Chapter Twelve: Magic, Fully Equipped In Body

Crowds of youth, old and privileged raced around her.

Sprinkled in the tired red rays that even the clouds weren’t able to hide the scene in front of her was beautiful.

Proper concrete roads paired with structures made mostly of painted wood and stone, all painted in shades of red or shades of blue.

The odours of dust, dirt and food mingled with the smells of BO? And the ever-present smell of freshness, even in the city it was inescapable.

Leading up the road from the entrance the numerous shops lay waste to the road in the middle, the traffic was congested with people of many a race.

Walking in and out of shops, to local street vendors selling numerous fried meat kebabs or stands that sold fresh bread, the smell incited action that Waynev couldn’t help but wander to.

As she did her eyes wandered back to the screen she kept opening, almost subconsciously.

Quest:

Reach [Hollowed] Rank 1.

Reach the stats required to break through to the [Hollowed] rank.

Consequence:

You lose your innate ability.

Time Limit:

Three days, 24 hours, 24 minutes remaining.

Simple and difficult.

But definitely not impossible.

Otherwise why would Vein have issued the quest?

“A brave new world. This sight, this smell and even this ground assures us we're in a different world.” Waynev walked up to the street merchant, waving at the scaled baker.

“Of course, we can spare a second to enjoy the food at least.” Shadow looked closely at the baker, her tone indicating the elephant in the room.

“The people make the place. She is especially cute looking as well… for a lizard.” Waynev’s brownish eyes slightly concave hearing Shadow’s subtle racism, the woman in front of her was cute, however.

‘Get used to it Shadow, we won’t stop meeting new races here.’ Waynev’s voice in her mind’s eye slightly disapproving.

She bore the baker’s dark red uniform with her pale blue scales forming a cute combo, even if the design and quality was rudimentary and cheap at best.

“Hi. How much is one of your bee-uh meat pastries?” Waynev caught herself and covered her mistake with a genuine compliment.

“Also, your outfit looks nice Miss…” Waynev eyed the dragonkin, in particular her tail which looked delicate and well kept.

A contrast from the many rugged tails she encountered, them being prone to lashing out at legs and in general being veiny looking led to endless jokes from Shadow.

The serpentkin looked up “Just Abigail.”

Her light amber eyes daring Waynev to say a crude word, yet when none came she looked happy and continued.

“It’s 2 Coppers for the smallest 3 Coppers for the biggest, the meat is local Germinine.” Abigail gestured to the pastries her ha- claws looked menacing but much like the talons, Ciet had her claws were taken care of and manicured, making them usable for everyday tasks.

And also skewering people of course. But that was evolution.

“I’ll take two for now, also do you know directions for a general store?” Waynev asked, being habituated to the mysteries of Temporous and Shadow’s mental prods.

“... And ask where a good inn, place to stay or if we get desperate where the stables are.” The last suggestion was a grim thought but anything beat sleeping in the sticks, away from relative security and comfort that a gathering of people brought.

Adding the question of shelter onto the directions of the general store Waynev drew the coppers from her pouch.

Sorting the baked goods into a wooden plate Abigail easily obliged.

“Down the road, take the second alleyway on the left. It should lead to General Bills.” As Abigail described the places her tongue occasionally hissed but was stopped from a clenching of her jaws.

“From there take another left and avoid the massive arches. That should bring you to Stabler Inn.” Offering the plate, Waynev thanked her and sat down, enjoying her brief reprieve from her long day.

Which Shadow took as an invitation to mislead Waynev.

“We should visit the merchant then rest, it’s been a long day, a long trip, a much-deserved rest is needed for us to recover.” Silver-tongued persuasion worked well against the exhausted young adult, causing her food to be gobbled up in record times even the landscape slowed in it’s descent to darkness at her pace.

“Move!” A half-shriek half-growl rang out next to Waynev as she saw a man in rags crash into the street.

“Damn slave. You dare walk in the city and into me?” A bright turquoise robed old man spat at the prone target.

Waynev was about to help him before a harsh whisper sounded.

