Today was the day.

A new beginning. A new chapter in my life. A new step forward for my family's legacy.

I threw off my sheets, stretching my legs before climbing out of my bed. The wooden floor groaned beneath my weight, a sound drowned out by the low, steady beat of drums. If I had not been a deep sleeper, such a thing would have bothered me this early in the morning. My brother had recently received a set of drums, a set I had given him for his recent Name Day Anniversary.

His interest in music has blossomed greatly in the past few weeks since that time. Since departing from the tribe with the rest of my family, I have come to learn many things about Human civilisation, yet he was born into it. The steady heartbeat-like thrum reverberating through the house reminded me of such things. The music of civilisation was far more advanced and varied than that of our tribe. I could not fault my brother for his interests in good faith.

I approached the wardrobe, reaching inside for my garments. My underclothes were significantly larger than that of a Human's, something I had received comments on from several acquaintances. I purchased them at the other side of the city, from a reputable [Tailor]. I squinted, looking the clothes up and down. They seemed... familiar, in an unusual, alien way I couldn't place. They were without a doubt my clothes, but I felt a distance from them.

Once I had adorned myself, I set about equipping my armor. Worn straps and skins passed down from my father. There was no need for the average [Hunter] in this city, even if it was something our family had prided itself on. There were no tribal, traditional [Hunters], although that in itself was not a bad thing.

In fact, our family had chosen to migrate to this city not for its 'casual' lifestyle or decadent trappings. Instead, our father had seen the value in the conflicts and dangers of the city. He found it a wise place to raise his young, one ripe with danger. Experience was plentiful, and here for the taking.

My armor was fashioned by our tribe's [Armorsmith] from the greatest hunts of our family's legacy. It was formed from the skin of a Mammoth, and adorned with the scaled protection of a Hydra's scales. The fur on the shoulders and interior retained heat, keeping us strong while the legacy of our ancestor's greatest kill shielded us from claw and fang alike. I pulled up the hood, covering my pale grey face in shadow.

The mask was next to meet my hand, one fashioned after a reptilian beast's skull, two fangs poking down from the upper half of the mouth. I hooked the sides of the mask behind my ears, securing it in place. I looked up and into the mirror, my face, shaved head and ancestral tattoos obscured by the mask. Only my piercing orange eyes remained visible, each as warm as the sun.

I freed my spear from the metal hooks along the wall, running my hand over the carved length. My fingers, scarred and worn from work and hunt alike, met the fur that stood between the handle and the triangular blade atop it. It was the finest weapon my family had to offer, and now, it had been passed down to me. It was a heavy weapon to bear, but I had long since trained to shoulder such burdens.

Finally, I pulled on my necklace, one with a similar design to my mask. A guardian totem, and a reminder of home. A reminder of the tribe we left behind in search of power and glory. My tie to tradition, and a reminder of my duty.

My fist enclosed the trinket, and I sent my prayers to the Strength of the Hunt, promising to survive and hunt in her honor. If she were to guide my blade, I knew that when the time came, I would strike true.

With my morning prayer complete, I stepped towards the door. The sound of drumming intensified as the door to my room cracked open. Two of my younger sisters ran past, one chasing the other with a small stone club. They were too young for true weapons, and these were safer than most.

"Do not falter!" I called out to them, following down the hallway as I approached the stairs. "Ensure that your strike rings true, Dainsha!"

I descended the steps, hearing a heavy bonk from behind me as the hollow club striking rang out. They had not yet learned to use [Mantle], but their play would be safe enough, I was sure.

"Mother, Father," I called out, hoping they could hear me, wherever they were. "It is time for me to become an adventurer! I ask for both your luck, and a blessing!"

"Luck!" I heard a muffled voice call back. Mother was in the kitchen, perhaps preparing lunch for the children. My armor held the jerky I intended to eat on the way to the Guild, and breakfast was something I had already prepared myself for.

I heard no such blessing from Father. He must have already gone out. I hoped Mother's blessing would be enough.

With spear in hand, I opened the door, allowing the cold Scandian breeze to greet me as I stepped-

"Wait! Brother!"

I turned my head, looking down towards the eldest of my siblings. While he was indeed the eldest, he was still a youngling, only having experienced fourteen rotations.

The boy had skin like mine. Grey, rough, and durable. His rounder, wider head was covered with a mop of black hair that had yet to be cut. He wasn't as gifted in physical ability as I, but his skill for manipulating Aera could make up for such a deficit, should he hone the arts.

"You're taking me with you to become an adventurer, aren't you?"

I frowned. The boy should know my stance on the matter well enough by now.

"When you're older," I responded tactfully. "You have yet to reach the level of power required for such a vocation. My advice is that you train and prepare yourself for the trials to come. Ensure that you are perfectly ready before you engage in such activity."

