August reached into the main pocket of the knapsack, and pulled out a shiny steel wheel about the size of his hand. He waited for the roadway to clear before tossing it on the road. The steel wheel became larger and began sprouting new parts from it. A shaft extended from its epicenter, also made of steel, and formed another wheel on the other side. The wheels leveled themselves on the roadway, and curved thin plates obtruded from the shaft, extending out and forming another shaft, which distended its own wheels. At this point, Sen was sure of what he was seeing. ¡°Is that was we¡¯re taking to Silverwind?¡± Sen said, mostly to himself. The steel contraption continued to materialize, forming flat walls on each side, with doors and steel steps up to them. The front and back walls were curved slightly, and the form of a steel carriage substantiated. ¡°Now that is a proper magical item. Looks expensive, August.¡± Sen said. ¡°Not an item, it¡¯s an ability.¡± August told them, before the iron gates to carbon manor opened to let him in. He walked through them to enter the walkway steps of the manor, and the gates closed behind him. Realizing it was an ability gave Sen a sense of scale between their power levels. ¡°I can manifest a suit of armor.¡± Sen said. ¡°He can manifest a steel carriage? I wonder what my armor will be able to do at bronze rank.¡± ¡°I think¡­¡± Zulli responded. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a utility ability. Like my magic tools ability¡­¡±
Effect (Iron): Utilize specialty magic tools, vehicles, and weapons. Any effect requiring ownership of a tool is forgone and you become the owner of unclaimed tools affected by this ability.
¡°¡­So, it won¡¯t follow the same track as your combat-focused armor ability. Utility abilities tend to have more exponential gains to their effects as they rise in power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something you understand from your Universal Knowledge?¡± Sen asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I see. Let¡¯s check this thing out.¡± Sen said excitedly and he waved his hands toward the steel carriage. The two looked around and inside the carriage for some time. It was entirely made of steel, which unfortunately included the seats. After sitting in it to test it out, they realized that it was also soaking in the rays of the sun, becoming hotter and hotter. Zulli did not sweat, but Sen started to, and they decided to once again to sit on the bench. ¡°Awesome, in theory, but that thing is not going to be very comfortable.¡± Sen said. Zulli sighed. ¡°Yeah.¡± She said disappointedly. ¡°I wonder if he needs heidels to pull it. I¡¯d almost rather ride on them, as long as they¡¯re not made of steel too.¡± ¡°Heidels? Are those the lizard-horse things?¡± ¡°Horse? I don¡¯t know what that is. But yeah, those reptilian beasts that pull the carriages?¡± ¡°The ones with two heads?¡± Sen asked unamused. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°So, there¡¯s no horses in this universe, but there are scaly versions with two heads?¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming so.¡± Zulli replied. ¡°That may be the most ridiculous thing I¡¯ve realized so far.¡± After some time waiting on August, they heard the iron rod gates open again, with Garrus and August stepping out of the front doors of the manor. They made their way to the outworlders sitting on the bench, and Garrus pulled a small trinket from his coat pocket. The trinket was comprised of multiple sections of thin golden metal, and Garrus tossed the trinket in front of him when they neared the bench. The trinket floated next to Garrus¡¯ shoulder, its thin metal parts twisting and twirling. Originating from the trinket, a wave of dull, semi-opaque white light passed through the four until a thinly-veiled membrane separated them from the outside world. A harsh quiet enveloped them, and Sen¡¯s ears started ringing from the sudden shift in ambience. ¡°This is a privacy screen.¡± Garrus said. ¡°It ensures no sound breaches the barrier, and if I so choose, no sound comes in, either. It also blurs our image. It¡¯s a double-edged sword, I must admit. Using it in a public place draws attention, but that is fine for now. I haven¡¯t been seen much as of late, and it might behoove my reputation to ensure the public knows I am still alive and well.¡± Garrus told Sen and Zulli, forgoing any other introductions. ¡°I have come to wish you well, and that is all. I¡¯m afraid if I say too much, I might say too much.¡± ¡°Still keeping some secrets then, Garrus?¡± Sen asked. ¡°I believe you already know I am, Senadin.¡± Garrus remarked with a coy smirk. ¡°August?¡± ¡°Hop in.¡± August said. ¡°Time to go.¡± Sen and Zulli looked at each other. They hadn¡¯t really realized that there was no turning back. Suddenly, leaving Vitesse seemed a larger task than they had previously presumed. They both stood up and walked toward the shiny steel carriage. Sen opened the door to it but planted his feet next to Zulli, both of them looking at the door to the carriage. This could be their last step taken in the City of Flowers. ¡°Do you want me to go first?¡± Sen asked Zulli. There was a moment of silence. August and Garrus quietly stood behind them. ¡°No.¡± Zulli said. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Sen stepped into the carriage after Zulli, they sat next to each other on one side of the carriage. August followed them, his weight shaking the carriage much more than either of them. He took a seat across from them while Garrus stepped to the door. ¡°Good luck to all three of you.¡± Garrus said as he closed the carriage door. The latched closed with a shrill creak, and the three were left in darkness, closed in on all sides. The carriage¡¯s steel walls shrunk into iron bars with a wave of August¡¯s hand. The solid steel roof also transformed into interlaced steel strips, giving the carriage a latticed roof. ¡°Stay quiet until we get out of the city. We¡¯ll have plenty of time for talk on the road.¡± August told them. The steel carriage bucked as it started moving forward on its own, moving slowly through the roads of Vitesse. Sen and Zulli waved back at Garrus, who held a solemn hand in the air at their departure. The two outworlders who had only been denizens of this world for a week had finally begun their first real adventure. They did as August said and kept silent through the city and past the gates of the great city of Vitesse. Senadin and Zulli sat next to each other, shoulders rubbing every now and again from the bumpy ride in their magical steel carriage. August Niles sat across from them on the other side of the carriage, acting as guide and escort on their way to Silverwind. ¡°So we don¡¯t need a silver ranker to escort us out of this high magic area?¡± Sen asked August, finally breaking the silence after August handled speaking to the guards as they left the flower-laden walls of the Vitesse. August¡¯s eyes shifted around, peering through the iron bars of the carriage and the latticing of the roof. He was scanning for something, and that something was not found, leading to an answer to Sen¡¯s question. ¡°The patrols keep track of the carriages, and the roads are the safest place to be.¡± August said. ¡°The odds are low that a gold rank monster would appear and be a danger to us. I can handle most every silver, especially if there¡¯s a patrol nearby for reinforcement.¡± ¡°What about bandits? Like highwaymen and the like?¡± ¡°Not an issue around here. Anyone strong enough to be a threat makes too much coin to fall into petty thievery.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Zulli said. ¡°We¡¯ll reach an outpost in less than two hours. It marks the area where the power of the ambient magic begins to fall.¡± August told them. ¡°Before we get there, I¡¯d like to talk to you about being an adventurer.¡± Sen looked from August to Zulli, and she looked back at him. They shared a warm, genuine smile before resting their eyes on August, with the intent on listening to the wisdom he would impart. ¡°It¡¯s rough.¡± August said. The silence thereafter was deafening. The creaking and moaning of the steel carriage was the only sound to reach anyone¡¯s ears. August¡¯s eyes gave no tell as to if he was going to say anything more. Sen started to think about what August said, wondering if there was a hidden meaning behind the few words. ¡°Whether you are good or bad at it, it¡¯s going to be rough.¡± August continued. ¡°If you are bad at it, your weakness will put you in increasingly worse situations, and if you are good at it, your strength will put in increasingly worse situations. It is not the faint of heart.¡± The pair both nodded, thankful that the silence was broken. ¡°We¡¯re not a sanctioned adventuring party, but out here I¡¯ll need you to act like a team and respect me as your team leader. If I tell you to do something, it¡¯s imperative that you do what I tell you, when I tell you, and even if you think you have a better idea, you can¡¯t hesitate about it. That moment could mean the end of your story. I need you two to be good followers before you act like leaders.¡± ¡°I can handle that.¡± Zulli said, her voice chipper and excited. ¡°How about you?¡± She asked Sen. Sen knew the importance of being a follower, he used to be a soldier after all, and at almost all levels, soldiers were followers, even while being leaders. Of course, not every soldier would be granted the best leaders, and this was true of Sen¡¯s experience. In the armed forces, he was put under many leaders that didn¡¯t deserve to be leaders in their own right and gained their rank through sheer luck, subterfuge, or both. This natural undermining of the hierarchy of leadership had trained Sen¡¯s mind to second-guess most decisions. Even after second-guessing and deciding the order was lawful and worth following, that second guess is the dangerous moment August was implying. Fortunately, Sen trusted August. Not only had August saved both their lives, but it was also the most badass thing Sen had ever seen. The image of August landing on the ground like a comic-book hero while the head of a bipedal cat-monster flew through the air was burned into Sen¡¯s memory. ¡°I will try my best.¡± Sen said. ¡°You will do your best.¡± August replied. ¡°You will not try. Trying implies slack, which implies space, and that space is where someone could slip their dagger.¡± Sen¡¯s lips tightened. His memory trailed back to August berating him after saving his life. Sen mulled over the words he spoke that no one heard. ¡°I will do my best.¡± ¡°Training is where it all starts, and it never ends.¡± August continued. ¡°Your body must become a blade that only gets sharper. Your mind must become steel¡­¡± He rapped the steel door of the carriage. ¡°¡­that only gets more tempered.¡± The excitement within Zulli was intensifying. It was almost like August was giving her a pep talk. If her face could be seen beyond her shadowy visage, her geeky smile would most likely kill the mood that August was intending. Sen¡¯s own expression didn¡¯t show any exhilaration, but his eyes curved in a way that showed he was in fact inspired by August¡¯s lecture. ¡°This is going to suck, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sen asked, a smirk playing on his lips. ¡°Yes. We will be training all the way to Silverwind.