“I hope you know what you are doing kid. There are a lot of good people counting on you.” Said Captain Ism.

Max didn’t respond, but he narrowed his eyes and focused on the task at hand. Max and his party, along with a guard detail lead by Captain Ism, had arrived at the bank. A rather fortified build, the bank had the most metal in its foundation out of any other in Esmel. Max couldn't help but think about different ways to rob it.

Why do I want to rob this bank so much? Max would ask himself, unable to find an answer.

“Oh course.” Max lied.

Ism scoffed, creating his own interpretation of Max’s statement. He pulled the heavy door up for the group and everyone shuffled in. The teller was startled by this unusual clientele, but that wasn’t the reason he was sweating. An [Arbor] was waiting in the lobby.

The [Arbor] was the ex- [Space Mage] that offered to unlock the safe for Max. He looked much the day previous. His wood-grain body had cracks running along its fibers. The cracks looked to originate from inside, like something exploded within him and he had to glue the pieces back together. He wore simple clothing, unlike the other [Arbors] who opted to furnish themself using naturous themed amenities. Flowers, vines and grass were among the few Max had seen. Even Honeygreen wore elaborate woven linens with subtle opulent jewelry.

“Finally. I thought I was going to grow into the wall waiting.” The [Arbor] said, standing.

“C-can that actually happen?” Clammy blurted.

His dark blue eyes shifted from Max to her. “No.” he said, expressionless.

Clammy nodded and turned red. She shifted herself between him and Reep. Max had noticed her acting weird lately. The last few mornings she has presented herself in unusual ways. One morning she was disheveled and irritable, others she was perky and quick. Both of which were different from her norm. Could it be puberty? Max didn’t know.

“Sorry for being late. Our hostess was… clingy this morning.” Vel said, thinking of the reinvigorated innkeeper.

“It doesn't matter. Let us proceed.” The [Arbor] turned to the teller. “We are going to the vault.”

The teller’s eyes widened, and he quickly bowed and ran to a door. He fumbled his keys a few times but eventually was able to unlock the door. The group went through to a seemingly empty room. The first thing Max noticed was the room was significantly bigger than the previous. Larger than the building they entered even.

Max turned to the [Arbor] who was still standing by the door. He was going to ask a question, but something else caught his eye. The teller was closing the door, which in its own right worried Max. But that wasn’t the issue, the teller was moving inhumanly slow.

“Looking to the outside while in a Space Pocket, is ill advised.”

Max quickly took the [Arbor]’s advice and averted his eyes. He could already feel the headache.

“Why is he closing the door?”

“Are you not a [Space Mage]? Is it not common knowledge that Space Pockets effect wildly when they remain open?”

Max didn’t answer. The door finally closed, causing everyone to relax. The [Arbor] walked slowly to the center of the pocket. He kneeled, causing loud creaks and pops to echo off the walls.

“Kid, you wanted lessons, right?” Max quickly rushed to his side. “Tell me, what can you do already?”

“I can Space Skip. That’s about it. I can show you if you want.”

Four “NO!” s came from the leaders of the room. Vel, Bishop, Ism, and the [Arbor].

“Alright. Lesson one. NEVER use a skip, blink, jump, gate, or anything else of the sort, spell while inside a pocket. That's how you implode yourself and everything in a kilometer radius.”

Everyone who wasn’t in the know shuttered.

Okay, Space Magic is no joke. Max decided.

“What do you see in front of me?”

Max studied the space in front of the kneeling [Arbor]. He reached out with his Space Affinity. There was nothing. But of course, there had to be something, otherwise he wouldn't be asking. Max, this time, reached out with his manipulated space. He didn’t alter or move anything, but he used it to search like he would when he tries to find a water source. He felt it.

“It’s almost like a… Ripple? A tear?”

“Good, you are not hopeless after all.” The wooden man smirked. “Both terms are acceptable, tear is more accurate, but also incorrect. A tear would imply a wound or cut, but as you can see, it is just empty space. The term I use is fold.”