"But..." he looked down towards the floor. I could see the tension in his hands. Wariness crept through me. "You were younger than I was when you went on your first hunt, back with the tribe. Weren't you?"

He looked back up at me, and I felt a knot form in my chest. It was a story I had oft told when he wished to know of life in the wilds, life beyond the walls of this city. One he used as an excuse to twist my heart whenever he saw an opportunity to do so.

"I was, but fighting alongside [Hunters] is a different matter entirely," I lied. "Adventurers face greater risks than [Hunters]. It is not as simple as hunting Deer for food."

His shoulders slumped, and the knot in my chest tightened. I feared that if the conversation continued, I would be rendered unable to breathe. I took a step out of the house, looking back at the doorway. Above the open door was a mounted crest, a skull and tooth pattern much like my mask watching over us. Judging my conduct. I refused to disappoint my ancestors. Not like this.

"Magic is not a collaborative art form," I told him. "I cannot carry you through the art of weaving Aera in the same way I can guide your hand with a blade. Until you can use magic to an adequate level, I cannot bring you with me in good faith. If you go unprepared, or rush your training, you will suffer. Do you understand, brother?"

The boy nodded, even if he was clearly displeased with the answer.

"I... I wish you well," I told him, turning away from the door before he spoke again. I couldn't risk staying any longer. I feared I would betray my word and take him with me.

With heavy legs and a heavier heart, I closed the door behind me, sprinting down the street. I wasn't scheduled for an interview, but I'd resolved to be at the local Guild House before ten AM. If I was to truly elevate my family's legacy, I had to be as strict as I was skilled. My legs carried me down a hill in the northern section of Divastyr, bringing me ever closer towards my destination.

With a single leap, I took to the sky for just a moment, passing over a collection of houses in a circle. The world beneath me seemed so much smaller and easier to navigate in this position, clearing rooftops. Landing on a cul-de-sac's road, I sprinted over an empty circle of grass, not paying mind to the passersby pointing and gasping at my sudden appearance. I had taken care not to land hard. I did not wish to crack the pavement.

As difficult as the trials ahead would surely be, this was a position of pride. Unlike all of my forefathers before me, I would be the one to bring our legacy to a new level. Instead of hunting powerful monsters as a [Hunter] that excelled with Skills and Luster Arts, I would become an adventurer. I would learn magic from the most skilled mentors I could find and reach even greater heights to bring my tribe greater honour. The people of these lands had researched the arcane arts with greater fervor. They understood the laws of this world better than we did.

I would hunt even greater foes, ones that could even surpass regular men armed with steel and Spell.

Sprinting through streets, I arrived at my destination, one that stood proud and apart from other buildings, taking up a space of its own.

The Adventurer's Guild building, or 'Guild House', was large, yet modestly constructed. The building was formed from gold coloured wood, with a spacious entry area. The ornate doors were closed, with a pair of golden handles on the front. Doors and handles, that I was relieved to note, were made larger than necessary, ones that allowed larger races entry without issue.

The streets continued diagonally alongside the walls on either side of the doors, as though the street itself had been forced to make space for the building's presence. Through windows covered in morning mist, I saw the silhouettes of people talking and planning. The people I would soon call my contemporaries.

On either side of the building, I saw Scandian flags. Both were coloured blue, each adorned with the symbol of a male's head, one with a thick beard and reindeer-like horns poking up from the top. The head was cast completely in white, although the eyes were blanketed in shadow. The flags were close, yet neither touched the building itself.

Above the double doors, I saw the golden words that had captured the hearts of many, all surrounded in red, making it stand proudly amongst the rest of the structure.

The Adventurer's Guild

Happiness is on the horizon.

I took a deep breath of cold morning air, pushing open the heavy door as I stepped inside, only having to duck my head slightly to enter. My leather boots touched down on soft red carpet lined with a gold coloured edge. The warmth of the interior rushed out to meet me, flowing from a collection of metallic boxes producing heat. I found myself focusing on those heaters, unnaturally intrigued before I managed to pull my eyes away.

The hall itself was covered in an array of wooden tables, each with individuals in costumes and armor at them. At the front was a wide counter, one that had four separate receptionists, all garbed in red uniforms with golden trim, much like the carpet. Above that counter was a wooden plaque, one with the skull of an enormous Mammoth attached to it, one bigger than I'd ever seen. A symbol of the hunt. A symbol of victory.

On my right was a bulletin board, one dotted with white sheets pinned to the wall, marking a number of quests of varying rank. That bulletin board would serve as my companion. The guide to success, growth, and order, both as an adventurer, and as a tribe.

I smiled, my eyes slowly trailing along the room, taking in as much as I could. This was where I would grow. Where my family's legacy would grow. Where... Where...?

[Cognitomancer - Level 6 → 7]

[Inventor - Level 12 → 14]

[Active Class Spell obtained - Heated Steel]

Where...?

Yuri... I'm Yuri. Yuri Scalesmith.

