With a sack full of coins, Rick walked through the gate, into the Celestial City.

He plodded along the road, taking in all the renovations. The first thing he noticed at first glance was how big the city had become. with the abandoned buildings were retrofitted to serve as the residential apartments that lined the outer edge of the City.

Kids played while their parents looked on from the side, talking amongst themselves – it all felt so normal if not for the weapons and armour the parents wore or the wooden sticks that the kids used as makeshift swords. Ever-so-often he even came across pin-cushion scarecrows with arrows littered on it as parents and children took aim and practised side-by-side.

‘At least these kids can go on bragging about the hardships of their childhood again,’ Rick thought as he chuckled sardonically.

Walking past the three blocks of residential buildings, he finally reached the ‘Shopping District’, announced by a sign-board placed outside.

Rick stopped by the sign to read the rules listed below the greeting.

Please try to keep the place clean. No brawls within the premises of the shopping district. Respect the Celestial Devotees. They are for your protection. If caught stealing, punishment/fines can be imposed by the guard on-duty. Follow all the rules of the Shopping District.

The shopping district did not have any high-rise buildings. Rick remembered this place better as it was where the City had begun previously.

But the sellers sitting by the road, selling trinkets, swords and cigarettes were all gone. Instead, there were wooden stores now, standing side-by-side with the old brick-and-mortar stores.

“Hey, mister! Move,” he heard just as someone brushed against him. When he looked over, it was a young kid sweeping with a mop, dragging a bucket by his side.

Rick stepped aside giving space for the boy to move and asked, “Do you guys get paid for this?”

“You think anyone would do this for fun? We’re with the City-Service., Of course we get paid!” one of the boys replied without stopping his work.

“Why don’t you do something else? Go kill beasts or something?” Rick asked walking alongside. Although he was impressed to see that there was even a City-service now, he could not fathom why they would choose to work as a cleaner even now.

“Oh really? And who will pay for our gear? Will you, kind sir?” the kid looked, and snapped.

“Hey Ced, keep it going! We don’t have all day!” another kid sweeping on the other end called out.

“You should get back to work,” Rick said and walked away.

He expected life to become easier with a city standing as a base. He expected everyone to be thriving and growing stronger. But he was slowly realizing how naïve his understanding had been. There was no way a city could run without a bunch of people who stood back for the sake of ensuring the rest would be able to grow exponentially stronger. Although he was certain there were some powerful warriors and wizards within the camp, there must be just as many who had to be content with menial work.

‘Maybe I can get in unnoticed,’ Rick wondered as he walked towards the Library.

The city was divided into four sections, the residential area at the outskirts, the shopping district and beyond that the Administrative wing. The area was the Library premises that stood between the shopping district and the Administrative wing like a round-about.

As he walked by the shops, towards the Library premises his eyes shifted from one shop to another, stopping from time to time trying to figure out what the shop even sold.

There were so many shops selling so many things, Rick had an itch to dive in and spend the day just shopping alone. The pharmacy, a cobbler and a tailor had their shops right beside each other on one side. While the other side of the road was lined with a shop selling throwing stars, a butcher’s shop and a steak shop. As he walked around, he even came across an electronics store advertising that it sold captured beasts to train against, while another was selling herbs and other concoctions. But soon enough realized that although there were a few unique ones, every other shop sold basic necessities like clothes, food or firewood and weapons.

By the time he reached the gate into the Library, he had dug his hands deep into his hands while he mumbled to himself, “I said I will give them the money, I can’t go back now. Maybe a little less. No, you made a promise. Keep it together man.”

The eight-storey building and its stone walls towered over the small shops on one side and the Bank and the rest of the ‘Administrative wing’ on the other.,

“Thank god you have not changed,” he sighed in relief as he laid his eyes on the front gate into the Library. With all the changes around, he was starting to worry if people were even allowed to enter the Library anymore. But except for the guards, it was practically the same. The entrance to the Library was guarded by six soldiers standing by the gate into the premises where a dozen-odd people lined for their chance to clear the dungeon. The fear of the place had ensured that it stayed standing unaltered.

Lost in his thoughts he stood by the gate staring when he suddenly recalled what he was here for. He was getting sidetracked.,

“I should head to the Bank ASAP.”

--------------------

A guard standing at the entrance holding a trident stopped him. “Where are you going?”

“I have to meet Azer,” Rick said.

Taken aback, the guard asked suspiciously, “Is he expecting… you?”

“Sure. Why don’t you just tell him Kir’s out here” Rick said recalling the drill.