Max looked at the fold. It was almost like the space was clotted at one particular instance. There was no blending, or rollover, just one spot was slightly off.

“If you were to...crease? The fold, would it get smaller? Disappear even?”

“How do you mean, crease?”

Max thought for a moment. “Flatten, smooth out?”

“Ah. Very good. No, to answer your question. Not without removing the item first. Watch.”

Max could feel the [Arbor] controlling space. His hand almost glowed under Max’s senses. A wake was created behind his hand, space literally moving around it. It quickly snapped back to its correct position, fixing itself. His hand slowly tugged at the fold until he could get a grip. The fold opened, at first a small hole, but eventually the size of a door. It actually revealed a door, a wooden one with a red dye painted over its old grain.

The [Arbor] regarded his audience. “Only the kid, his master, the Captain and I shall enter. The safe is small and will not accommodate us all.”

Nods went around and the door was open. The smell of death hit them like a truck. Rot and bile oozed within, serenading any and all decomposers with its delicious smell. Maggots and beetles littered the ground and walls. Having an almost infinite food source had caused them to reproduce at alarming rates.

“Water Bubbles?” Max asked.

“Heh, it's not that bad.” Smirked [Arbor] no nose.

Max shook his head and gathered water out of his gourd. Max already knew his inventory didn’t work using Space Magic. Rather it worked directly through the system. It was an imitation magic, and a good one at that. It could even fool the most vetted [Space Mages]. The [Arbor] already knew this, and after seeing Max’s causal uses of a space inventory, he formed a hypothesis.

The four and Emi walked in, their steps crunching on exoskeletons of countless bugs. Emi tried a few, deciding she liked them. She filled her belly on a newfound snack.

“I thought there was supposed to be preservation.” Max said through his bubble.

Unlike the others, he didn’t have to drop his bubble to breathe. Ism and Vel every minute or two would have to fight back from puking.

Payback's a bitch, Vel! Max smiled thinking back to the whole mother-in-law thing.

“They are. They were found days after their death, the bugs found them before us.”

It made sense; the preservation wards were put up by Esmel. Meaning that until they were found, they rotted.

Max circled the bodies. 14 in total, varying ages, gender, size, magical prowess, even blood type. There were no connections. They were simply random kidnapping and murders. This was all information Max had already heard, but Max knew differently. He could feel differently, he thought differently, he had unique knowledge. He had met the Divine, stood in her presence, he had also felt the power of a Divine and Evil item, he knew something was wrong.

But what? He asked himself and Emi.

Each body had evidence of mana poisoning. The symptoms are clear, bulging eyes and veins, melted brain matter, and destroyed mana systems. Although Max had never seen cases this severe, it made sense to him. Whatever the ritual did, it ripped mana out of the victims and forced it into the center point.

Emi felt it also, though to a lesser extent. She shared a bond with Max, and sadly there were many undiscovered boons with bond interaction. This was one of those, but both had no way of knowing this. Instead, they went along with it, querying each other and bouncing ideas. They worked well together, like a lifelong partnership.

Max was able to single out something distinct. He could feel around the right wrist of this one particular Elf, a ring of power. He shared his findings with Emi who was able to feel it also. They spread out, looking for similar cases. After searching each body, they reconvene.

Why only him? Max asked.

Shackle? Chain? Emi said back.

No, I don’t think so. He’s not a mage or warrior from my understanding, why chain a normal citizen?

Center?

Maybe. Maybe he was a success but died before he could leave? But why his wrist at that point? Why not his mana system or his heart?

Item.

Item. Item…. Max had an idea.

“Are there items that stop mind control spells?” Max asked aloud.

“Sure, they are often used to stop persuasion thieves. Most high-end shop keepers have one.” Vel said, quickly on one breath. She inhaled and resummoned her bubble.

“Are they typically bracelets?”

Vel pleaded to the [Arbor]. Not wanting to breathe any more than she had too.

“Yes.” He said with a sigh. “Why?”

“I can feel this one had a bracelet. It is almost like whatever evil they were casting focused on his wrist in a ring shape.”