¡± ¡°Oh? We¡¯re starting that soon?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°It should have been sooner, but you didn¡¯t have that luxury. Some adventurers start their training early in childhood, not soon after they can walk. Travel is a good time for training, especially if you have a vehicle. You can train hard, and then rest during the ride.¡± ¡°Is that why we¡¯re taking a carriage and not teleporting the entire way?¡± Sen asked. ¡°No. Well, partly.¡± August replied. ¡°You most likely won¡¯t have the luxury for teleports moving forward, and its best to be humbled with long travel early in your adventuring career. I suspect at least one of you will get a teleport ability, with those strange essences you have, but the ability won¡¯t allow you to teleport other people with you until at least bronze rank. Adventuring parties tend to embrace the travel time, it¡¯s a core pillar of building comradery with your team. Travel itself, is the lifeblood of adventuring, after all.¡± ¡°This is going to be a proper adventure then.¡± Sen said. ¡°Yes. That is the plan.¡± Chapter 14: Did You Guys Just Eat Coins? Senadin and Zulli sat in August Niles¡¯ magical steel carriage, facing the same direction that it was heading. They were silent as they neared the outpost August had mentioned. August had shifted the form of his carriage to accommodate a seat on the top, facing forward. Despite not needing an external force to pull the carriage, August needed to understand the path it had to take. August had taken this path several times before, but the intricacies and obstacles that may obstruct the dirt road leading to the outpost required some piloting on August¡¯s end. Outpost: Northwest 2 No patrols beyond this point ¨C Your life is your own. ¡°That¡¯s kind of an odd statement.¡± Sen said. ¡°Your life is your own.¡± ¡°What makes it odd?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Just not something you¡¯d say to warn people, at least in my world. It¡¯s probably just a difference in culture. I kind of like it, I guess, it inspires some introspection.¡± The carriage veered off to the side of the road as it rolled past the huge tree-trunk fences that encircled the outpost. August hopped off the carriage and landed with a thud. He had switched into his leather combat gear but was missing the chitin plates embedded into it that Sen and Zulli had first witnessed. ¡°Step out.¡± August said. ¡°Start jogging around the outpost while I check with the guards.¡± The pair stepped out as August walked toward a small, enclosed counter near the far gate which led to the open area beyond. ¡°Endurance training, then. My favorite.¡± Sen remarked in a begrudged tone. Shadowy mist enveloped him to replace his shirt and jeans with the Magic Society issued pants and shirt. The outfit wasn¡¯t necessarily athletic in nature, but Sen thought it much more comfortable than running in jeans. ¡°It¡¯s all part of it, I suppose. Your endurance could mean the difference in life or death.¡± Zulli responded. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re miss big adventurer already, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this since I got here, Sen. Let¡¯s go.¡± Sen wasn¡¯t excited to start running but followed Zulli at the brisk pace she set. After a few laps around the outpost, Sen was already breathing heavy and obviously put in great effort to keep up with Zulli. They both made glances toward August as they ran, who had finished speaking to the guards at the counter and packed up the carriage into the tiny steel wheel that fit into his oversized knapsack. August stopped them as they neared the finish of their fourth lap. ¡°Catch your breath. Then come over to the training area.¡± August said curtly and without waiting for a response. He walked over to an area cordoned off by wooden poles laid flat in the dirt. It had makeshift wooden dummies scattered about as well as some wooden platforms of different heights. There were what seemed to be adventurers doing their own training there, either practicing on the training dummies or lifting large poles up and then putting them down again. Sen held himself up with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. ¡°Wow, Sen. I expected you to be a little more physically fit than this.¡± Zulli remarked. ¡°If I was made to run ¨C I¡¯d have four legs ¨C Not two.¡± Sen exclaimed between heaving breaths. ¡°But I¡¯m fine.¡± He said, pulling in a heavy breath through his nostrils and standing straight up. ¡°Just have to get back into it.¡± ¡°Back into it?¡± Zulli asked, as they started walking toward August. ¡°I used to be a soldier. Did I not tell you that? Oh, that¡¯s right, I only told Vance.¡± Sen replied, his breath catching up to him. August stood with his arms crossed, waiting for them to approach. ¡°Sen, you¡¯ll be focusing on your endurance, Zulli, you¡¯ll be working on your dexterity.¡± August raised one arm out in front of him, and a heavy steel mace appeared in his hand. He set it down, head on the ground in front of Sen. ¡°Upward swings. Go until you can¡¯t, then jog it out. Keep breathing.¡± August told Sen before turning to Zulli. He pointed at a set of raised platforms. ¡°Zulli, up and down on those platforms, pull yourself up when you have to, but try to make the jumps without using your arms.¡± Sen grabbed the mace set in front of him as Zulli made her way to the platforms.
¡°Zulli, Sen, your training is separate, but you are still part of a team, remember that.¡± August told them both before sitting down on a circular stool in the corner of the training ground. It was less of a stool and more of a stump cut to sitting height. Sen pulled up on the handle of the mace. He held in out in front of him with both arms rigid as he struggled to hold its weight. With the weight of it tensing his muscles, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could make one effective swing with it, let alone swing it enough to effectively train his endurance. His gaze shifted to August, who watched him like a hawk. Sen set the head of it on the ground next to his feet, then boisterously lifted on the handle with both hands, attempting to swing the mace high in the air. A wave of embarrassment flooded over him when the head of the mace only raised to hip level.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Damnit.¡± Sen said under his breath. Several adventurers stationed at the outpost were sure to be watching him, as well as August, and most likely Zulli as well. He hated to let them see how weak he actually was. His eyes stayed low, focusing on the mace and the ground beneath him. ¡°Okay. One good swing, then a lap.¡± He said. Setting the weapon a little bit further behind him, Sen pulled on the handle with both hands again, this time building a little bit more momentum with the mace swinging upward to shoulder level. The mace fell onto the dirt with a hearty thud, and Sen set it upright. He released his grip of the mace and placed his hands on hips as he heaved a heavy breath of defeat. ¡°I can get it all the way up, can¡¯t I? There¡¯s more I have in me, isn¡¯t there?¡± He contemplated, quickly pacing away from the mace and then back to it. Sen grabbed the handle with both hands again, one hand on the end of its grip with the other near the middle. His stance lowered, bending at the knees and hips. He took a step forward, dragging the mace on the ground. He stopped. ¡°Yeah, okay. Just like that.¡± He pushed off with his feet again, harder this time, taking several steps to build momentum as the mace drug through the dirt behind him. He pulled with one hand as he pushed with the other, lifting the mace up to hip level before sending the head of the mace high into the air. He felt the weightlessness of the mace while its momentum shifted from upward to downward, and he doubled down with it. He pulled down on the handle with both hands, slamming the heavy mace into the ground. It impacted the earth with a dense thunk, leaving itself sticking up from the ground at an angle when he released his grip on the handle. Sen let out another heavy breath, this one in triumph, as he stepped off to jog a lap. Zulli was doing well on her own, able to jump up the one-meter platform and almost up to the next highest. She had taken a couple tumbles already in her attempts and had felt some embarrassment of her own. August had directed her to run a couple laps when she got flustered, where she would catch up with Sen and they would share some words of encouragement or push each other to dig deeper. This was mostly Zulli supporting Sen, as her iron rank endurance easily outmatched his normal rank fitness. After several rounds of their training were completed, the time taking less than an hour, August corralled them to an open area of the outpost. Sen and Zulli both sat wearily on a crude wooden bench. August handed glass bottles of water to both of them, and Zulli sipped at hers, while Sen chugged his down. ¡°That was not bad. I expected more quit out of you both, but you trudged on. Color me slightly impressed.¡± August declared. ¡°Take a few minutes, I¡¯m going to get some information on the area ahead of us, then we¡¯ll continue our trek to Silverwind. When August stepped away from them once more, Sen looked up to the sky to see the sun beginning to set. He wasn¡¯t able to take in the sights of the new area until he sat on that bench with Zulli. They were surrounded by a dark, dense conifer forest, the outpost and its buildings comprised of the wood taken from it. Maybe the endorphins were helping to make the world seem more beautiful, but a euphoric sense of delight consumed him. ¡°Training always sucks in the moment, but I love the way I feel afterward.¡± Sen told Zulli, his eyes resting on the horizon that peeked through the trees. ¡°I do feel good now.¡± Zulli replied. ¡°I¡¯m surprised with you.¡± ¡°With me? Why?¡± ¡°I just thought you would have come up with some clever reason to not train so hard. But you just kept going.¡± ¡°I know the importance of hard training, Zulli. It¡¯s not something I¡¯ll try to hide from.¡± He told her. ¡°Well¡­¡± He retorted. ¡°There might be times where I do, so there may be times where you have to push me to keep me on track.¡± ¡°Will you do that for me?¡± Sen smirked. ¡°Of course I will.¡± August walked back to them, and they both stood from the bench, having gained back some of their strength. ¡°The ambient magic moving forward is around the high bronze mark. There have been sightings of Herocs getting close to the main trails ahead of us, as well as Springe Wisps.¡± ¡°Herocs?¡± ¡°Springe Wisps?¡± ¡°Herocs will be our main threat, keep a lookout for tracks, and try to keep your footsteps light. Springe Wisps are mostly avoidable, just don¡¯t get curious if you see any lights in the distance after the sun sets.¡± ¡°Wait, are we not taking your carriage?¡± Sen asked. ¡°No.¡± August replied without giving any explanation. ¡°We¡¯re going to walk out there in the dark?¡± Sen queried. ¡°We are, for some time, then we¡¯ll set up camp.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we stay here at the outpost, and set out early?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Because your training isn¡¯t done yet.¡± August said, taking off his oversized knapsack and putting it on the ground. From it, he pulled out two smaller bags and handed one to either of them.
