“UNCLE!”

A cannonball of hair barreled into his body as soon as he stepped through the door to Talos’ Potions in Rydelin, knocking all the wind out of him. It took all he had not to be blown out of the house by the force of the petite thing that had come forward to hug him.

“Uncle huh?” Aveye looked on bemusedly from behind him.

Beast blanched. “Oh shut up.” He hissed back.

A mirthful laughter sounded from the front, revealing a fatigued man with graying hair that he had known the day his gaming life took a steep increase in difficulty. He sure had been busy with his business.

“Talos… Risette.” Beast greeted, gently trying to pry the little girl off. She only hugged him harder than ever. The bundle of energy had also been recovering well.

“We were wondering when you will come back. That war in Loyderidge had us worried.”

“You kept your promise, Uncle!” It was then Risette finally released her grip, looking up at him with her crystal clear eyes of innocent joy. He could not help but be drawn into them, leaving him all warm and fuzzy inside.

“Uh… yea. How are you doing Risette?”

“Great!”

You have completed - Risette’s Promise

A gentleman’s word is as precious as gold. As promised, you came back to visit her. It may not have been significant to you, but it was significant to her. The Little Blue Rock will be testament to that.

+50 intimacy with Risette

+10 intimacy with Talos

He could have sworn something in his inventory trembled for a moment, but Talos interrupted his thoughts before he could check. “So who is this person you brought here?”

“Oh, she is just someone I met at-“

Before he could say anything else, the archer took the lead to make her own introduction.

“I am Aveye, a friend of Beast. It is nice to meet you, mister Talos.” She went forward and grabbed Talos’ hands, looking back for a brief second to give Beast a playful wink. “You have such a beautiful daughter.”

Her glance rested on Risette, who was currently holding onto Beast’s side, for a moment longer than usual.

“Why, um, thank you.” Talos was unsettled by the sudden forceful introduction, but still beamed with pride when Aveye praised his one and only beloved child. “You are pretty handsome yourself.”

“How is the shop doing, Talos?” Beast spoke up as he absentmindedly patted Risette on her head, evoking a soft purr of contentment as he did so.

“Great! My potions are being cleared way faster than I am making them. The rat tails you sold me had all been used up for making the speed potion.”

Beast froze for a split second. “Speed Potions.” He re-confirmed it as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“Not really. Never mind me.” Beast smiled. He then mentally registered it as one of the items he would never purchase from Talos’ Potions.

It was at this time that Aveye finally voiced a question that seemed to have been stuck in her throat since she entered the shop.

“Cou-could I hug her? Risette-chan~”

Without waiting for an answer, the archer suddenly advanced towards the girl. Her smile was wide but her eyes glowed with an almost predatory gleam. It was verging on scary even to Beast himself despite not being the target of such hunger. Before he could do anything though, Risette simply took one look at her and disappeared behind him with a terrified look like she had just seen the reaper. He could feel a tight but trembling grip on his pants through his cloak.

And Aveye’s face fell.

“I am sorry, but please pardon her behavior.” Talos scratched the back of his head with a weak chuckle. “The child has a slight aversion to strangers due to past reasons.”

“It’s fine.” She sounded defeated.

“Eh… I am sorry all the same.”

Judging by how the conversation is going, Beast felt that he should probably take Aveye and abscond early.

“Well, I am just popping by for a visit while I am stopping in Rydelin. I have things to do, so I should be going now.” He bowed, ready to drag Aveye out of the shop when the alchemist stopped him in his tracks.

“Wait!”

“Wait!”

Both father and daughter simultaneously called out to him, but Talos was the one who continued speaking. “I have something I would like to show you, Beast.”

He then lowered his voice to a whisper. “But I will need your friend to wait outside.”

At that, Beast directed an expectant gaze towards the archer.

“Don’t worry, I will see myself out.” She had apparently overheard and walked outside with a deadened expression. Talos shut the door after her without a second thought, while Risette looked visibly relieved.

Guess intimacy with NPCs could not be forced after all.

“Come, follow me. What I want to show you is at the back.” Talos beckoned.

They emerged through a door into a quaint room filled with hundreds of flasks and glass bottles, each of them filled with a liquid of different colours. Some were bubbling by themselves; some were being heated over a small fire by a lighted candle but most were set in holders, ready to be corked and stoppered before putting out for sale. The air was filled with a mixture of smells, and Beast could not decide if it was pungent or just weird.

It was the epitome of an alchemist’s laboratory.

“Look at this.” Talos excitedly held up a small vial containing a silvery liquid.