The last remnants of sleep clung stubbornly to the inside of my head. My body rolled in protest, trying to reassert my memories as law.

My bubble expanded without a conscious command, absorbing my surroundings as I shook the last vestiges of the dream from my mind. I was still here, in Dronrowth.

I wasn't the only one, either.

My allies all occupied the center, standing around the front of Tyrian's Threads, clearly discussing something. Were they having a meeting without me...?

As the group entered my bubble, I could see they all looked starkly different. Their bodies hadn't changed, but my allies looked more put together, now. More organised. They'd shucked the rags from the facility, and had all changed into proper clothes. While my bubble expanded and my awareness filled me in, I allowed my magic to begin repairing the dents in my legs while smoothing out the regions of metal that had scratched me during the fight.

Fareel wore a pair of blue shorts with white palm tree designs adorning it. Judging by the size, it was likely designed for a child, or a more diminutive race, like a Halfling or a Gnome. He wore no shirt, but instead had a thick, orange scarf that wrapped around his neck, one that matched the colour of his eyes. Completing the bizarre ensemble was a black [Pirate's] hat, one with a white feather sticking up from the top.

He sat against the wall, listening to the group with an idle expression. It was an expression I'd learned to recognise by now. His eyes had the emptiness that I associated with his magic, one that told me his insects had been released.

Standing across from the storefront was Toya. He was dressed in clothes that looked far too light for Scandian weather, but ones that wouldn't hold back his magical use. If that had been a factor in his decision making, I'd applaud him for it later.

He wore a dark grey shirt with an unusual texture, one that stood in contrast to the blue of his skin and that of the loose shorts he wore, a white rope-like string tied in a knot at the front to hold it in place at his waist. The texture of the shirt seemed familiar, but it took me some time to place. It was designed to look exactly like the skin of a Seal.

After a cursory look, I saw the tag on the back of the shirt's collar. One adorned with a symbol, that of a light blue circle with darker blue chunks along its surface. It had to be one of the shirts from Blue Planet. The details of the scandal were hazy, but I knew the clothes line had been created to help camouflage Selkies that were trying to live in coastal regions.

Streiphen, who stood to Toya's right, wore a black cap with a white grinning lion's face on the front. The eyes and mane were puffy and round, looking more like a cartoon than whatever it was trying to imitate. He wore a puffy jacket, a pale pastel blue with white fur around the cuffs and hood. I didn't think they'd have been able to find clothes that would fit him, even if they were so bulky he looked almost lost in them. His pants were similarly thick, a dark grey cotton inflated with fur. He had a bright, contented smile on his face, one that warmed me to my core as I rose to my feet.

Across from Toya stood Sigura, who was dressed more like she was going for a jog. She wore a short sleeved orange shirt with golden trim, one with a low collar that revealed some of her inner breasts, as well as the upper half of the glowing sun-like orb embedded in her chest. The short sleeves allowed her muscled arms to burst free from the clothing. She wore a set of matching shorts, sized and coloured in such a way that I could believe she'd gotten them from the same place, or she'd sewn them herself. Completing the rather bare attire was a pair of large slide-on sandals made of wood.

She turned to look at me as I stood up, and I became acutely aware of how underdressed I felt in comparison. I felt naked, despite just being a single mass of pink flesh with a red bow on top. My [Telekinesis] flexed outwards, flowing through my bronze metal helmet as I placed it atop my head. It made me feel a little less self conscious, even if it made Sigura frown.

"Mornin', sunshine," Sigura called out. When she addressed me, Streiphen turned to wave with both arms, happy as could be.

"[Good morning, everyone. Have I missed a meeting?]" I asked, joining them by the storefront, internally checking to make sure I was fully equipped.

"Fareel, Streiphen and I have been getting hungry," Sigura said, jerking a thumb in the direction of the two shorter Chimeras. "It's been a while since we've had our last meal from the facility, so we were all going to head out and search for a bite to eat."

I... could understand that. I felt a twinge of disappointment that I hadn't been included in the discussion.

"[I'll come too,]" I said, casting my awareness down the corridor. Like Sigura had said, it was morning. I could see the edges of sunlight trickling down the otherwise dark shopping center.

"You're injured, Yur," Sigura said pointedly, crossing her arms. "You should rest."

While part of me was glad that she was worried about me, the more practical part of me needed to get a word in.

"[I've made sure I won't prick myself on the inside of my mech again. It's safe for me to go out,]" I reassured her.

Toya glanced down at my front legs, which had been reformed and repaired without much issue. His expression was still one of mild disbelief, an expression that I hope indicated that he saw the worth of my abilities.

"And?" Sigura retorted. "That didn't make your injuries disappear in a day. Even if you fixed up your mech, you're still injured, Yur..."

"[I... I don't want to stay here alone, Sigura. I'd rather help search with the group. My [Sensory Zone] makes me well suited to the task.]"