¡°I have a dimensional storage space, and she has a dimensional bag already.¡± Sen notified August, looking at the bag and feeling the weight of it, it wasn¡¯t heavy, but it wasn¡¯t necessarily light either. ¡°You¡¯ll wear those while we walk.¡± August commanded them. ¡°Ah.¡± Sen realized, putting the bag around his shoulders and fixing the straps. ¡°I kind of gave all I had in the training because I thought we could rest in the carriage.¡± ¡°Adventuring is unpredictable.¡± August replied, slipping a bronze coin into his mouth. Zulli took a queue from August and slipped one of her iron coins into her mouth, feeling revitalized from the power imparted from it. ¡°Did you guys just eat coins?¡± Sen asked incredulously. ¡°Once you get to iron rank, you can too.¡± Zulli told him. ¡°And what, they just put you back to one hundred percent?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± Zulli responded. ¡°But pretty much, yeah. They don¡¯t really give you any energy, they just top off the magical affluences you get from ranking up. It¡¯s kind of like eating a meal and taking a nap, without eating a meal and taking a nap.¡± ¡°You can just eat coins and you¡¯ve been eating regular food with me this whole time?¡± Sen asked, still quizzical. ¡°I love food.¡± Zulli responded without any guilt. ¡°Also naps.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you nap. Or sleep for that matter.¡± ¡°I was here a few weeks before you. My schedule changed a little bit when you got here. Things got a little too exciting for naps.¡± Sen¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in innocent disgruntlement. ¡°I get most of the shawarma then, since you can eat coins and I can¡¯t.¡± He said as a shadow appeared in his hand, taking the form of a paper-wrapped shawarma retrieved from his voidspace. ¡°Well that¡¯s not-¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be enough. Sen, you¡¯ll set our pace. Start walking.¡± August told them and he pointed to the far gate of the outpost, opposite of the wooden gate they entered. Sen gave Zulli a look as he walked away from her, unwrapping his shawarma and taking a gleeful bite. Zulli wanted to argue with him but kept silent as to not upset August. The trio walked to the gates, where the guards gave them a hearty farewell and good luck, and they stepped into the wilderness beyond. Chapter 15: Swarm Manifestations Senadin felt his blood rushing through his whole body. His heartbeat pounded in his fingertips and toes. His breath was heavy. He took long breaths, attempting to control his breathing as he trudged forward. August, Zulli, and Sen had been walking for several miles, the outpost behind them no longer in view. The sun had set, and the chill of the night air stung their nostrils. ¡°Slow down, Sen.¡± August told him. Sen stopped in the road and put his hands on his hips to catch his breath. ¡°When you¡¯ve got a long way to go, you need to pace yourself.¡± ¡°You can just throw me in your carriage if I pass out.¡± Sen retorted in an impatient and exhausted tone. August and Zulli caught up to him, the pair had been walking behind him as he set their pace for the march. ¡°Take off your pack.¡± August said. Sen looked at him incredulously, but after a moment did as he was told. August took the pack and put it back into his oversized knapsack. Zulli took off her pack for August to take, but August shook his head at her, and she put it back on. ¡°I had sensed some softness in you, but it must have just been some rust covering your mettle. I wanted to condition you to the adventuring life quickly, but it seems you know what you need to do. Your physical training will continue in earnest once reaching iron rank, right now we¡¯ll just be wasting time and energy.¡± Sen¡¯s only response was letting out a rush of air from his nostrils as he peered at August. For the past mile or so of their trek, he was solely focused on moving forward and not stopping. His struggle had gotten to the point that he had to remind himself every few seconds to put one foot in front of the other as his body begged for rest. Having his momentum halted by August was frustrating, as if he built up a wall of resilience just for August to come crashing through it. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with your aura training for the rest of the trip.¡± August continued. ¡°We¡¯ll set up camp and get started.¡± They had stepped off the trail when they found a short cliff overlooking dense forest around them. The cliff was flat and was bereft of most vegetation. August had his own small tent that he pulled from his oversized knapsack, as well as his own fire pit and stools to sit around the fire. August gave Zulli a small steel hatchet to collect firewood, while Sen was left to build their tents. They had collected themselves around the fire after camp was set up, Zulli devouring her shawarma quickly, with Sen snacking on some berries that August said were okay to eat. ¡°When you¡¯re finished eating, we¡¯ll begin.¡± August told them, slipping a bronze coin into his mouth. ¡°Do you have an aura ability?¡± Zulli asked August. ¡°I do. It lets me and my allies sense attacks from behind them.¡± ¡°Can I see?¡± Sen asked. Sen had scanned August before, but something blocked Sen from seeing his entire list of abilities. Sen postulated this was because everyone had an inherent resistance to his scan ability, at least those who were more powerful than him, which proved to be most everyone. ¡°If I let you see one, would you see them all?¡± August asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Zulli is the only one who has let me see her whole list. I haven¡¯t tried handpicking an ability. I¡¯m assuming I¡¯d only be able to see the ones you allow me to.¡± ¡°Try it.¡± August replied.
Ability: Effect (Iron): You can sense any attacks that are not within your vision. This effect is limited to a small area around you. Effect (Bronze): The range of this effect is increased, additionally, allies within your aura extend the range of the effect and gain its effects.
¡°Yep. Just the one.¡± Sen told him. ¡°I can¡¯t even see the Essence it¡¯s under. Or your special racial gifts for that matter.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± August said. They finished eating, and Zulli and Sen sat across the fire from August. ¡°Zulli, follow along, you may get an aura power at some point, and it will help to have a good foundation. Sen, tell me about your aura power. Don¡¯t read me its description. Just tell me what you feel.¡± ¡°Oh, well, I know it creates a magical vacuum.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what it is. Tell me what you feel.¡± Sen¡¯s lips turned downward as he thought about it. He closed his eyes. Deep within himself, he could feel the magical power of his aura. ¡°It feels big¡­ but empty, and¡­ energetic? It¡¯s almost paradoxical.¡± He said. ¡°It feels like there¡¯s an emptiness there that demands to be satiated, but is already full.¡± He added. ¡°Do you feel empty?¡± August asked. Sen didn¡¯t open his eyes, but his face recoiled at having to answer such an existential question. ¡°I do.¡± Sen said quietly. ¡°That¡¯s good. Your aura matches how you feel. It will be easier to manipulate that way. Feel that emptiness, let it surround you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Sen said. ¡°I don¡¯t like feeling that emptiness.¡± ¡°Zulli. Close your eyes.¡± August said. She closed her eyes, the bleak silver stars disappearing from her blank face. August did the same. August let his aura wash over them. It felt like a heavy blanket they couldn¡¯t shrug off. ¡°You should be able to push my aura away, Sen. Focus on your emptiness.¡± ¡°Maybe try filling that empty space.¡± Zulli pondered. ¡°If it demands to be satiated, then satiate it.¡± ¡°Zulli.¡± August said. ¡°Let him figure it out. He needs to find his own footholds.¡± Sen searched his mind for something to fill his emptiness. The thought of adventure crossed through his synapses, and for some reason Garrus was the first person he thought about. Despite Garrus¡¯ creepy coldness, Sen could feel friendliness in him, almost like Garrus had a certain amount of faith and trust in him. Then he thought about August and Zulli, who had nothing to gain from him, but were helping him along the way regardless. Thoughts of his previous life then flickered into his mind. It had only been just over a week since he arrived in this world, and he nearly forgot he even had a previous life. Was he going to go back? Could he go back? Did he even want to? He felt like there was more to do here, now. He couldn''t even remember the names of the people who knew; the void took that from him. He let his ambition excavate the possibilities of the new life before him. This filled him with a sense of purpose and fullness, and soon, August¡¯s aura was slowly being lifted from both Sen and Zulli, pushed back by Sen¡¯s feeble aura.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Zulli smiled when she felt Sen¡¯s aura switch from a state of emptiness to something with more substance. ¡°That is good.¡± August told Sen as he lifted his own aura away from them, pulling it back into himself. ¡°That is the basic use of an aura power, to cancel out and push back other auras by projecting it. Almost every essence user can do it, so it will need to be practiced regularly. As for its tertiary effects, that¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to figure out on your own. I may be able to help guide you, but aura powers are special in that they blend with the identity of the user. Only you know your true identity, Sen.¡± Sen kept his eyes closed as he felt his aura expand. It didn¡¯t get far before it became too weak to push any farther. ¡°Like it¡¯s actual effects?¡± Sen asked. He didn¡¯t open his eyes, but he held out his hand and his short sword appeared in it, the remnant shadow of his voidspace wafting away from it to reveal is silver steel sheen. He remembered when August killed the cat-monster, his sword had turned a solid black, seemingly as a reaction to his emotions, and wanted to emulate that. He felt the leather grip in his hand and imagined pulling his aura from the air around him, into his body, then through his arm and into the sword. He could feel his aura, slowly being pulled from the air into him. It felt like he was holding a glob of molasses with his bare hands as it filtered between his fingertips. Eventually, with some effort, he could feel the energy of his aura pushing through his arm and into the sword. He could feel the sword, as if it was part of him. He opened his eyes. The sword was black from pommel to tip, as if he had just pulled it from his voidspace. The only difference now being the blackness unfading. It looked like sword-shaped silhouette in the universe, reflecting no light from the fire. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this does.¡± Sen said. ¡°It¡¯s just black. I can¡¯t tell if there¡¯s any power to it.¡± ¡°We can experiment with it once you can control that a little bit better.¡± August remarked. ¡°For tonight, just try to move your aura around like that. Back and forth from the area around you then into the sword.¡± More than an hour later, Sen had become fluent in the passage of his aura through both space and his body. It wasn¡¯t masterful control, but he was able to expand his aura around him with a simple thought. By focusing on his sword, he could transfer his aura into it in a few mere seconds. He understood that he could eventually perform the manipulation faster, but the concentration and mana usage had exhausted him. August had practiced his own aura manipulation with Zulli, who despite not having an aura power, was learning to fend off Augusts¡¯ aura pressure with the aura that any iron ranked essence user had. ¡°Does your aura use mana, August?¡± Sen asked, placing another log in the fire and warming his hands from the radiant heat. ¡°No. Some do. Especially those with intricacies like yours. It takes more than just a command to instill magic into things.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Yours is more of a passive buff. Mine is pretty active.¡±
¡°Just let your mana refill. There¡¯s no point in wasting potions. I¡¯m also taking the first and last watch, so feel free to sleep. You¡¯ll need rest for tomorrow.¡± Sen looked out from the cliff looking at the dense forest ahead. The moons were overhead, one half, the other a crescent. Clouds dotted the sky but didn¡¯t fill it. He could see shimmering blue lights dotting the landscape between the trees. Some of the trees themselves were more massive than any skyscraper he had seen back on Earth. The sober calls of different nocturnal mammals rung out. Every so often Sen could hear the faint roar of a large monster, or maybe just a magical creature, too distant to localize. ¡°Those lights are the Springe Wisps, I¡¯m guessing?¡± Sen asked. ¡°Yes. Not dangerous on their own. Though when they catch you, it will sting.¡± August said. Sen opened the Magic Society Monster Records in his vision, directly from the MSRT in his voidspace quick-use slot. His mind searched for data on the Springe Wisps, and it opened up a pop-up window.
Very weak, but will manifest over a very large area. Springe Wisps will coalesce toward one another, eventually resulting in a critical mass of magic, further resulting in a large magical explosion. Their mana-regulating cores can be looted to serve many purposes.