It was almost like liquid moonlight. “That is…”

“The Moonglow, yes. Thanks to you, I managed to make it into a potion that will allow you to completely camouflage into the surroundings at night, like an illusion. You can take it and test it out. If it works for you, do come back for more.”

You received Illusion Potion x1

Illusion Potion

Potion, Consumable

This potion created by using the Moonglow flower as a major ingredient allows the user to blend into their environment at night, granting stealth that persists despite any actions. It is an extremely rare potion due to difficulty of obtaining its component.

The effect last for 1 hour(s).

“You only made one?” Beast raised an eyebrow. It was the most polite way of asking why he only received a single vial.

“I have made several others in a batch of course, but they will be 2 gold pieces each. The first one is free just for you.”

There was no doubt that Talos himself was still a merchant at heart, but two gold coins per vial for a situational effect was way too overpriced even if the effect was powerful. He had 35 gold pieces from the Loyderidge Joint Operation, but he could possibly spend them on something better.

Something like what he was about to pull.

“Then I humbly thank you for this gift.”

Effortlessly, Beast quickly led the conversation to where he wanted it. “But Talos, you are quite well-versed with your trade, aren’t you?” He laced his sentences with awe and praise.

“I doubt I could manage what you did. That potion must have taken quite some time and effort to make.”

Well within his expectations, Talos puffed out his chest with pride. “Yes, of course!”

He had almost forgotten about it because of Aveye, but Talos here was an experienced alchemist who could possibly impart his knowledge unto him. Furthermore, his intimacy with the man would prove valuable with regards to the request so he had a high chance of actually succeeding should he bother to ask.

“Talos, I am actually trying my hand at alchemy now, so do you mind teaching me a few recipes?”

The alchemist was taken off guard. Before he could regain his bearings and consider, the final nail was driven in when Risette piped up from Beast’s side.

“Daddy, you will teach Uncle, won’t you?”

Beast patted the girl on her head.

“Uh…ha yes… yes, daddy will.”

…………….

In the end, he could not learn the recipe for the Illusion Potion – Talos was adamant about not revealing the secrets to a recipe he had newly created and was about to put on sale – but he managed to learn all the standard basic potions from an alternative to the basic healing potion to the speed potion utilizing the dreaded severed rat tails.

And for a discounted price too. Learning recipes cost a fair amount of money depending on the potion type and effect, usually ranging from a single gold piece to the hundreds, due to the merchant’s desire to maintain a monopoly on their local market. It also depended on the intimacy one have with the NPC, so to say it was a steal when Beast learnt a total of 8 potion types for a measly 10 gold coins was a drastic understatement.

Regeneration Potion (Small), Mana potion (Small), Strength Potion (Small), Speed Potion (Small), Defense Potion (Small), Intelligence Potion (Small), Stamina Potion (Small) and Luck Potion (Small) – They provide a small boost to their respective domains, nothing insane like the ones Alpyrius used, but could prove handy for the extra oomph in certain situations.

Luckily for Beast, the ingredients were easily obtainable along the way to Corelia, except for the luck potion requiring a four-leaf clover as a main ingredient. As far as he knew, he had never chanced upon a clover field in his travels and thus certainly would never have found a four-leaf clover among its three-leafed variant. He also bought two more Illusion Potions for 4 gold pieces.

Potions aside, Risette surprised him yet again with the exact same quest that he had completed popped just as he was about to leave the establishment. Risette’s Promise... Had it not been for that quest, he would not be sure if he would have dropped by Talos’ Potions. Now, it had become a recurring quest that compelled him to visit the father-daughter duo whenever he was going to be in town.

It might be slightly annoying, but Beast felt that he could bite the bullet and make time for the two NPCs he was closest with in Rydelin.

“How was it?” Aveye asked from the roadside, drained of all her previous energy. She was leaning against the brick wall observing the hustle and bustle that formed the busy streets of Rydelin but her eyes were dull and not taking in anything at all.

Risette’s rejection had hit her hard.

“Stellar.”

“Right… so where are we going to now?”

“I am thinking of heading to the Library first before finding a carriage to get us to Torintu and then Corelia.”

Aveye peered at Beast as though he had just said something crazy. “Library!?”

“Yea, do you want to join me? It might get a little boring though.”

It was an obligatory extension of invitation given that he was now stuck with her, but he was not expecting her to turn it down in a flash.