Another guard walked in hearing his reply, while the first walked over to a thick regsister by the entrance.

“You said your name is Kir, yes?” the guard asked, “Spelt K- I- R?”

“That’s it ,” Rick replied.

The guard shuffled through the pages for a while before stopping at one, seemingly having found what he was looking for. He glanced from the page over to Rick’s face repeatedly before nodding.

“Looks close enough,” the guard voiced and closed the book before standing up to address Rick., “Wait here, we have to check if Sir Azer is free. You can sit here for-”

“Kir. It’s been a long time!” a voice called out from inside the Bank. A pot-bellied, middle-aged man with long thinning hair brushed neatly into a bun and frilly unkempt beard rushed out, almost tripping over his white robe with his slippers.

“Azer, nice to see you doing so well!” Rick greeted him.

“Come along, come along. We will talk at my office,” Azer waved Rick over. As they walked into his office he asked, “So, do you like the changes around?”

“It’s quite something. Isn’t an entrance fee a little too much though?” Rick answered with another question.

“Why do you care? You have a privilege card,” Azer replied settling down on his chair.

“What do you mean?” Rick asked sitting across the desk.

“Oh right, you don’t know about it. Well, the card basically makes you a citizen of our City. As a citizen, you don’t have to pay any entrance fee and are also eligible to join the Celestial Devotees. I admit you should not have a card, but… it’s not a big deal,” Azer replied with an uncaring shrug.

Pushing his chair forward, he leaned in and asked, “So, what do you have for me?”

“Are you still looking for golems?” Rick asked.

“Yeah and the Controlling Talisman too. And anything new you might have.”

“Yes, I have a few of those too. I don’t have a lot now, I can sell you one golem and 3 of the Controlling Talismans… if you have the money to pay, of course,” Rick added jokingly.

“Just one? Don’t you have more? Can you at least sell a few more of the Controlling Talismans?” Azer asked with a disappointed frown on his face.

“You have to take what you can, ain’t it right my boy?.How much do you want for the Controlling Talisman?” Azer agreed immediately with a polite chuckle.

“Well, you know they are quite hard to make, and a lot of time and resources go into it. It will cost you. 140 gold Cilliacs for one. And I am giving you the friends and family discount here,” Rick said raising his hands.

“No, no, no! 70 gold for one. Come on 140 for one is too much. – It runs out Kir. You can’t price it that high!” Azer countered.

After haggling with each other, Rick finally convinced Azer for a good price.

“Okay last price, 100 gold Cilliacs, not any lower. You print the money Azer, stop trying to cheat a humble man,” Rick replied with a joking laugh.

“Fine, fine! You can have it. 250 gold coins for the golem core and three talismans for 100 gold each add up to 550 gold coins, alright? Give me your card. I will authenticate the amount,” Azer said caving in.

Rick immediately handed over the card to Azer and said, “Actually I want it in cash and I also need to withdraw another 100 gold from the card.”

Azer paused at Rick’s request.

“You… want to… withdraw 650 gold Cilliacs?” Azer asked slowly, stupefied. There was nothing in the City that cost even half the amount. The purchase of the golems were itself one of the costliest things in the City.

“What do you even plan on doing?” Azer asked apprehensively.

While it was true that the Celestial Devotees printed the Cilliacs, it was not as if they could flood the market with money whenever they wanted. If they did that, it would lose all its value!

“Are you kidding me? There are so many amazing shops that have popped up, its unbelievable. I honestly wanted to just cash in the amount and just shop my heart out. But I could not leave without saying hello to an old friend, could I?” Rick replied with the most flattering words he could conjure. His face felt bitter after all the ass-licking.

“Sure sure,” Azer replied regaining his composure, bathing in the praises being showered.

He rang the bell on his desk and a guard instantly entered the office with a salute.

Handing the card over to the guard Azer said, “Deduct 100 gold from this and withdraw another 550 gold. Tell them it’s a priority and back quickly.”

The guard nodded at the instructions and pocketing the card left the room as quickly as he had entered.

“Kir, I actually have something that might interest you,” Azer said as soon as the door closed behind him. He opened the drawer on his desk and pulled out a small black pouch. Pushing it across the table towards Rick he said, “Here take a look.”

Pensively Rick reached out towards the pouch and took out its contents.

“Beast cores,” Rick asked as five different looking beast cores fell into his palm. He did want to buy beast cores, but more than just the 5 of them.

“Not just any ordinary cores, Kir. These are Grade -II beast cores,” Azer smirked “I have been keeping an eye out for high-tier beast cores and found these after a lot of searching.”