¡°So they need to be culled, otherwise they make an explosion.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky they¡¯ve manifested. They¡¯ll be great training tools, tomorrow.¡± ¡°We¡¯re gonna go wisp hunting?¡± Zulli said excitedly. ¡°Indeed.¡± August responded solemnly. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, it seems we were lucky to have found a mousekrat outside of Vitesse, that day you saved us. It was iron rank. Now we¡¯re lucky that these iron-ranked Springe Wisps are around. It seems like the ambient magic levels have been fortuitous for us.¡± Sen remarked. Even the cat-monster that attacked Zulli was bronze rank. Sen still had not even seen a silver ranked monster. ¡°Monster manifestations are still misunderstood. There¡¯s many variables that come into play, but all you need to know is the strongest monsters localized to that area are what you need to be prepared for. With this area being of high-bronze level, sometimes a weak silver will manifest, and that''s what I''m prepared for.¡± August told them as he stirred the fire with a conjured steel rod. ¡°Those Mousekrats and Springe Wisps are a swarm type of manifestation. They require a large area that is generally undisrupted by other forms of magic, but will manifest many smaller, weaker monsters, rather than a stronger monster in one place.¡± Sen was silent for a moment, as he thought about the mousekrat, his first monster kill. ¡°So that¡¯s why that lady was talking about the sewers. That¡¯s where the Mousekrats manifest. Are they that large?¡± ¡°The sewers in Vitesse? Gods, yes.¡± August said. Both Zulli and Sen though they heard the slightest chuckle from him, but they weren¡¯t sure. ¡°Springe Wisps, well, most forest Wisps are the extreme case of these swarm manifestations. Those wisps most likely all manifested at the same time all over this entire forest.¡± Sitting on her stool, Zulli stretched her arms outward before standing up. ¡°I think that¡¯s it for me then. Am I on second or third watch?¡± ¡°Sen will wake you up.¡± August said. Sen nodded to her. ¡°Alright. Night.¡± She said, crawling into her tiny tent and rustling around for a moment, before she was inside her bedroll, snug as a bug. August got up from his stool to pick up Zulli''s, moving it away from the fire and sitting down on it. He set it between the forest behind him and the cliff in front, becoming the wall that anything had to pass through to reach the camp. ¡°You should sleep, Sen.¡± Were the only words he spoke before crossing both his arms and legs. Sen didn¡¯t look at August but took another gaze at the vista over the cliff. He reveled in its beauty a moment before nodding and crawling into his own tiny tent. He switched to his comfortable set of clothes and snugged himself up in his bedroll. The exhaustion of physical and aura training helped coax him into a peaceful slumber. Sen awoke when he heard August rustling around pre-dawn, but had woken multiple times through the night, hearing strange noises in the forest, and also when Zulli woke up for her watch. August was now packing up his accoutrements into his knapsack. Hearing the rustling herself, Zulli also woke and crawled out of her tent. They had taken their watch shifts as planned, though they were less than a couple hours each. This gave August his rejuvenating few hours of sleep. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to be okay on that little bit of sleep? Is that another benefit of ranking up?¡± Sen asked. He packed up his tent and had been placing items into his voidspace as Zulli handed things to him. ¡°Somewhat. Lack of sleep can catch up to any Essence User. Ranking up just builds a resilience against the delirium. I¡¯ve never slept much.¡± ¡°That makes three of us.¡± Zulli said, stretching out her arms and legs. ¡°You two seem to sleep fine.¡± August remarked. ¡°For me, it¡¯s more of the quality of sleep. I¡¯m not sure how much you know about sleep cycles, but on my world, we could do sleep studies to see the quality of our sleep.¡± Sen said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of such a thing, though I don¡¯t see how they monitor your sleep without analyzing rituals and the different kinds of magical crystals we have here.¡± August replied. ¡°Without magic¡­ My world got very creative.¡± Sen said. ¡°They found your sleep to be low quality then?¡± ¡°Very. How ¡®bout you Zulli?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t sleep like you guys. I¡¯m kind of still awake when I¡¯m sleeping.¡± ¡°Elves naturally have that trait. Are you an elf, Zulli?¡± August mused. Sen and Zulli looked at each other, wondering if this was August¡¯s attempt at a joke. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Zulli said awkwardly. Sen felt his sore muscles from the physical activity they weren¡¯t used to; he rubbed the soreness in his shoulders from lifting August¡¯s mace, and he had stiffness in his legs from the jogging. ¡°I am¡­ out of shape.¡± He said disappointedly. ¡°We¡¯ll head out when the sun fully breaks.¡± August said. We¡¯ll be moving all day, so prepare yourselves.¡± Chapter 16: Looking Good While You Do It The trio of August Niles, Zulli, and Senadin had set out on their march through the dense forest of the Valley of Peckmont. Sen and Zulli were both outfitted with the weighted packs August conjured. August had informed the team that the forest had been growing unimpeded as long as anyone could remember, some of the trees being older than most gold rankers. Even the signature of one of the late kings of Vitesse was still inscribed under the bark of one elder tree, which August had brought the team to. From a distance, it could be regarded as one of the greatest trees, if not the largest, in the whole region. Senadin and Zulli respectfully stayed silent as August gave them a lesson on the history of the area. ¡°Tivarius II.¡± August told them, as he stood in front of a stone before the tree. The stone itself was inscribed in memoriam of the king, who was a revered monarch that developed Vitesse from a small town, protecting it with his flower-centric Essence abilities until the first walls were built. ¡°Peckmont was his home before a monster surge destroyed it, scattering the inhabitants that weren¡¯t run over by the wave of monsters that took the town. Ruins in the surrounding area are all the history we have of that place, but Tivarius was said to have lost his family, and made an oath to never let a town fall to a monster surge again, now known as the Flower Oath. The full oath is written on this stone, if you can read high-elven.¡± ¡°¡­So that no one may ever have to feel the pain I have felt¡­¡± Sen said aloud as he read through the inscription, his translation power working overtime to decipher the complex dialect. ¡°His initials are up near the top of the tree, now.¡± August continued. ¡°They say this elder tree could have healed itself, covering the initials, but the tree keeps the scar in respect for the king.¡± All three looked upward into the dense canopy. The elder tree in front of them was several hundred feet tall, with most of its crown unseen due to other, lower trees blocking the view. Sen couldn¡¯t imagine how deep the roots must go. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how old this tree is. Centuries. Many centuries.¡± Sen surmised as he set his eyes back down to horizon level. ¡°Indeed.¡± August said. ¡°Given the age of Vitesse, we can suspect it hasn¡¯t yet reached a millennium since it was a seedling, but it is fair to surmise that it is getting close.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long time.¡± Zulli said. ¡°Are we going to get on with the Wisp Hunting?¡± ¡°Zulli.¡± Sen chaffed. ¡°This is what adventuring¡¯s all about. Seeing the amazing things the world has to offer.¡± ¡°I thought adventurers killed monsters. That¡¯s what I want to do.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Sen deliberated as he looked to August for some insight. ¡°Adventurers do kill monsters.¡± August said. ¡°But if that¡¯s all they were, then they¡¯d be monster killers, not adventurers.¡± Sen lackadaisically pointed his finger guns at August. ¡°Yeah!¡± Zulli rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ¡°That makes sense. I guess I just don¡¯t care much for a guy that made a city.¡± ¡°What about the big tree?¡± Sen asked her. ¡°It¡¯s very old, but I would guess there are things much older. Even people much older.¡± Sen thought back to the old man that he met while sitting on a bench in Vitesse. He claimed to be very old as well, and Sen now wondered exactly how old. Was that old man older than this ancient tree? August didn¡¯t speak but turned from the stone in front of the tree to draw his attention on them. ¡°Oh Zulli, you¡¯re too analytical.¡± Sen said. ¡°Am I?¡± She asked, half-sarcastically. ¡°Yeah, of course there might be things that are older. But put it in perspective, how old are you?¡± ¡°About a month now, I guess.¡± ¡°See, this tree has lived thousands of your lifetimes. All the things you¡¯ve done already, this tree has seen multitudes of, and even more that you haven¡¯t. Man, if it could talk.¡± Zulli looked from Sen up to the gargantuan tree. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. That is pretty cool, though I¡¯m not sure if the tree has seen anything without eyes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just excited to get to the monster hunting, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sen asked. ¡°I am¡­¡± Zulli droned. ¡°Sorry for being a bummer.¡± Just then, bright green rings encircled each one of them. The rings stretched and morphed from rings of solid green light into letters and symbols that even Sen¡¯s translation power couldn¡¯t decipher. The rings spun around them, faster and faster, producing a soft hum, until they faded and disappeared. ¡°What was that?¡± Zulli asked. Sen looked from Zulli to August, who didn¡¯t budge in response to the display of magic. He was looking at Zulli with the lightest of smiles. ¡°Was that you?¡± Sen asked.
¡°Oh.¡± Sen said as the dialogue box appeared in his vision. ¡°I feel kind of good.¡± Zulli remarked. The whole team could feel the effects, their minds becoming a little clearer from the boost in the spirit attribute. Zulli felt it the most, as her base attributes were the lowest they could possibly be, being at the very bottom end of iron rank. There was a massive gap in power between her and August, with August¡¯s attributes being so powerful that the blessing was a meager boost in comparison. Sen felt the boost in mental capacity just as Zulli did, but since he didn¡¯t have an Essence linked to his recovery attribute, the blessing didn¡¯t have anything to magically anchor into, thus having no effect. August faced the tree and knelt to it. When he stood up, he walked past Sen and Zulli. ¡°Pay your thanks.¡± He said. Neither Zulli nor Sen knelt to the tree. ¡°Thank you!¡± Zulli shouted. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sen agreed. ¡°Thanks, Great Elder.¡± The two hurried to catch up with August, who was already walking the hardly beaten path back onto a more travelled trail. They walked for some time before finally coming close to one of the Springe Wisps. ¡°We¡¯ll clear as many of these as we can.¡± August told them. ¡°But we¡¯re already behind schedule, and we don¡¯t have a contract for them, so we won¡¯t get a payout.¡± ¡°A contract?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Like monster kill orders, right?¡± Sen said. ¡°Right. The most basic of Adventure Society contracts will see you clearing out monsters.¡± August said. Sen imagined any wisp to be about the size of his fist, but that turned out to not be the case. The Springe Wisp was a floating blue orb about the size of a large pumpkin. It floated lazily, wafting of its own accord. The team was only a few meters away from it, and they could see it was slowly moving closer to them. ¡°This one seems to have absorbed a few others already.¡± August informed them. ¡°It¡¯s still far from being critical, but you two better take care of it.¡± ¡°Oooo.¡± Zulli cooed. ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± She said as she lifted her blouse to pull her partially opaque crystal wand from her belt. She aimed the wand at the Springe Wisp, though her form was stiff. Zulli had no experience with wands and had never even seen them used before. Her Universal Knowledge ability gave her an intrinsic understanding of basic universal concepts, which in the case of wands, was place pointy end at enemy. Zulli saw Sen¡¯s hand shyly reach up to poke the wand.