I knew that on a purely rational level, I was correct. Still, arguing with Sigura was more about appealing to emotions than it was about reason.

"You won't be alone, Yur. Toya said he'll stay here and help guard you," she replied stiffly, glancing towards the Slime man, who's eyes were still on me.

The man's eyes were conflicted, but after a few moments of silence, he turned to look back at Sigura.

"I think Yuri is well enough to go."

Sigura's expression darkened, and I could hear a growl building deep in her throat. The man's shoulders hunched up, his fingers clenching as though preparing for a fight. His stiff expression and wide eyes told me otherwise. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation.

"She's proven herself to be very capable in a fight. I think that she'd be safer and more productive while on the move than she would here."

Sigura's eyes narrowed, but she looked back towards me.

"[I promise you I'll be fine, Sigura. If I have backup, then I'm sure I can get through any encounter without so much as a scratch. If Toya is fighting alongside me, we will be safe.]"

Toya nodded decisively, while I saw Streiphen look away, his shoulders slumping.

"Fuck thaaaaaaat," Sigura drawled, groaning as she looked up at the ceiling. "Fuck. Fine. But if you're going out, Yur, we're changing things up. Toya can go with Streiphen and Fareel. I'm going with you. There's no way in Abyss I'm letting you hurt yourself like that again."

I didn't have any complaints. Sigura was very skilled in a fight, and I'd feel better exploring with her, anyway. I could trust myself to hold her back, in the event we encountered someone we could reason with, instead of needing to incapacitate.

"[That sounds fine by me,]" I replied, 'looking' more towards the group as a whole. "[We should avoid fighting if possible. It's important that we keep a good image of ourselves. Even if we're Chimeras, we don't need to solve everything with violence.]"

Toya seemed to visibly relax, nodding in agreement.

"[But,]" I continued. "[If people aren't willing to listen to reason, and attack you with the intent to kill, don't hold back. If you do, you're only likely to get yourself hurt.]"

Toya seemed less thrilled with this development, but Sigura nodded in agreement.

The Half Nekari leaned down, carrying Fareel under one arm. It didn't look like the most dignified method of transport, but he looked deep in focus. Somehow, I doubted he'd hold it against her anyway.

She walked over to Toya, handing him the Fishman. I saw Toya's arm visibly swell in size, the 'muscle' expanding as it got big enough to comfortably hold Fareel.

"Let's go," Sigura said, leading the way towards the sunlight.

Excitement danced along the surface of my skin as my bubble ate up more and more of the sun's rays. As I ascended the steps towards the light, I lifted my helmet off, feeling the warmth of the sun on my body. The air in the world above was far from warm, a chilly midwinter breeze casting away any semblance of heat I hoped to keep from the sun. Even if my body didn't retain that heat, the light touch of fleeting warmth was pleasant. Reassuring.

"Yur?" I heard Sigura ask me as she reached the top of the staircase. She was looking up at the floating bronze helmet next to my body.

"[Hmm?]" I responded, shifting my mech around to face her, metal rattling around within.

"Could you block up the front?" she asked, jerking a thumb back towards the entrance to Dronrowth. "You've got some of your stuff in there, right? You should put metal over the front so people don't steal it while we're gone."

The thought mortified me. Metal rattled around inside my mech as I popped off the panel, sending heat directly through the steel as several larger plates and chunks were welded together. Not needing to use [Ignite] was a helpful upgrade. With the assistance of my [Heated Steel], I created a thick, patchwork wall of metal that covered the front of the shopping center. I'd be able to move it much more easily than a would-be robber, and it made me feel safer just looking at it.

"[Good idea, Sigura. Thank you for the advice.]"

She reached up, patting the side of my mech as a hollow bong rang out, the metal panel affixing itself back to the side.

"Don't mention it, Yur. I've got nothing but good ideas to share. 'Sides, it would suck for all of us if your stuff got stolen, especially with the stuff we scavenged yesterday," she said, beginning to walk to the right.

"Stay safe, Miss Yuri!" I heard Streiphen call out further behind me, waving as he followed Toya off to the left.

"[You too, Streiphen,]" I called back.

"What about me, twerp?" Sigura yelled. "Don't you want me to be safe, too?"

"He's sure you can handle yourself!" Toya called out to us as the trio left my bubble.

Sigura was smiling, sticking both hands into her pockets as we walked side by side. I was smiling too, even if my body wasn't capable of expressing it anymore.

Holding my bronze helmet in the air above me was tiring, so I decided to try and find a spot for it to hang on my mech as my bubble took in the sights around me. The paved stone streets we walked on were cracked in places, damaged not just from wear and tear, but neglect. The buildings didn't look much better. Windows had been shattered, doors had been torn from their hinges, and signs had been marred or bent to the point where recognition was difficult.