“Where?” He asked and Max showed him the body. The others looked on, also.

“His name was Altpo. Potion seller for a high-end specialty shop. But I don’t see how this information is useful. His charm tried to counter the ritual, what else is there.”

“Oh, so much. Give me a minute.” Max went back to the bodies. Between gagging and swiping bugs off his hands, he found her. One of the first bodies he looked at, another center. The sites always had the same number of bodies, unless the center one was gone. The amount of bodies in the room only allowed for two, meaning that if Max was correct, this woman and the potion seller were centers.

Her body seemed less composed, almost like it could fall apart at any moment. But it wasn't, if anything, it was the body most intact. The bugs had feasted on her less than any other.

Is it the magic that went through her? Did the man have less go through him due to the bracelet?

Max grimaced as he sliced open both the man and the woman. Ism didn’t like it, he muttered something about “unable to bury” and “culture” when Vel shushed him. Max had dissected things before, both times were in college biology. The first was a pig heart, the second a crawfish. Both times he was able to push through the ichor and finish the assignment. Just like now.

Both bodies were almost black inside. He didn’t know what it meant, but Vel did.

“Mana poisoning’s final stage. Constant drain, as it's referred to. It almost never happens in humanoids, they usually die before this stage. But in monsters that enrage, it's fairly common.”

“What happens?”

“Their mana system is taxed too much, and that black substance is made in its place. That's why it is called mana poisoning. That stuff is poison.”

Max collected himself and his thoughts.

“If I’m right, she was found in the center. Too much power was forced into her, and that is why she died. Not due to an illness or plague, but raw power. The man had less forced into him, thanks for his bracelet but it broke under the pressure thus killing him. If I’m right, the living sacrifices have lower amounts of power crammed inside them.”

“Okay?” The [Arbor] said following his logic. “But what does that leave you with?”

Max adopted a wicked smile. “I know how to find them.”

The others looked uncertain.

“Tell me, what was her job?” He gestured to the woman.

“She was a herbalist. A damned good one at that.”

“Don’t you see? The centers have a connection! They both have access to mana potions or potions making supplies!”

Vel’s eyes widened, in realization. The others remained skeptics.

“Ugh. Look.” Max pointed to the black goop inside the man and woman. “Mana poisoning’s final stage, right? Now think about the surviving centers. The only way for them to survive would be-”

“Mana potions.” Captain Ism finished.

Max snapped his fingers. “Exactly. Now we just have to find the people in the city that are drinking crazy amounts of mana potions. Easy right?”

The next few hours were hectic. Between visiting every potion store, herb store, warehouse, alchemist and apothecary, the group was running throughout the whole city. Little mattered to them right now. They had a lead, and they took it. Question after question was asked to receptionists, keepers, merchants, and your basic salesperson. All had alibis to their location on the day and days before the bodies were found.

Max and Emi were also subtly sniffing around while Captain Ism asked the citizens questions. More than a few times Max was yelled at by an angry shopkeeper for wandering too far back. After half the day, they still hadn’t found anything.

“What about underground?” Max asked. The [Arbor], whose name Max still had not learned, had parted ways. He made a good case that traveling with them would only draw more suspicions and fear.

“There are no shops in the ground.” Ism said with a chuckle.

“Wha- No. I mean like the underworld. Black market? Behind the curtain?” The captain’s eyebrow raised with each term. “Area where stuff is sold illegally. Normally sketchy and trashy.”

“Ah. You mean the bootleggers.”

“Bootleggers, of course, yes them.”

“Sure, we have bootleggers. I know of a few… But entry will not be easy.”

“Of course not. What else is new.”

“We are going to need disguises for you… humans and Drake…” The captain slowed his words realizing that it was going to be impossible.

“Right, the whole human thing…”

“You could dress as a slave and have an Elf escort you.” Reep interjected.

Oh no... Max thought. Max hated the topic of slaves. He hated it even more around Reep.

“I have seen a few human slaves before… Some Elves have certain… fetishes.”

“I don’t like this plan.” Max grumbled, knowing it was their best chance not to spook anyone.