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Sorry.¡± Sen said, shyly retracting his arm. Zulli was looking at him with her head cocked to the side as she pointed the wand at the Springe Wisp. When Sen pulled his hand away, Zulli looked back at the monster and a white beam of light released from the wand. Cosmic energy coursed through her body and into the wand, finally releasing from the tip of the wand. It lit up the area around them, and Zulli corrected her amateur aim until she was directly on-center with the Wisp¡¯s spherical form. The wisp crackled as the stellar light collided with its incorporeal body. It was staggered by the beam, drifting away as it was pelted by the constant blinding onslaught. Perhaps it was trying to run away. Whatever the case, Zulli channeled her Quasi-Stellar Beam until the wisp dissolved into nothing, not even leaving enough of a trace to go up in rainbow smoke. ¡°Zulli.¡± Sen said. ¡°Hm?¡± She hummed in a perfectly innocent tone. If only Sen could see the wry smile on her face. ¡°Are you trying the be the coolest one here?¡± ¡°I might.¡± Sen conjured his armor. Black ichor oozed from his pores, engulfing his clothes and retracting them into his voidspace. Once the ooze covered his entire body, it clamped down against his skin, tightening against his body like a thin layer of black oil. Plates of black chrome grew from the ichor, like submarines breaching the surface of the ocean on a new moon. The plates we scarce, mostly covering his joints and leaving many unprotected areas, save for his entire right arm. His right arm was covered shoulder to fingertip in cascading scales of thin black metal. The entire ensemble resulted in a low-profile set of armor that was very light but only protected vital points on Sen¡¯s body. Also, it inherently gave Sen the ability to make himself momentarily weightless, and Sen wanted to finally try that out. ¡°Dibs on the next one. There¡¯s a few things I wanted to try out with my abilities.¡± ¡°August.¡± Zulli said, who had turned to watch the armor generate out of Sen¡¯s body. ¡°Hm.¡± August replied. ¡°Can you sense more Springe Wisps around here?¡± ¡°There are a few around here, yes. Closest one is that way.¡± August said as he pointed them deeper off the trail. ¡°Guess that one is yours then.¡± Zulli said to Sen. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see who can do it better.¡± Sen activated his weightlessness when Zulli stepped off in the direction of where August pointed. He pushed off the ground and launched himself forward, feeling the weightlessness for the first time, resulting in him coasting through the air with a goofy smile on his face. He wasn¡¯t going to be the coolest one there at that moment, but he didn¡¯t care. The ¡°moments of weightlessness¡± as described in his ability screen were exactly that, short moments where his body has a gradual transition from fully weighted to weightless and back again. This resulted in Sen effectively moon jumping as he followed Zulli, who had picked up her pace as she saw Sen jumping ahead of her. The two effectively began to race towards the Springe Wisp. Sen got the hang of his armor¡¯s weightlessness effect quite quickly, and began bounding off of the trunks of trees mid jump in order to accelerate his forward progress. Zulli wasn¡¯t sprinting to keep up, but had to run at a decent pace all while watching the uneven forest floor for obstacles, though her endurance was very much up to the task. Being only iron rank was still a huge leg up from normal rank like Sen, with the weakest iron rankers being the absolute peak of physicality compared to normal rankers. This showed as Sen was already breathing heavily. They both halted their forward progress when they spotted the faint blue glow of a Springe Wisp contrasting the dark shadows of the dense forest canopy. August was diligently following close behind, keeping an eye out for any sort of dangers their amateur senses might not be privy to. ¡°Don¡¯t burn it away this time, leave some for me to finish it off, then I can loot it.¡± ¡°You watched me kill one. I want to watch you kill one.¡± Zulli replied. ¡°Oh. Alright.¡± Sen said as his sword manifested from his voidspace. He focused on his aura, feeling it naturally projected around him. Pulling it into his body he felt the emptiness of it, but also felt some kind of fullness from it, like it held an immense mass behind a thin layer of unreality. The void coursed through him and into his sword, blackening it in its entirety. ¡°I better do something cool then.¡± He gave Zulli a devilish look as he walked past her and toward the Springe Wisp. Zulli put her fists on her hips and didn¡¯t say anything. Sen didn¡¯t get to see her eyes rolling in the back of her head. As Sen walked toward the Springe Wisp, he raised his right arm in front of him. He made several jabs into the air with his gauntlet until for some reason, he stopped. Sen looked at his gauntlet inquisitively. He made another few slow jabs, attentively watching the gauntlet move back and forth. He then punched the air, and a small white flame fluttered from his knuckles. Sen punched the air again, and his entire fist erupted in white flames. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if that was going to work.¡± Sen said to himself. He held his sword in his left hand and heavy black gauntlet in his right. When Sen had first donned the armor in Carbon Manor, he was privately concerned that it may not have been specifically curated for him. The fully armored right arm brought him concern because Sen has been left-handed for twenty-seven years and didn¡¯t want to stop now. Sen thought the armor expected him to mainly use his right arm, but now understood that was not the case. The armor seems to have given Sen exactly what he needed, his left arm and hand were completely free to operate without impedance, while his right arm was given both offensive and defensive options in a fight. Sen¡¯s Primordial Transfiguration ability given from the Awakening Stone of Balance allowed Sen to add Primordial Fire to any of his Void special attacks or spells. Since Sen¡¯s armor was also considered a weapon, Sen wondered if this allowed him to use Primordial Fire with his armor, and since last night, he wondered if he could use Primordial Fire with his sword while it was wreathed in his aura. ¡°Are you going to do something cool or what?¡± Zulli yelled out to him. To her, Sen looked like he stopped halfway to the Springe Wisp and just started boxing the air. ¡°Patience, Zulli! I¡¯ve literally never done this before.¡± Sen replied in an annoyed, but playful tone. He punched the air again, the white flames engulfing his fist when it struck forward. ¡°So that¡¯s considered a special attack?¡± He asked, not really convinced. Sen swung his sword upward, and it also cast out white flame on the upward stroke. Sen found that once an ability has been used, a natural understanding of how to use it is quickly adopted, as if it becomes instinct. Conjuring his Primordial Fire was the same experience as the weightless moon-jumping; It was difficult to find and understand the magic within at first, but once it was found, all its secrets were revealed. Sen looked up at the Springe Wisp. It was hovering above the ground several meters in the air. It had been slowly moving toward Sen once it picked up the scent of his aura with whatever magical senses it had. This one wasn¡¯t as large as the one Zulli had annihilated, but it was still larger than what Sen expected a wisp to be. ¡°Time to test this out.¡± He murmured, switching his gaze to his right hand, balled into a fist. ¡°No spoon.¡± Sen staggered his stance and bent at the knees and hips, placing his armored fist low towards the ground. He activated his weightlessness, then bounded upward, leading with his fist covered in white flame. He shot upward into a long uppercut, his eyes now trained on the blue orb of a monster. His fist pierced its incorporeal form and the wisp shook from the disruptive force damage originating from his Primordial Flame. As his fist went through its body, he could feel the wisp attempting to trap him, it seemed to try and latch onto his arm, and Sen felt that it would have if it weren¡¯t for the Abyssal Vestments covering his body. Springe Wisps can reach a supercritical state once absorbing enough of their own bodies into each other, to the point where their incorporeal forms can no longer contain the unstable magic they possess, resulting in a rather large magical explosion. The only other danger they exhibit is that their bodies can cause a form of paralysis to ensnare any unsuspecting victims, thus the name: Springe Wisp. Sen could feel the Springe Wisp attempting to latch onto his arm and paralyze him, but it seemed like the armor covering his arm did not allow the wisp to take hold. Sen¡¯s fist exited the other side of the wisp, and Sen was readying his second attack. Using the momentum from his uppercut, Sen rotated his body and produced a backhanded upward swing with his sword. With the attack being implemented, he conjured Primordial Fire to augment the slice. The black sword went cleanly through, unimpeded by the Springe Wisp¡¯s attempt to capture it. Floating up above the wisp from the momentum created by his weightlessness, Sen noticed the wisp changed colors. A small orb at the nucleus of the sphere had shifted to a dull reddish hue, as if the wisp was enraged. Sen¡¯s moment of weightlessness was wearing off, and he floated back down toward the ground. On his way down, passing by the wisp again, Sen sent his sword through it in a downwards chop, augmenting it with Primordial Fire once more, and the Wisp exploded in a dazzling array of harmless light particles. Sen landed on the ground softly, letting his sword disappear into his voidspace as the remnant light particles glittered around him.
Zulli walked up to Sen, her arms crossing as she stopped next to him, studying him and his armor. Sen stood in front of her with a smirk on his face, waiting for her to say something. ¡°I killed mine faster.¡± Zulli said to him curtly. ¡°Remember what I told you in the museum?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about killing monsters.¡± ¡°Yes, I know, Sen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about-¡± ¡°Yes, Sen, I know.¡± ¡°Looking good while you do it.¡± Chapter 17: Endangerment Sen had made a mistake, and it may have been at the worst time. His left hand, being uncovered by his Abyssal Vestments, was trapped inside of a Springe Wisp, his grip frozen on his sword sticking through the other side of the incorporeal orb. A large, spindly beast stood on two short, furry legs within reach of him. It wailed ruthlessly against a wall that was mirrored on one side, but transparent on the other. The wall was only thing standing between Sen and a gory death. The Heroc could no longer see Sen but was enraged at seeing its mirrored self in the reflection of the wall. Sen had thought it was all over for him when he heard the quick, predatory footsteps and turned to see it lunging at him. August was always ready and had sensed the beast coming, though its speed left not much room for error, and it had come from the shadows rather than its usual resting place in the treetops. ¡°Get him out.