"You sure you're alright, Yur?" Sigura asked as we walked, her eyes locked on the bronze helmet drifting listlessly through the air. The helmet was huge, big enough to encompass my entire form. It made sense that I couldn't find anywhere to hang it off the mech without it dragging across the ground.

"[I feel fine. Much better, now that I got a chance to sleep. I'm just looking for a spot to hold my helmet while I'm not wearing it.]"

Sigura leaned around, peeking in windows and through doorways, giving each building we passed a cursory once-over as we made our way through the streets at a casual pace.

"Don't you get cold? You're practically naked, aren't you?"

I didn't like how she'd phrased it, but she wasn't wrong. I was wearing nothing but a ribbon to cover myself, but unless I considered my entire body indecent, there was nothing to hide.

"[I can feel the chill, but it never settles. I have a high natural body heat.]"

"The opposite to a normal Varani then, huh?" Sigura mused, glancing up at a sign, one that depicted a hot white cup with steam coming out of it. It swung idly back and forth, barely hanging onto the hooks that supported it.

"[... Yes. I... I suppose so,]" I replied. I couldn't find any spot to hold my helmet on without it falling or inconveniencing me. Lacking a better place to put it, I fastened it back over my head.

"Have you been checking these buildings, Yur? Can't you see through walls with that zone you've got?"

She wasn't far off, but I didn't want to risk her having a misconception about my abilities, one that could cause issues further down the line.

"[No. I can see around solid surfaces, but I can't spread my zone through walls,]" I said, expanding my ability to search as I activated my [Honed Vision].

Sigura shrugged nonchalantly, skipping ahead a little as she continued to peek into buildings and alleyways.

"Close enough. Can your zone push through tiny spaces, like a crack in a wall? If we needed to spy on someone, that could come in useful."

I... wasn't sure. I knew I could see 'through' smaller spaces, but would it work through something as miniscule as a crack? I'd made the assumption that anything I could look through with my original eye would work, but perhaps this form wasn't bound by such a restriction.

"[When we go back, we could try and set up a barrier to-]"

My awareness snapped away from Sigura, moving into one of the buildings I'd just passed. The mech stopped, halting in the middle of the street as I turned. My bubble of awareness had snagged on a glint of steel, one that would have been obscured by the naked eye. My [Honed Vision] had detected it through a hole in a wooden floor.

I backtracked, getting a better look at the building itself. It was some sort of warehouse, barren and devoid of life. The only light spilling into it came from the shattered windows, wide open doors and a decaying hole in the roof further towards the back. As large as the doors were, they weren't big enough to accommodate someone of my size.

"Find something, Yur?" Sigura asked, stepping back towards me. She leaned one hand against the wall as she peered inside.

"[There was a glint of metal under the floorboards, near the back wall.]"

"Under the floorboards?" she asked, looking towards the doorway, a grin stretching ear to ear forming on her face. Her [Mantle] flared to life. "Sounds like it was s'posed to be hidden. Stand back, Yur."

I did as she asked, not sure what exactly she was intending to do. When it happened, I felt like a fool for not realising.

As Sigura's fists punched through stone, the front wall of the building began to crumble and collapse. The structure groaned in protest, prompting me to take a few steps away as brick after brick fell to the ground in a heap. Sigura's form was nothing but a silhouette in the dust cloud her destruction kicked up.

"[That was very dangerous, Sigura! What would you have done if the building had collapsed on you?]"

Sigura shrugged, turning around to face me with a grin, her tail swaying happily behind her.

"I'd have probably gotten out of the way, duh. I'm very fast, Yur," she told me, jerking a thumb at the hole she'd left. "I was just doing some quick renovation work. Now the doorway's big enough for you, too. Neat, huh?"

I suppose... I couldn't argue with results. Just in case, I made sure my helmet was firmly affixed to my head before I stepped inside. The last thing I wanted was for a stray chunk of ceiling to fall on top of my exposed form.

I followed Sigura inside, the wooden floor creaking dangerously beneath my weight. While Sigura had an easy time navigating the room, I was forced to walk around and over an assortment of broken chairs, a fallen coat rack, and a collection of chunks that fell from the floor above us. Over by the decayed hole and the sunlight, I saw a long wooden counter, flimsy and rotting from neglect and exposure to the elements. A hotel lobby, maybe? There hadn't been any remaining signs on the front to identify the true nature of the place.

With light feet, Sigura traipsed through the room, frowning as she glanced up an empty stairwell at the back.

"Just looks like another dump, Yur. Where'd you see this glint of steel?" she asked, moving towards the hole in the roof to bask in the sun's rays.

The panel on the side of my mech popped off, allowing me to retrieve a wide plate of steel, one with a blunt end, and a sharp side. I didn't have a shovel or tool for breaking wood, but this would need to do. The plate dug into the floorboards, cutting through the flimsy wood until a wide enough hole had formed for the blunt side of the plate to begin lifting. Once the first board had been removed, the rest were much easier to break off as the plate slipped beneath them, snapping the boards off to reveal-

"A trapdoor?" Sigura grinned. "Jackpot."