“No thank you!” The radio personality replied vehemently, uncharacteristic of her usual self. “I may like to talk, but reading is not for me. Those horrible days I spent in fanfiction dot ne-”

A random passerby had accidentally bumped into Beast, causing him to miss the last part of her sentence. “Sorry?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

Beast shrugged. “If that's the case, do you mind getting us a carriage? I also wouldn’t mind if you could help me gather some rat tails and wolf fangs in the meantime.”

“What?”

“Well, I could do them myself, but then you will have to wait longer for me to be done.”

With that one sentence, Beast could see the metaphorical gears in the archer’s head moving as she weighed out the pros and cons of the situation. In the end, the factor of saving time won out and she reluctantly accepted the request. Hoisting her bow up, she shot Beast a look that said ‘you owe me one’ before heading for the gates.

Beast smiled. That went better than he thought it would. Time to pay a visit to the first NPC he ever met in Ages Online.

Rydelin’s library is as always, desolated and empty. A rare person or two could be found perusing some tomes at the self-study benches but that would be everyone other than the librarian inside the old building.

“Rio.” Beast leaned against the librarian's counter, catching the attention of the NPC. The latter had been writing in an account book of sorts when he looked up at the mention of his name.

“Ah, mister Beast… it has been a while.”

“How is the library going?

“Not very good. as you can see for yourself. Hardly anyone comes here.”

It was strange. Rydelin was supposed to a newly built city, unlike Loyderidge which had been expanded from a simple village settlement, and even if Caerheim players could not be bothered to give a damn about the library, the NPCs themselves should still frequent the place.

Why is it that the library is consistently bare then? It was as though people were deliberately avoiding the place. And why is it that the building itself appeared more ancient than the rest of the city? An in-depth examination of the building's exterior revealed a slightly different design of architecture from its adjacent neighbour, adding on to the ever-growing enigma of the library building.

Getting to the bottom of this mystery was one of the two objectives he had when he stepped inside.

“I noticed that the last time I was here. Do you know why though, Rio?”

The librarian was quite nonchalant about it. “It could be because everyone is trying to expand the frontier than sit down and appreciate some prose. We are a young country after all and our library selection is still limited. That and they say this place is cursed.”

Beast’s ears perked. That was something new and interesting. “Cursed?”

“It is just a load of tosh, something about dead spirits haunting those who entered, but it is true that I should probably petition the town council to renovate this place soon.”

“Is that somehow related to the different building design?”

Rio paused in his writing. “You have a good eye. It is not common knowledge amongst you Foreigners, but this library was converted from one of the still intact infrastructure from the ruins of the city Rydelin was built over. That could very well be the origin for the rumours regarding the curse.”

It was then a question unconsciously forced itself out of Beast’s throat.

“… Was that city part of Scelenia?”

Rio’s head snapped to his direction so fast that Beast was afraid it would break.

“How-How did you-?” The librarian stuttered, evidently shocked.

“I heard of it when I went to the Fort of Lanos.”

It was moments before Rio could calm down enough to talk, and another few before he divulged what he knew. “I see… then you must have found something there.”

‘Something’ might be an understatement as to what Beast found.

“Many people went, and they all reported that it was a normal fortress filled with illegible writings. After decoding them, they only spoke of nonsense.”

Rio paused. “I am not sure if you knew, but Scelenia was one of the ancient kingdoms that existed before the Sundering destroyed it.”

Beast nodded. He knew that already.

Rio's voice then dropped into a low whisper. “It was a prosperous country, filled with the finest crafters and craftsmanship in that era, therefore trade naturally flourished and was followed quickly with expansion. Records of documents found that the territory of Scelenia was vast, stretching from Central Honduria to Lanos here in Caerheim. It was what sparked off the West Expedition in the first place – to find more of these traces of the past.”

“Honduria? They had a Grand Crossing back then as well?”

Considering the geography, it seems impossible that a country could be in two continents at the same time, unless… Beast almost wanted to smack his forehead in disgust. How could he have not thought of that?

“No. The Sundering must have altered the coastlines.”

“That was what I believed.” Rio agreed, closing his book shut. “Here, I have something you might want to see. We found it in the ruins of the old city when we first explored here.”

Bending down under the counter, he emerged a minute later with a yellowing parchment tied with fraying string in his hands.

You have received:

Ancient Scroll x1

Beast needed no telling to unroll it. Neat, spidery writing constituting shapes and symbols similar to the ones etched on Lanos walls unfolded before him. The words might be of an ancient language, but he could read them.

To My King,

Scelenia is not prepared.

The forces of the Sundering are much too powerful for our forces to withstand. Even as I write this, Fortress Lanos is being overrun by vile goblins and demons. Itsblan had already fallen, and the Saint Bishop is missing. The knights may not be able to hold for much longer unless aid is sent immediately.