¡± August said calmly to Zulli. He conjured a large steel greatsword that nearly matched the mirrored wall in its sheen. As with all his conjured weapons seen so far, the entirety of the weapon was made of steel, thanks to his Steel Essence¡¯s synergy with his Arsenal Essence. His Steel Essence had awakened an ability called Shine, which allowed him to transform his or his allies¡¯ weapons into a temporary magical steel version of that weapon. The Arsenal Essence on the other hand, awakened an ability to conjure his own weapons. The Shine ability passively augmented his Conjure Weapon ability, allowing a synergistic culmination to ultimately conjure his magical, fully-steel weapons. The steel was both lighter and stronger than conventionally forged steel. Sen had no idea that the mace August had conjured during training was as light of a weapon as August could manage. The Heroc¡¯s silver rank perception could see a pesky nuisance charging at him in the reflection of the now cracked and broken mirror, which was also one of August¡¯s abilities awakened by the Steel essence. Herocs were amalgamated monsters equivalent to a werewolf combined with eagle, or perhaps a vulture, but in the worst ways. Their arms and legs were proportionate to an eagle¡¯s wings and legs, with feathers dotting their hides in no particular pattern. They did not have wings, but their arms were incredibly long and gangly in comparison to their short, stubby hind legs. Underneath their arms, an elastic patch of skin connected to the torso, covered in feathers. This allowed them not the power of flight, but let them glide down from treetops on suspecting prey with pinpoint accuracy. Their fingers and toes ended in sharp, gnarled talons used to latch onto their victims and not let go. The short beaks at the end of their canine, toothy faces were not exactly made to kill, but Herocs found them quite useful in scooping out flesh to be lapped up by their long tongues. As August bounded forward, chitinous plates grew from his brown leather armor, reflecting a gold and green sheen from the rays of sunlight passing through the canopy of leaves overhead. The chitin covered most of his armor, making him look like a sword-wielding beetle warrior straight from 90¡¯s Japanese television. He swung his sword with both hands in a wide horizontal arc when he approached the monster. The Heroc was already swinging its own long arm, attempting a large swipe toward August on his approach. They collided, sword striking claw. August seemed to match the Heroc in relative strength, but the Heroc had a size advantage, being about three times August¡¯s size, with most of that size attributed to its arms alone. Its hand recoiled in reaction to being stricken by the large sword. August let go of his sword with one hand, allowing it to slice into the ground as he pointed his free hand at the monster. A steel hand-crossbow appeared in his free hand, and he shot at the monster¡¯s face, throwing the crossbow away immediately. The bolt of the crossbow stuck into the Heroc¡¯s snout, prompting a gnarly squeal that resembled annoyance rather than pain. The Heroc tactfully pulled the bolt out of its face between the talons of its thumb and forefinger. Prompted by the given moment, August spat from his mouth a gout of vile yellow liquid. Once the liquid covered the monster¡¯s face and shoulders, it took a moment to realize it was burning through its fur and feathers, and into its flesh. The Heroc was effectually dazed by the concurrent series of attacks, and saw a massive sword being swung overhead, impending demise on its behalf. It jumped back a little too late and suffered a deep gash from its shoulder down half of its chest. Most monsters were stupid, crazed, and ultimately self-destructive, and compared to many silver ranked monsters, the Heroc was just that. But even the dullest of silver rank monsters contained an inherent sense of intellectuality and self-preservation. The Heroc jumped back from August¡¯s onslaught in this effort to preserve itself. Sen had watched August¡¯s combo of blows from behind the safety of the crumbling magical mirror between him and the monster. His attention was brought back to the Springe Wisp when Zulli fired a dazzling beam of light at it from the tip of her wand. The wisp melted away from the beam as Zulli used her Wand¡¯s charged ability, Cosmic Consonance. The caricature of an exploding star surrounded by a thick circle shone in light underneath her, covering meters of the ground around her. This ritual circle boosted the effects of her cosmic abilities which were already boosted when channeled through her wand: Conquered Comet. ¡°I think August might be the coolest one here.¡± Sen said to Zulli as she helped him up. They both squared their bodies toward the monster, that was now having a glaring contest with August. Zulli could see the monster making glances at them as it thought about its next move. It didn¡¯t seem like it wanted to run away and was also too wounded to attack recklessly. August saw Zulli put down her ritual circle, and assumed she would attempt to stand her ground there. Instead of commanding her to retreat, he decided to act in accordance with her plan. When he saw Sen down his mana potion, he all but confirmed the two intended to fight a silver-rank monster they didn¡¯t have the slightest chance of killing. It was August¡¯s sole duty to protect the two on their way to Silverwind, and he intended on doing it. He watched the monster as they strafed each other in a circle. Once the monster had put itself between the two outworlders and the elite bronze rank adventurer, he finally decided to execute his plan. August held his greatsword in one hand and conjured another steel crossbow, but this time the crossbow was more the size of a siege weapon. He stabbed his greatsword into the ground, burying it to the hilt. As if on cue, Zulli sent a powerful, though still iron-rank, beam of light at the monster, which took its attention. The beam was far too weak to blind the Heroc with its silver rank resilience, but after a few seconds of being pelted by the annoying blast, it decided its next target. It leaped out at Zulli with incredible speed, faster than August had predicted. Its arms spread wide, talons spread on all limbs. Both Sen and Zulli barely had any time to feel any fear as the gangly giant displayed its massive wingspan, a practiced maneuver it had used many times on unsuspecting prey. When Zulli finally felt the shock of being the prey in question, she pulled back her wand instinctively. She felt Sen¡¯s unarmored hand on her shoulder opposite him as he pulled her in, raising his right arm, his only defense, to take whatever impact it could from the attack. A pointy, shiny object breached out from the Herocs chest, producing four large barbs around its tip that didn¡¯t like to go back out the way they came in. The Heroc wrenched and folded in mid-air, its arms tensing in reaction to the pain. A wild hand of talons swept into Sen and Zulli, sending them both flying from the silver-ranked impact. August held onto a thin steel cable attached to the harpoon sticking through the Herocs chest. He heaved, digging his feet into the earth. He managed to pull the cable back to the greatsword stabbed into the ground, and wrapped the cable around its hilt. The greatsword budged only slightly as the Heroc tugged on the cable. Sen couldn¡¯t feel his right arm. He was face down on the forested floor. Pain came from his shoulder, lots of pain. He pulled his face out of the dirt to inspect his arm. It was still there, but he couldn¡¯t feel it. Blackish-brown, oil-tainted blood covered the grass around him, but he was still alive. He pushed himself up with his good arm, getting to his knees to look for Zulli. A weary smile crossed his lips. Zulli was picking herself up as well, seemingly unharmed. He had never felt this much pain before. It had been years since he had felt anything like this; he had forgotten how exhilarating it was. Zulli stumbled over to Sen, falling to her knees to meet him. A flash of light came from her hand as she pointed it at his mangled arm. Sen winced in pain as she cauterized the wounds. He could feel his arm again, at least from his shoulder to his elbow. He couldn¡¯t move it, but he could feel it, and he now wished he couldn¡¯t as the feeling came back, bringing only pain. He pulled a health potion from his voidspace and flicked off the stopper. He sipped half of it and pointed the rest at Zulli. She put her hand on his and pushed the potion back into his chest, then turned to point her wand at the monster wildly scraping the ground and gnashing its teeth, caught in August¡¯s steel, steadfast tether. Sen finished the potion, feeling its effects immediately. He took a glance at his arm. The entire gauntlet was split into a few pieces, suggesting the Herocs talons indeed sever multiple sections of Sen¡¯s arm. The only thing keeping it attached was the oily, rubbery, liquid-latex-like lining of his armor. Zulli ran back to stand inside her ritual circle. While most of it was in striking distance of the monster, she could stand near the edges in a relatively safe area. The entire area became safer once August climbed on the Heroc¡¯s back, now wielding a double-sided two-handed axe. Sen trudged a little bit closer to the monster, his right arm limp, and wreathing his sword in the blackness of his aura. He grimaced in pain. He couldn¡¯t get close enough to use his Primordial Fire, but he had one more thing he wanted to try out.
Effect (Iron): Your void special attacks and spells can be transfigured into different forms.
Sen swung his sword at the monster, hoping to get lucky with a Legend of Zelda type sword beam. Nothing came from the sword, but August, Zulli, and Sen¡¯s chests released a golden light before quickly dissipating. Sen had no idea what happened, Zulli paid it no mind, and August recognized the feeling as a meager defense boost. Zulli kept her Quasi-Stellar beam focused on the monster¡¯s face, hoping to eventually blind it, and cause whatever damage she can. Sen swung his sword again, and by this time, August had chopped away at one of the Heroc¡¯s shoulders twice, nearly cleaving its arm off with his large axe. Wind bellowed over August as he went for the final cleave. It originated from Sen¡¯s direction, but was barely enough to shake August, let alone the Heroc. Sen swung his sword a third time, and so did August. August swung clean through his quarry, the monster¡¯s arm lifelessly falling to the ground. A spray of orange-red powder left Sen¡¯s sword, covering the monster and the air around it. August¡¯s eyes went wide, and using one of his special abilities, leapt straight up into the air, away from the powder. He conjured another mirror in-between him and the monster. It floated horizontally, acting as a ceiling for the red, fiery explosion created by the fine dust after a short delay. The mirror absorbed the magical explosion, then released another, this one not as weak as Sen¡¯s, reflecting the explosion at August¡¯s power level of high bronze rank. It flattened the Heroc, the explosion resounding throughout the forest.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Despite the hair and feathers of the Heroc burning off into oblivion, and ultimately being left a charred mess, silver rank resilience was put on full display as the Heroc still lived. It let out pained whines as it ineffectually tried to raise itself to its feet. August put it out of his misery, seeing how close it was to death. He fell back toward the ground with a steel spear in his hand, planting it into the Heroc¡¯s skull when he landed. The Heroc finally went limp as it heaved out one final agonal breath. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have gotten that close.¡± August said, stepping away from the dead monster to check on Sen. He was berating himself more than anyone else. ¡°I was focusing on the treetops with my aura senses. I wasn¡¯t expecting one to be so close to us on the ground.¡± ¡°That thing was sneaky for being so big.¡± Sen replied. He winced in pain as he felt his wounds through the gashes in his armor. The healing potion did well to at least stitch his arm together in some form, and Zulli stopped most of the bleeding, but he dared not doff his armor as he felt it was still the only thing keeping his arm together. ¡°Don¡¯t drink another healing potion.¡± Zulli said, walking over, attaching her wand to her belt. ¡°It will just make you sick.¡± ¡°I think I can feel that.¡± Sen replied. ¡°Just thinking about another healing potion is making me sick.¡± August¡¯s eyes narrowed at Sen, then lightened when he looked at Zulli. ¡°You both did well.¡± He said. ¡°You acted predictably, which in this case was a good thing. But we¡¯re heading back to the main trail. I don¡¯t like how reckless you both are. That was a silver rank monster. You would have no chance against it.¡± ¡°I think we made things easier for you.¡± Zulli posited. August folded his arms at her, but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t be able to loot it if I didn¡¯t pitch in.¡± Sen said wearily. Despite the pain he felt, he walked over to touch the Heroc with his good hand.