Both of us directed our focus, looking towards the large, square block of steel that had been revealed. Whatever it was for, it hadn't been bolted shut. The glint of the metal handlebar had been what my [Sensory Zone] had detected. Without hesitation, I brought one of my hooks forward, ready to open the door. Sigura's hand shot out, blocking the path of my metal. My hook hesitated midair as my form turned in her direction, and she shook her head.

"Tsk tsk. Weren't you supposed to be the cautious one here, Yur?" Sigura asked, crossing her arms as she closed her eyes in mock disappointment. "We just found what might be an illegal cellar or something, and you didn't even check for traps? For shame."

Sigura took a deep breath, focusing as orange light burst from her eyes. It was the same colour and texture as the Aera she used in her [Mantle], but more heavily focused. The glow was semi-transparent, but her eyes were bathed in a sheen of light, one that spilled out just over the edges of her eyelids with a fiery edge in constant motion.

"False alarm. There's no magic on this trapdoor," Sigura responded, sounding almost disappointed. The light expanded to encompass her body, forming her standard [Mantle]. "Go ahead."

That wasn't something I'd see her do before. She'd used it to... check for a magical trap? I wasn't sure how that worked, but I moved my hook forwards, snagging it on the handle. Even if there weren't any magical traps, that wasn't to say there wasn't a pressure sensor that could shoot arrows, razor wire or poison gas upwards. I made sure to keep my distance before pulling the hook upwards, and Sigura did the same. I hovered more plates around Sigura, ready to block any incoming attacks.

The door popped open as a puff of dark brownish air rose from below. Thankfully, it wasn't poison gas. Just regular basement dustiness.

Even with her [Mantle] active, I could still see that thick layer of Aera around her eyes.

"I'll go down and have a look, Yur. You keep watch and make sure nobody else comes in while I'm looking around," she told me, raising a hand to conjure a ball of soft orange [Light] as the dust cleared, flowing out through the hole in the ceiling.

She looked down into the darkness, casting the ball further down, illuminating metallic rungs that led further below.

"[What did you do to check for those traps, Sigura?]" I asked. She didn't need much concentration to move the ball of [Light], to my knowledge. This was a safe time to ask.

"[Insight]?" she responded. "I thought you knew how to do this too, Yur. It's one of those 'Luster Arts' the Tumor was always talking about. Caster essentials, like [Mantle] and [Release]."

The shockwave Streiphen and the Orc had used? I knew enough about the Luster Arts to understand that they were an application of Aera that was necessary to our survival. [Mantle] had been the one I'd prioritised before the transformation, since it could illuminate corridors and help to protect me against attack. Going through that facility, a solid defense was all I'd really wanted.

I should have better armed myself with more knowledge and tools. I would have, too, if I hadn't been so... preoccupied.

"[I can only use [Mantle],]" I told her. "[I'll... need to learn the others, later.]"

Sigura frowned, but nodded. "Yeah... I'd expected you to know them all by now, Yur. I'll give you a crash course when we get back to Dronrowth."

Her eyes turned down towards the open hatch, seeing something I couldn't as my stomach sank. My bubble of awareness didn't reach that far. I could see the barest bits of sunset orange, where light stained steel, but beyond that my sight was gone.

"I'll admit, I got worried this was a waste of time when I didn't see any runes or an alarm, but maybe this'll be worth it after all," she smiled.

"[What do you see down there?]" I asked, trying to stretch by bubble as far as it would go.

"You can't see that far, huh?" she murmured, looking towards the edges of the hatch as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I could try putting you on my back before climbing down. You're big, but so's the tunnel. I might be able to manage it."

I couldn't tell if she was joking or not. The thought of being separated from my mech and completely relying on another person, even if it was Sigura, terrified me. Without my mech, I wouldn't be able to move. I'd be dead weight.

"[No... I'll be fine up here,]" I responded, my tone sounding stiffer or harsher than I intended.

Sigura nodded, her smile dropping slightly. Without saying another word, she jumped, ignoring the rungs completely as she flew down the shaft, quickly becoming a blur before leaving my sight altogether. The sound of a metallic bang echoed up the tunnel.

"I'm okay!" Sigura called up to me, assuaging the mote of worry that formed in the back of my head.

"[Is there anything down there?]" I called out, hoping my [Telepathy] would reach far enough. I scanned the bubble of my awareness after deactivating my [Honed Vision], keeping watch like Sigura had asked. My zone absorbed the bottom floor, the floor above me, and the stone streets outside. I didn't find a single Soul, hostile or otherwise, beyond smatterings of insects littering the space.