The people are frantic. They are fleeing. Villages at the borders are being razed and pillaged.

I understand that every other kingdom is under attack by the same enemy and that reinforcements will be sparse, but I will delay them for as long as possible. Any decision you make, I will defer to, even if it amounts to abandoning Scelenia for the survival of Alexandria.

I have faith that this calamity will definitely be resolved under your firm guidance and grace.

May Balces save us.

Gutrand Gren.

Ding!

You have discovered the mystery of Rydelin’s Library and gained an in-depth understanding on the situation during the times of the Sundering. The kingdom of Scelenia was a kingdom present during those tumultuous times and had crumbled into ruins with the passage of time. Nowadays, only a few ruins remain as testament to its existence, one of which is the library itself.

+ 3 Intelligence

Your Archaeology has increased to Intermediate 2!

It was bleak. Very bleak. Beast was uncontrollably reminded once more of the power that the forces of the Sundering possessed. It was not that he had forgotten though – The phylactery of Savathrox the Conquerer lay within his inventory, a constant reminder that the lich is within plain reach. Maybe he should take it out soon to do something about it.

But what exactly? He had no idea. It could have been part of the pet system that most games boasted, but Beast had his doubts. Could a being that drove the Sundering to completion be tamed?

Beast silently handed the document back over to Rio. “Thank you for showing me.” He whispered. “I suppose you need it back.”

The librarian acknowledged with a slight nod before stashing the message back where he retrieved it from.

“Right, is there anything else I could help you with, mister Beast?”

“Yes, you can.” Beast cleared his throat. He was about to head into his second agenda for visiting the library. “I wish to read books detailing any ancient ruins in the vicinity besides the Lanos Fort, especially for the Splinter Mountain regions. And if possible, a book on the pantheon in Agaia would be nice as well.”

“I will check for you.”

A full five minutes later, Rio emerged from the back room holding a book in each hand. One is a small book with its cover page depicting a rosary under a fancy curvy title named “Divinities”, while the other is a thicker non-depict leather bound book.

“Well, as I have said, our country is still young. The only documented place we had that fitted your description was Fort Lanos. There are no known ruins on Splinter Mountains, so I found you a helpful guide on the area instead. However, your second request was successful. Here is a copy of what we usually offer to new clerics-in-training who have no idea which deity they want to serve.”

You have received [The Ecology of Splinter Mountains] x1

You have received [Divinities] x1

“Would you be checking them out?”

“Check out?” Beast’s mind was boggled. That was a phrase he had not heard of in a long time.

“Yes, this is a library after all. We do allow our clients to bring books out of the place to read at their own leisure. What you need is a membership pass to enjoy this service in all of the libraries supported by the librarian association in major cities.”

“Oh.” Beast dumbly intoned. He felt stupid for not considering it before. Of course a library in a virtual reality would function similar to a real library, even if the setting was a little different. The only problem would be whether there were any strings attached to this seemingly attractive offer.

“Books that are checked out can be returned in other branches so there is no need to return them to the origin of borrowing. It would be 15 gold pieces as a deposit to sign up for a lifetime pass. All you have to-”

Beast almost dropped the book he just received in surprise. “15 gold pieces?”

“It would have come as a freebie if you had accepted my invitation to join back then, but what’s done is done, isn’t it?”

The edges of Rio’s mouth curled up into a smile, which Beast forced himself to match. He could technically refuse and read them in the library itself, but the ability to bring the books along in his travels and read them between towns would save precious time he could be doing something else worthwhile. Furthermore, it only required a one-time payment to enjoy the benefits and was thus an investment worthy to be considered.

“I… I will get it.”

It was only a moment before Beast succumbed and coughed up 15 gold pieces to add to the funds of the librarian association known as the World Scribes. In return, he received a shiny gold card with his name emblazoned on it. Below, a scribble of cursive writing indicated its endorsement by Rio Verdan of the Rydelin library branch.

It was a fancy card, but nothing that indicated it was worth 15 gold coins.

Striding out of Rydelin’s library with his borrowed books in one hand and the card in another, Beast could not help but shed a tear for his ravaged wallet.

Author's Notes:

This must have been the longest time delay between chapters, but this week had been a long week for me. Being sick, multiple events to attend, but most importantly, the founding father of my country - Mr. Lee Kuan Yew - had passed away. The whole country is in a state of mourning.

I would like to thank him here, as part of my appreciation to his contributions.