¡°We¡¯re rich!¡± Sen exclaimed. The immense amount of adrenaline running through his body mixed merrily with the feel-good chemicals of getting good loot after a hard fight. The burnt corpse of the Heroc began to sizzle into a plume of rainbow smoke as it disappeared. Sen immediately hurried over to August and away from the foul stench of the smoke, handing him two small pouches and a pair of gloves. He gave August both the silver and bronze spirit coins, as well as the gloves since Sen wasn¡¯t even close to being the rank to use them. He figured August wouldn¡¯t balk at it, and he was right, as August took the bounty from Sen¡¯s good hand. As August took the loot, his focus was centered on Sen¡¯s limp arm. August had seen mangled armor many times before, and noticed the metal plates were completely severed at a few points. Sen¡¯s arm shouldn¡¯t even be in one piece anymore, but there it was. ¡°Anything for me?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Just some iron spirit coins for me and you.¡± ¡°You got all this? From one monster?¡± August asked. Sen knelt on the ground, then awkwardly fell onto his butt with the assistance of one good hand. He hoisted his ravaged right arm onto his lap, wincing in pain, and leant over, barely holding himself up. The raunchy odor of the dissolving monster inevitably filled his nostrils, his adrenaline was wearing off, and a wave of exhaustion now accompanied his pain. ¡°Eeuuugghhhh¡­.¡± Sen let out a pained groan as the pain in his arm began to grow exponentially. ¡°Should have seen that coming¡­¡± He mumbled to himself. ¡°Hello!? Everything alright?¡± A female voice came through the trees. August¡¯s eyes darted in the direction of the sound. ¡°Make yourself seen!¡± He shouted, putting the coins and gloves into his knapsack. ¡°No problem! We¡¯re adventurers!¡± Two women hopped down from the high branches of the forest. One was wearing a flexible set of leather armor while another was wearing a light set of combat robes. ¡°We heard that blast and thought someone might be in trouble.¡± August let his aura seep out of him so the two adventurers could gauge his presence, while the two women did the same in turn. He was able to tell they were both stealth specialists by how they hid certain things in the aura, as if there were gaps in it. August was unable to control his aura in such a way, as is the case for most straightforward brawlers. ¡°Just cut it off.¡± Sen mumbled from his seated position, before his head rolled back and he collapsed on the soft forest floor. Zulli hurriedly tried to catch him but was too slow. She shifted his body into a more dignified and comfortable position. ¡°He¡¯s out.¡± She told August. ¡°Your badges?¡± August asked the visitors. The two women reached to their belts to produce badges of a bronze color, with two silver stars emblazoned across. August produced his as well, though his badge held one more star. The leather-clad girl¡¯s eyebrows raised at his badge, while the girl in combat robes took on a shocked expression. ¡°Seems like you did find trouble.¡± The previously silent woman in leathers told August as she looked down at Sen. ¡°Are you escorting these two?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± August replied in his classic stoic fashion. ¡°You¡¯re quite a way off the trail.¡± She said. August set down his knapsack and started rummaging a large arm through it. The chitin plates implanted into his leather armor receded, disappearing once more. ¡°I¡¯m August Niles. May I have your names?¡± ¡°Molly, Daughter of Ellen.¡± The girl in leathers replied. ¡°I¡¯m Brina Brecht.¡± The girl in the combat robes said. ¡°Molly, Brina. Thank you for your concern. Are you on a contract?¡± August asked, pulling out two eight-foot poles with a canvas tarp set in between. ¡°Yes. The Springe Wisps.¡± Molly replied. August set the litter next to Sen. ¡°Trickle some mana into this.¡± August told Zulli, who was still kneeling over Sen, whilst watching the interaction between adventurers. Zulli touched one of the poles and focused on releasing mana into the object. The litter spread taut and began to float before Zulli pulled away her hand, and it coasted softly back to the ground again. She understood what August wanted and started working on moving Sen¡¯s limp body onto the litter. ¡°Two two-star stealth specialists for a coverage kill contract?¡± August asked the two adventurers as he moved closer to them to politely talk in comfortable conversation range. ¡°It¡¯s a recon contract. There¡¯s a gold ranker coming through Peck Bluffs tonight, and the word is he¡¯ll take out all of them if we can plot the right points.¡± Molly said. ¡°Seems superfluous. You would be able to do it in less time. Is it political?¡± August asked. ¡°We think it''s more for research. They could be honing a new multi-target weapon or ritual. Our contract includes coming back out tomorrow to see how many are left and clearing them out.¡± Brina said. August nodded. A one-star adventurer was the usual suspect for an eradication or supply run contract. Two-star adventurers took contracts that contained intricacies that complicated broader situations, or required a lighter approach, such as gathering intelligence or acting as liaisons. Three star adventurers like August were not incredibly rare, as there were very many capable adventures, but they took the most politically sensitive contracts, and therefore were usually intertwined with both political and academic endeavors of the highest order, giving them an inherent gap in superiority even without the authority another star gave. ¡°What were you fighting?¡± Brina asked. ¡°A Heroc.¡± August said. His chin rose as he expected a negative response. The two women put on affronted expressions. ¡°You let a Heroc get that close to these two!?¡± Brina asked. Her hands quickly rested on her hips as she scolded August. ¡°These two don¡¯t learn lessons easily. Either way, it wasn¡¯t in the treetops, where I expected them to be. A minute lapse in judgement.¡± August replied. ¡°Odd. Also reckless. One swipe could have killed either of them.¡± Molly chided. ¡°Yes. They are indeed reckless.¡± August said, fully aware she was pointing her words at him. ¡°But they survived.¡± Zulli had finished moving Sen onto the litter and it floated beside her, carrying Sen. ¡°Can either of you help him recover?¡± August asked them, look from Sen¡¯s litter to the two women. ¡°So that you can put him in more danger?¡± Brina asked. ¡°We¡¯re on our way to Silverwind. A trek through the valley was part of the contract. They have business to take care of once they get there. Zulli has already paid the price of underestimating monsters. It was his turn.¡± August told her. Brina huffed. She knew that there was more to the contract than August was letting on. Any escort done by a three-star adventurer was always more than just an escort. She waved her hand in front of her face. ¡°No, we¡¯re not healers. Peck Bluffs has what he needs. The trail-¡± She emphasized, pointing back to the main trail as she leered at August. ¡°-is mostly cleared on the way there. Will you be putting this endangerment in your report with the Adventure Society, or will I have to?¡± A light smile alighted on August¡¯s lips in respect for her concern for the two outworlders. ¡°It will be in the report. Thank you for checking on us.¡± He said when his attention switched to Zulli, who walked to August¡¯s side with Sen in tow. ¡°That¡¯s a curious ability.¡± Molly told Zulli, addressing her shadowy, dark form. August looked at Zulli with stern eyes, which was enough of a cue for Zulli to keep her secrets to herself. ¡°Yep.¡± She said. An awkward lull came over them. ¡°Please be safe then. We¡¯ll get back to our contract and let you get back to yours. The trail is that way.¡± Brina emphasized once more, pointing in the direction of the trail. August nodded at the two women. They took a few steps before hopping back into the treetops and out of sight. Their auras then disappeared from August¡¯s senses. ¡°We should be able to make it to Peck Bluffs before sundown. You seem to have a handle on your mana control.¡± August told Zulli as he directed a nod at Sen laying on the floating magical litter. Sen¡¯s face seemed stressed despite being unconscious. ¡°Perks of my ability.¡± Zulli replied. They both stepped off to find their way back to the trail. Chapter 18: Golden Spears ¡°I thought this was going to be a nice little vacation¡­¡± Spindly legs hung from the side of a hammock that lightly swayed back and forth, held up by two poles staked into sand. Behind the young man on the hammock sat a small cottage, built large enough for only one room. It was classically designed with a single door and two windows and built with a stout wood frame with layered wood paneling. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t even do any artifice or alchemy here.¡± Arty spun a tiny knife in between his fingers. His hands were calloused and scratched from the practiced technique, as well as the constant burning from unstable concoctions. ¡°He said a few days, it has to have been a few days already, right?¡± He asked himself. He awkwardly angled himself out of the hammock, his bare feet contacting the sand. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right about that sand, either. Too bad I won¡¯t be able to tell him.¡± Arty walked into the cottage. Inside, the only furnishings were a small bed in one corner of the cottage, and a tall wooden cabinet on the other. Arty walked over to the cabinet and opened it, revealing his long red trench coat. He stuck his hand in the outside pocket of the coat and pulled out a silver pocket watch. When he checked the face of the pocket watch, he let out a long sigh. The hands of the watch spun madly around its circumference, sometimes freezing in place and sometimes going in reverse. His tinkering mind wanted to make sense of the chaos it exhibited, but without the use of any of his magical tools, he had no hope of deciphering it. Not that he could expect to make any outrageous breakthroughs in the science of timekeeping in dimensional spaces. ¡°I guess I just expect it to work sometimes.¡± He said, placing the pocket watch back into his jacket. At first, he had objected to talking to himself too much, but as his boredom escalated, he couldn¡¯t help himself. Being alone with nothing to do for a few days was maddening for his overactive mind. He let out another long sigh, before a realization came to him, and his eyes opened wide. ¡°Oh no.¡± He stepped out of the cottage to look around. Around the sandy beach surrounding the cottage there was no water, and above his head was not a blue sky, but spiraling, cascading streams of rainbow light. He had not been residing in physical reality, but in some kind of dimensional space fit for contemporary living. In Vitesse, he had been approached by an older man sporting a poncho and a set of weird blue pants and no shoes. Arty had not wanted to trust the man, assuming the man was a homeless idiot, but when the old man gave him a couple gold rank magic items, his curiosity was piqued. The old man had advised Arty to use his skills to mark something with one of the items, and then use the other item with that marking, specifically on Zulli. He was told he would spend a few days inside a dimensional space, and at the end of those days he would have to make a choice. Now, he was fearful that the old man was wrong, and he was not going to be there for only a few days, but much longer, maybe forever. At least, until the space ran out of magic to sustain him. He didn¡¯t realize he would have to count on external forces to release him from what he now realized could be a prison. ¡°Wait.¡± He said aloud. When he had tried some artifice inside the space, a small little enchantment on his pocket watch, it had caused a backlash of magic, not harming the watch, but the percussive force created sent Arty reeling against the wall of the cottage. Arty let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Might kill me. Last resort.¡± *** ¡°Of course, he¡¯s in good care. He¡¯ll be fine by the morning, but he won¡¯t be at his best. No normal person should have been able to withstand that kind of blow. Luckily his armor absorbed most of the percussion.¡± ¡°Percussion?¡± Zulli asked. The acolyte of the Healer nodded. ¡°The force generated by the attack would not only have shredded his limb, but it also would have completely destroyed it and more due to the rank disparity. It seems that the lining of his armor was able to create a sort of shell to avoid this, combined with the fact that his body is of magical nature in the first place. It seems to have an intrinsic symbiosis with the armor. I can tell he is an outworlder, the magical structure of his body is fascinating, I¡¯m sure yours is much the same.¡± She said, looking up at Zulli from her kneeling position next to a cot that Sen had been laid upon. His armor was still donned around him, and luckily the healer¡¯s magic was able to permeate through it. Zulli was silent as she considered the extremity of what the healer implied. ¡°His arm would have exploded?¡± ¡°More than his arm.¡± The healer said. ¡°I suppose we¡¯re even then.¡± Zulli whispered softly, her gaze shifting to Sen. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said to the healer. ¡°No thanks necessary. Tell your team leader we thank him for his generous donation.¡± Zulli looked one more time to Sen. He was still unconscious, and still had a pained face despite the hours it took to reach Peck Bluffs. August and Zulli were able to move quickly without Sen slowing them down. The magical litter that carried Sen was easily pulled with one hand by Zulli, while August was able to easily dispatch off a few bronze rank monsters that stood in their path. Peck Bluffs sat on the northwestern end of the continent and was aptly named, set on cliffs overlooking the vast ocean. The air was filled with salt and the sound of harsh waves colliding with the cliffs a couple hundred feet below. It featured a relatively small airship port but was mostly known as a transient portal relay. The only permanently standing structures were a large storehouse for airship cargo, an even larger hall built as a portal station, and several domed buildings acting as hostels for travelers and adventurers alike. It was surrounded by damaged fortifications, as if it had once been a fortress, but was either destroyed by an attacking militia or a wave of monsters. Its location was advantageous as most silver ranked portal users could set up their portals to a few different areas of interest in their radius. These areas of interest included both Vitesse and, most notably, Silverwind, the final destination of the team¡¯s current adventure. Zulli stepped out from the large tent and felt the chill of the evening air. August was waiting for her outside, leaving Sen¡¯s care to Zulli as he went to rent out a room to stay the night. ¡°He¡¯ll be alright by the morning?