"I don't know who owned this place, but you definitely hit the jackpot, Yur! There's a lot of shit down here!" she replied, her voice wavy as it echoed back up into my bubble. "I'll keep you informed."

There was nothing for me to do beyond keep watch, so instead I elected to focus on Sigura's words.

"There's a lot of steel bars down here. Silver, too. More than enough to make swords or go Lycanthrope hunting. Or we could trade this in for coins if we needed the money. There's some green metal too. [Insight]'s telling me its magic, so you could probably use it for something special. There's a few monster parts, too. If you can't make these into armor, we could try sellin' 'em off for money-"

While the descriptions were helpful, I wanted to see the goods with my own bubble. I 'spoke' to my Soul, trying to think and warp my zone's dimensions in an attempt to push my awareness further down. It was difficult, but not impossible. I felt the edges of my senses pull back from the streets outside as my bubble stretched further down. The sensation was uncomfortable and hard to sustain, like sucking in my gut. While the [Light] of Sigura's magic got brighter as I pushed my bubble downwards, I couldn't reach my goal.

"There's some wands and tomes down here too, Yur," Sigura's voice spoke. It sounded less wobbly, now that my senses were closer to the source. "Just beginner stuff though. Did you ever use a wand or tome to learn when you were younger?"

I was glad she was trying to make small talk. It helped to keep my focus off the discomfort in my Soul as I pushed down against the base of the bubble.

"[N... no... My parents... taught me by... hand. Only said a wand... would be... a bad habit...]"

My concentration broke. My bubble popped back to its standard dimensions, allowing the stone path to flow back into my vision. No matter how hard I tried to push, I wasn't able to see what was down there. It didn't seem like I could brute force a solution. I'd need to think outside the box. Still feeling a sense of exhaustion seeping through me, I decided to lower my hook down the hole, slow and steady.

I'd been able to extend my sense of touch through metal before. If the rest of this basement was made of any assortment of metals, I might be able to feel what Sigura was looking at.

"That's a shame," she called back. "I had a Light Wand when I was a kid. Y'know... those novelty ones they give to toddlers and stuff to practice Aera flow? The ones that lit up at the top to reward the kid for doing it right? One of those. I had it for years up until I got my khopeshes. I gave the thing away to some kid, but I never had a problem casting without it afterwards."

I felt the base of the hook touch the bottom of the tunnel. I sent my [Telekinesis] through the full length of chain and into the floor. Even if I couldn't move anything as big or connected as the floor, the sensation of touch it provided helped me to get a feel for the dimensions.

The room was longer than it was wide, with three long rows of metal shelves on either side. From what I could tell, the room was plainly decorated. It wasn't one that saw much use beyond being for storage. It reminded me more of a cellar or a bunker than a conventional basement.

I didn't have much length left in the chain, but I could still explore a bit. I pushed it forward, towards the lump of heat I could sense in the center of the cellar. Maybe Sigura would be willing to help guide the-

"AAAAAH!"

The lump of heat leapt away from the hook. I'd made contact with Sigura's leg.

"That scared the fuck out of me, Yur! A warning would've been nice..." she called up to me, her voice bouncing off the walls.

"[Sorry! I was trying to concentrate on my abilities.]"

The lump of heat bent down, and I felt Sigura's fingers wrap around the hook.

"Y'know how cold that damn hook is, right? You're lucky I didn't melt the stupid thing out of shock."

She walked over to one of the shelves, running the tip of the hook against the metal. My senses spread further, allowing me to see the metal ingots she'd been talking about.

"I was hoping there'd be something more useful down here, like Bags of Holding or Stasis Boxes. No luck. I found some Linked Books we could use though, to keep in touch. Can you write in that body, Yur? I guess even if you couldn't make a pen or pencil levitate properly, you could still make a metal hand to grip it, couldn't you? Does your metal have that much dexterity in-"

I felt a pulse run through the hook. It was a sensation that caught me completely off guard. While my sense of touch seeped into the shelf, I felt something almost push back against me, as if trying to grab my attention. I could barely focus on what Sigura was saying as my concentration hinged on the response of that pulse. I waited eagerly as Sigura brought the hook closer and closer to the source. When it made contact-

"Here's that weird metal I found, Yur," she said, tapping the end of the hook against the source of the pulse, a sensation that called out to my touch. "[Insight] told me there's charged Aera in it, but I picked one up and couldn't find any runes on it. Might just have natural magic in it."

"[Can you take some with you when you leave, Sigura?]" I asked, accidentally letting the eagerness and curiosity I felt seep deep into my voice. "[I don't know what it is, but the metal is responding to my touch!]"

"Take some when we leave?" Sigura asked with a smile, picking up a bar of the resonant metal. "Who's gonna stop us from taking it all, Yur? We could make out like [Bandits] and raid the place!"

I couldn't necessarily shake my head in response, given we were so far apart. Instead, I gave the hook in Sigura's hand a wiggle.

