After a time, Dharen relaxed as his stomach began to settle. Discarding his revulsion at the mechanism of the Blessing, he realized that he had received another clue as to the nature and identity of the Faceless One. Though in truth, the nature of the Blessing that he received posed more questions than it did answers.

Despite his whirling thoughts, a wave of exhaustion stifled him. Suddenly appreciating just how long it had been since he had legitimate sleep due to relying on the rejuvenating effects of the Waiting Room, he put off his wandering thoughts until the morrow. He hit the bed with a heavy thud.

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

Dharen awoke to a scuffling outside of his door. Instantly alert, he silently slid from his bed, slipping his dagger out from his Spatial Ring as he did so. He stalked towards the door, leaning against the wall to the side of the hinges with his blade at the ready. Though he had been relatively selective in his choice of lodging, it never hurt to be too careful.

A note slipped under the door. Dharen waited for a moment, before hearing the rhythmic thumps of departing footsteps. Depositing the blade into his Spatial Ring once more, he retrieved the note.

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

Champion Dharen,

Your efforts in the Pits yesterday did not go unnoticed. I wish to extend to you an invitation to the Vezian Alliance’s ranks. There will be a gathering tonight for talented individuals such as yourself, who are being given the opportunity to join our esteemed ranks. As you know, the Tower offers additional rewards to those who are able to join an Alliance while on the Fifth Floor. I hope that you understand the benefits of this offer.

Should you be interested, one of my men will arrive at dusk to transport you to the location. I look forward to meeting in person.

Duende, Elected Leader of the Vezian Alliance

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

Dharen paused for a moment, considering the letter. While it was true that he had followed the arrogant noble to the Pits in search of a hidden opportunity, he had been under the impression that the reward was merely the Contribution Points that he had gained upon winning the Beginner section of the weekly tournament. A full thousand Contribution Points was nothing to scoff at, as it provided a decent cushion from the ever-present tax. Still, it seemed that there was more involved than he had expected. It was possible that the tournament was simply a way to distinguish oneself, and the winnings were a secondary benefit. In either case, Dharen felt that there was no harm in accepting the offer of attending the Vezian Alliance’s gathering. While he was not willing to commit to anything as of yet, he was hesitant to pass up the chance to complete an optional objective of the floor, especially given his previous good fortune upon completing additional floor objectives. Attending the Vezian Alliance’s gathering seemed a good chance to complete the objective, as well as an opportunity to gather more information regarding the inner workings of this strange floor.

As he pondered this new development, Dharen felt a strange sapping of his energy. It grasped a piece within him, ripping it out with practiced ease despite his resistance. Despite this, he did not feel particularly weaker than he had previously.

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

Contribution Tax Deducted:

Remaining Contribution Points: 3,255

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

Shaking off the disturbing sensation, and reminded of his current overflow of Contribution Points by the tax, he decided to see if he could find anything useful to spend his accumulated Contribution Points on. Though he had no intention of undertaking risky quests such as the hunt for Keljier any time soon, he was certain that he could keep ahead of the tax and still have enough remaining to give himself some much-needed upgrades.

The events of the day prior had led him to the conclusion that, though his attributes were abnormally high and relatively well-balanced, he could still run into difficulties that might prove to be his end. It would certainly not be amiss to take the opportunity provided by the floor to shore up his weaknesses, or at the very least allow for greater use of his strengths.

At the moment, it was difficult to say how effective his search would be. He had little to no understanding of the availability of such upgrades, nor of the requisite costs to purchase them. Still, there was nothing to do but investigate. Either way, it was an activity that could occupy some of his time until later that night.

As he stepped out of his room, his grumbling stomach reminded him of his first order of business. He descended the stairs, entering the common room of the inn. Just as before, the golem innkeeper stood behind the bar. Dharen couldn’t help but wonder what sort of thoughts passed through the mind of the construct. Or did it have thoughts at all? Was it simply an amalgamation of various routines and protocols, determining its every move in response to the environment?

It was difficult to say. The golems that he had encountered in the city so far had certainly seemed lifelike in a way, but they had lacked something. A spark. It was difficult to say whether this perception came from simply being unfamiliar with the golems, trying to equate human ideals to non-human organisms, or something else.

Brushing off the thought, he approached the golem and requested a hearty breakfast before inquiring about the location of the market district. After eating his fill, he rose to his feet and exited the inn.

The shining light of day lanced into his eyes, causing him to squint against the rays’ assault. His eyes adjusted quickly, pushing out the discomfort with vigor. He took stock of his surroundings, searching for the landmarks provided by the innkeeper.

He spotted a twisted spire, standing out in stark relief to the relatively clean-cut buildings surrounding it. According to the innkeeper, there was a single spire in each section of the city - acting as the headquarters of the various Alliances that governed the various sections.

Each sector of the city was built in a similar manner: the spires acted as a central location, and the various facilities tended to be in a specific distance from the spires in each section.

In the Vezian sector, named after the dominant Alliance that controlled it, the Market District was located to the north of the spire. Meanwhile, the Plaza - which Dharen learned was the common term for the area he had encountered the previous night that provided objectives that could be taken by the general populace in return for Contribution Points - was located to the west of the spire.

Having found his heading, Dharen made his way down the grid-like streets until he found himself at the outcroppings of the Market District. The shops of the Market District stood out in stark relief to the areas that he had travelled through previously. Whereas before, the buildings had been fairly uniform and admittedly lacking in color, the Market District appeared to rebel at that design - each shop was decorated in a cacophony of color, shouting of its existence to any and all passerby.

The shops held a wide variety of possible purchases, even at first glance. There were armories, alchemists, artificers, and more - all crammed into one central location.

Surprisingly enough, not every shop was manned by a golem. Some were enterprising humans, buying and selling various wares as a means to obtain Contribution Points. Dharen supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Not every Awakened individual was innately suited to combat. It was likely that some had seen the opportunity to safely gain Contribution Points through trade rather than risking their life, and chose to take that route instead.

He glanced around, almost hungrily eyeing the items available - from sleek leather armor to heavy mail, from small throwing knives to giant axes. And what was more, he could spot the telltale gleam of soulseed shards embedded in a large number of them, the sign of enchanted equipment. Another shop was filled with elixirs, a sign advertising the extravagant potions as potential life-saving measures. Adjacent to the elixir shop was a jewel Artificer, one who specialized in the enchantment of jewelry - a highly delicate process which was responsible for such marvels as Dharen’s own Spatial Ring. A cornucopia of diversity was available for the taking, should one only have the means to acquire it.

Rubbing his hands delightedly, Dharen set to work.