¡± August asked. Zulli nodded. ¡°They said thanks for the donation.¡± ¡°They should thank Sen when he wakes up. He was the one that looted the coins.¡± ¡°He could have died, August. I guess I could have too. I didn¡¯t know the extent of the danger of that kind of monster. I thought I would have known, but I didn¡¯t. How could I not have known?¡± Zulli asked, mostly wondering out loud. Being born into the world from the release of an extreme amount of energy, she relied heavily on her Universal Knowledge ability to accommodate her lack of experience within it. She surmised that she should know the extent of rank disparity but was completely oblivious to it. ¡°The healer said the rank difference alone could have utterly destroyed him.¡± August nodded while putting on a solemn expression. ¡°I reserved one room for the night. They only had a single bed available. You may rest there; I¡¯ll be fine on a chair in the common area. That gold ranker has arrived and he¡¯s preparing the ritual, let¡¯s go watch, I¡¯ll try to explain.¡± Zulli didn¡¯t respond but walked ahead to the gathering of people localized at the edge of the encampment. The group of travelers had gathered in an open area covered in lush ground with their attention rested on a recently leveled area of packed earth. Several individuals adorned in Magic Society robes were working around the edges of the area, assisting a robed, hooded man with the use of different artifacts, tablets, and crystals, while keeping the crowd away from their work. August walked with Zulli, and they found themselves a good spot on top of a large rock next to another couple of adventurers waiting to watch the ritual being performed. ¡°You think it was reckless for me to put you in that kind of danger? Just as Brina Brecht does?¡± August asked Zulli. ¡°How was it not reckless?¡± Zulli asked.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Maybe it was.¡± August confessed. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and avoid just saying that you should trust me with things like this. I¡¯m a three-star adventurer at the peak of bronze. I¡¯ll be silver rank soon, and when I finally make that transition, my priorities will be changed. I¡¯ll lose my stars and start over from the bottom. That being said, I¡¯ve already been through that twice. I was three stars at iron, and they reset when I got to bronze.¡± ¡°Is that a big deal or what?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°Some would say that it is.¡± August replied. ¡°A three-star iron is rarer than a three-star bronze. Most people don¡¯t have the experience or decision-making aptitude at iron rank to make it to three stars, and if they do, they¡¯re usually blazing through their rank just to make it to bronze.¡± They both moved their attention to the ritual as something interesting took place. The gold ranker, a hooded figure in dark blue intricately flowing robes had finished placing different artifacts around the large, complex ritual circle comprised of diagrams and designs that sang to Zulli¡¯s magical senses. She didn¡¯t understand the ritual, but just from instinct she was able to see that it was nearly perfect in its design. Facing away from the crowd and toward the Valley of Peckmont, the gold ranker levitated to the center of the circle and raised his hands into the night sky while humming and mumbling incoherent sounds that seemed to originate from different points in the circle. After a moment of silence, five stone obelisks, a few meters tall each, comprised of beige marble bricks rose from equidistant points around the circumference of the ritual circle. The gold ranker then levitated to one of the obelisks and began to inscribe magical runes on it. ¡°The whole point of going through the valley was to get you two ready for an incredible task that is ahead of you.¡± August told Zulli. Through all the excitement of the adventure, Zulli had nearly forgotten why they had left in the first place. There was something waiting for them in Silverwind. Though still a mystery, August seemed to know the depth at which the task was to be appreciated. ¡°Despite the turmoil of being struck down by a monster, you both have only had a small taste of the adventuring life.¡± August continued. ¡°It¡¯s amazing most of the time. It¡¯s hard to explain how great it feels to be an adventurer. But that feeling comes at a cost, and it is usually paid in a large sum given over only a few moments.¡± Zulli listened to August impart his experience and wisdom. When Sen and Zulli first met him, he was a stoic bodyguard that didn¡¯t do much more than demand what he wanted. As they were around him more, they surmised that he was simply a consummate professional, and didn¡¯t say more than necessary. Zulli realized that this stoicism had started to unravel while on this adventure. There were even a couple of instances where August had seemed to have made a joke, and now this conversation was nearing more words coming from his mouth than she had heard in the totality of knowing him. The adventuring life appeared to have a positive impact on his mood, lightening it, and giving him some room to be more comfortable in mundane pleasantries. ¡°It was a risk to take you that deep into the forest.¡± August said. ¡°But Herocs are weak, even if they are silver rank.¡± ¡°Those two girls didn¡¯t think so. Did you see them over there?¡± Zulli replied, pointing over to the edge of the crowd. Brina and Molly stood next to each other near some Magic Society officials. Being a part of the recon, they were obviously given a good position to watch the show. ¡°Yes. They saw us too.¡± August told her. ¡°Molly and Brina are new to bronze rank. Like I said, I¡¯m near the end of it. Very near. This will be one of my last tasks before I make the plunge into silver.¡± ¡°So what, you¡¯re saying that you were in control the entire time?¡± Zulli asked. ¡°No, I would never say that, and I hope you would never believe it. But after you¡¯ve made as many decisions as I have, and after you¡¯ve seen the outcomes of every decision you make, you¡¯re able to make more calculated risks.¡± ¡°You take into account every decision you¡¯ve ever made?¡± Zulli questioned skeptically. ¡°As your spirit attribute increases, you will understand better.¡± He told her. ¡°My mind has a clarity that you simply can¡¯t comprehend, yet.¡± ¡°I kind of get that. That blessing fell off when we got here, and I felt the cloudiness in my mind come back.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you were thinking clearly when you chose to stand and fight a monster three times your size and exponentially more powerful than you? You may not know how much more powerful exactly, but you knew it was dangerous.¡± August asked her. He wasn¡¯t looking at her directly, keeping his attention affixed on the gold ranker inscribing runes. ¡°You wanted to fight it.¡± ¡°I knew Sen wasn¡¯t going to back down.¡± ¡°So, you decided to take a risk just because he did?¡± ¡°No. Well¡­¡± Zulli took a moment to think. ¡°It all happened so fast, I just listened to my instinct.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s bravery or ignorance, Zulli. What you knew was that the monster was dangerous. You knew it had to be stopped, and you acted on it. You didn¡¯t turn tail. If I were to have told you to run, what would you have done?¡± Zulli kept her eyes away from August, making it seem like she was watching the gold ranker work on his ritual, when in actuality, she was playing the moment over in her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know, August.¡± She replied. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t even consider it. There are certain kinds of people in this world. Many people have the courage to act, that is not a special thing. Others, more rarely, don¡¯t even need that courage. They take on the adventuring life as if it was their only sworn duty, like it was something they were born to do. Those people tend to make it very far, and if they don¡¯t, they have no quarrel with giving their lives in that service.¡± Zulli finally looked over at August, wondering if he was implying what she thought he was. ¡°It¡¯s still yet to be understood if you or Sen are that kind of person. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be that person, and I don¡¯t expect you to try and live up to it. But I wouldn¡¯t have put you in that situation if I didn¡¯t at least consider it.¡± August said. Zulli looked away from August again, and back to the ritual being performed. The gold ranker had quickly moved from one obelisk to another. Runes were inscribed in all of them, and the hooded man stood in the middle of the circle again. He placed down a small golden artifact in the circle and stepped out. Zulli couldn¡¯t see exactly what the artifact was, but it resembled, to Zulli at least, a carriage just like the one August had created, only the size of a toy. When the gold ranker stepped out of the ritual circle, Zulli saw his eyes meet hers from under his hood. He looked at her as if she could see her face through her shadowy facade. Though his face was expressionless, Zulli felt his eyes looking directly into hers. He turned before his stare could be seen as anything but arbitrary and faced the ritual circle. The Magic Society assistants had all stopped their ministrations on their respective pieces of equipment, and the crowd quieted in response. The gold ranker¡¯s voice echoed from all around as his aura washed over them. ¡°Breaker fleet, Boiling winds. Within the narrow chasm a great loom detracts. Embarking legion, herald of raining thorns: Unravel.¡± Whoever had been inattentive to the gold ranker¡¯s actions were either silenced by his voice or overpowered by his aura as he spoke his incantation. A temporary silence fell over the crowd before the obelisks began to hum with energy as the ritual circle, made in a chalk-like powder, brightened with a cold blue light. The golden artifact in the center of the circle dissolved from its top to bottom, leaving no trace behind. From the tip of each obelisk, forms began to materialize. It was difficult to realize at first, but as their golden shapes became more real, the crowd was audibly evoked once they realized the manifestations were chariots, floating in a surreal stillness atop each obelisk. Zulli was entranced by the spectacle. August was silent, seemingly unfazed, his eyes narrow as he studied the ritual being performed. The gold ranker raised a single hand in the air. For some time, he held his arm there before lowering it, resting it at his side once more. The sun had recently set, leaving barely any light left in the sky, but a faint shadow passed over part of the crowd. A figure came into sight, quite large, on the other side of the ritual circle. It flapped its large, feathered wings before landing on the ground with its four feet. It let out a constrained coo as it began to walk around the circle towards the gold ranker. ¡°A gryphon.¡± August said, eyes wide, which was repeated several times over throughout the crowd. Zulli made a quick glance at August to witness his shock. As the gryphon neared the gold ranker, he put out his hand and the gryphon rested its head into it. It let out a hefty breath through the nostrils in its beak as it closed its eyes. When the gold ranker pulled away his hand, the gryphon opened its eyes and moved into the ritual circle, stepping over each one of the bright blue lines with dexterous diligence. It stopped in the epicenter, where the toy chariot recently sat, and was taken by the light of the ritual circle, emanating its own bright blue glow. Attached to the five now fully-manifested chariots floated atop the obelisks, their own gryphons began to form, created similarly from their own golden material, and still as statues. Once the gryphons had completely materialized, attached with reins to the chariots, a silence came over the crowd once more. The gryphon stepped carefully out of the ritual circle toward the gold ranker. The gold ranker bowed his head to the gryphon, and the great beast made no indication of response before taking a few gallant steps, flapping its wings and taking to the air, flying away. Then, the gold ranker¡¯s voice resounded throughout the air again. ¡°Extricate.¡± The golden chariots and their gryphons shimmered with an ethereal brilliance that didn¡¯t quite seem real, and the gryphons animated, flapping their wings, taking off from their invisible roosts atop the obelisks. They flew away from the ritual circle and everyone watched silently in awe. Each of the chariots headed to different areas, flying high above the valley. Not much time passed before streams of golden light began to pour from each of the chariots, raining down onto the valley below. Dozens, if not hundreds of golden streams soon filled the vista, lighting up most of it, the golden spears a stark contrast to the dark silhouette of the forest. ¡°Sen would have loved this.¡± Zulli said, watching the spectacle. ¡°Indeed.¡± August remarked. The chariots had gotten so far in so little time as to have gone out of sight, and the streams of golden light had receded in turn. ¡°I¡¯m going to find something to eat.¡± Zulli said. ¡°We won¡¯t have to take watch, right? They have people here to do that? While we¡¯re sleeping?¡± August looked at her for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re satisfied with my explanation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s as good of an explanation as I can hope for, I guess.¡± Zulli replied. ¡°You believe in us.¡± ¡°I-¡± August stammered. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. This place isn¡¯t like Vitesse.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± Zulli said, and she hopped off the rock. August followed her, and they walked toward a couple temporary food stalls set up a little way away from the crowd.