"[I can only carry so much on me, Sigura, especially if the material is magically charged. We should leave some of this here and come back for it later.]"

She waved the hook back and forth through the air. I could only assume she was doing it in thought, since the motion didn't accomplish much else.

"Right, fine. Take your hook back, and I'll carry some of this stuff up."

Sigura's fingers let go of the hook. I allowed it to drag along the floor before retracting it back from the unseen darkness, returning it to my bubble's range. I coiled the hook back onto my platform, feeling pleased with the discoveries we'd made. I'd learned a lot about what my magic may be able to accomplish. If I could reshape my bubble, did that mean I could do other-

"Hey, Yur! Catch!"

The sudden comment put me on alert as the lump of heat below threw something upwards. The light green metal that entered my bubble resonated as it pierced through my awareness. The emerald green metal caught the light, looking more preserved and well kept than I'd expected it to be.

I released a thick steel plate from my compartment as the ingot flew up from the tunnel. As it stopped in the air and began to fall, I caught it. I felt the heaviness of the magic metal weigh down the plate, threatening to take it back down the hole with it. When I spread my [Telekinesis] through the resonant metal, the weight became simple to bear. It was far from being as light as the rest of my metal, but with my [Telekinesis] through it, the ingot felt significantly lighter than the Selarium I'd collected had been. I had high hopes for the results of this discovery.

Sigura climbed out of the underground tunnel. Her arms were full with glistening green metal, a Light Wand, and two pairs of Linked Books. The wand was crafted from plain brown wood, smooth and cleanly carved. At the top of the wand was a chunk of white crystal, inert and cloudy in colour. The books looked sturdy; four hardback, leatherbound artefacts with the words 'LINKED BOOK' written on the cover in bold gold letters. Beneath the words were golden 'corners' for a matching symbol or word to be etched into either pair.

Sigura had managed to balance as she climbed, only using her legs to climb up the rungs while her hands were full. I wasn't sure how exactly she'd managed it, since my focus had been on the thrown ingot, but I wouldn't put the feat past her.

She hopped out of the hole, placing the mound of gathered goods into my compartment. My mech felt much heavier, and I had to steady my legs to prevent myself from tipping over. My [Telekinesis] made the metal far easier to carry, even if the books and wand were still a burden I'd need to bear.

The Half Nekari's eyes widened in shock as I tilted to the side, placing both hands on the underside of my mech to hoist me back to a standing position.

"You sure you're alright? There was no way this stuff was that heavy, Yur. If you're tired, just fuckin' say so," she said, sounding angrier than she felt. I knew this was just how she showed concern.

"[I'm fine, Sig. It's difficult to carry Aera with Aera. Enchanted objects are harder to carry with my [Telekinesis], even if it's capable of easily lifting steel.]"

She blinked, lifting my metal panel off the ground to hold it up to me as I affixed it to my side.

"Oh..." she responded sheepishly, smiling lightly as she scratched at her cheek. "Right, sorry... I didn't know it worked like that."

Securing my panel back in place, I felt heavier than before, but the heaviness was by no means a bad feeling. It required more concentration, more exertion, but it felt more impactful. If all went well, I could turn this weight into something better. Something amazing. Something that would bring us all safety and joy.

"[Shall we get going?]" I asked, backing up from Sigura to turn my body towards the enormous hole in the front she'd punched in.

"Not yet," Sigura said, leaning a leg forward to kick the hatch closed. She looked back towards me, jerking a thumb down towards it. "Can you use your [Telekinesis] to break the lock? If you twist some of the mechanisms around inside it, other people won't be able to open it."

I nodded, turning my focus back towards the hatch. Placing the tip of my hook against the top of the door, I let my [Telekinesis] flow through the metal. I let my Aera seep into the steel, reaching for the underside of the metal. There wasn't anything as complex as a lock, but perhaps she'd been under the belief that I'd undone one through my [Telekinesis]. With [Heated Steel], I melted the underside to the wall of the tunnel, fusing it together.

Sigura returned to my side, carrying the planks of wood I'd left on the floor. She loosely left them back over the hatch, a basic camouflage that might fool anyone that wasn't looking closely.

Once that was finished, she made her way to the entrance, stepping back out into the morning sun and cold northern air.

"Do you need to head back, Yur?" she asked, looking back towards me as she linked her hands behind her head. "You could drop the stuff off before we continued searching, if you want."

I could. That might be the smartest thing to do. I still had space within my compartment, even if the weight within made me feel heavier. But... I didn't dislike the heaviness. It was a feeling that helped to ground me. To remind me of what I could do. To give me feeling.

The metallic legs of my mech stepped over the rubble that had been left in the wake of Sigura's fist. As the sun I couldn't yet see shone onto my mech, I shook my head.

"[I'm fine,]" I said proudly. "[Let's keep going.]"