“Don’t. He’s at least [Forlorn] ranked, remember Ciel?” Shadow’s voice stopped Waynev for a second before she spoke back.

“So what. This asshole is hitting a man while he’s down.” People continued walking around the three figures in waves, uncaring of the common sight.

“It’s not worth the trouble, what can we do to hel-” Shadow didn’t finish her sentence.

Just as the beggar didn’t finish his groaning as the [Forlorn] figure brought out a chiselled stick and pointed “Verbataem!”

At the spark of blue the beggar began breaking apart, his body sizzling out into squares and from those squares into smaller cubes eventually there was nothing left.

“Piut. Damn slaves.” he coughed into his robe as he continued, stomping over the spot where the former person lay.

The waves now continued in full force as Waynev was swept up in the crowd toward her destination, still peering back but she already forgot his bearded face, this was the world she lived in now.

Uncaring.

As she looked down the street past the closed shops, with only open doors and signs advertising their services. Another difference from her world but… one that she hoped wouldn’t change.

“... invasion after the fes-.... Imposs-” Hushed conversations were picked up by Waynev’s ears but interpreted as noise rather than imperative.

Shadow’s eyes tracked the sound, she couldn’t however find the source. Sensing the living beings in the area two shadows, benign of any life stood in the middle of the square.

“Afte-... doubt i-.... First’ll suce-” Peering out of Waynev’s peripheral vision no one had noticed the two individuals sitting in the middle of the street, a large luxurious table was set out.

Filled with food and the two individuals were looking around at the people around them idly, but carefully. Looking for someone, almost daring something to happen, to notice their disguise and attack.

But no such thing happened. The veneer of peace was just that. A veneer.

‘Hmm, I can’t check their stats. But the invasion… is it the inevitable?’ Shadow’s pondering nearly led to a monologue but she stopped herself.

Waynev didn’t have to know yet.

She could use this information. ‘After the festival… something bigger is coming. But is it before or after the inevitable.’

The small-talk of customers and store owners occasionally were heard but all in all, it was peaceful.

Whether that was because of the frequent guards posted next to bronze statues or the general atmosphere was something she had to find out through time.

Then she found it.

A general shop that looked like all the others, red-tinted with a light blue door and a clean entryway that soothed her from how well kept it was.

Although it looked like all the other weathered stores, Waynev would find that one piece of it was different and very beneficial for her.

“Welcome. What can I do for you?” A tall man stood behind the counter, he slightly towered over Waynev.

“I’m looking for a pack and some paper and ink.” Waynev eyed the new looking pack that was hanging from one of the hooks behind the man.

Instead of a normal shop like on earth, all the supplies and products were behind the counter, it felt more like a chemist or pharmacy than a general store.

“Sure young lady, we have one that’s about your size. Want a new one for 2 silvers or a used pack for a silver and 2 coppers?” Reaching around the shopkeeper pulled two packs from hooks, one was brand new and looked luxurious the other looked well-worn and battered but good quality nonetheless.

“Avoid the obvious. A pack like that would grab the eyes and the hearts of the envious, grab the inconspicuous, the common, the beggars pack.” Shadow already knew what to avoid, even in a ‘safe’ city like Aestern with walls and guards everywhere there was still danger.

Waynev considered buying the new pack just to spite Shadow before pushing the thought away, she didn’t have time to act childish.

“I’ll grab the used one, thanks.” The shopkeep expertly hung the expensive-looking pack away, leaving the eyesore still on the table.

He began walking to one of the shelves which had a stack of paper on it, instead of the fine snow coloured pages she was expecting she instead saw yellow covered… parchment? It smelled and looked cheap, as the shopkeep was walking towards the ink and feathered pens Waynev quietly asked a question, her head slightly turned.

“Also, do you happen to have any books or advancement techniques for sale?”

Paying no mind to the question, as if it were like any other he answered in a plain, almost sarcastic voice.

“Advancement techniques? No. Books on the other hand I have two of, one on the history of Dockern and the other on herbs and roots.” Heaving the materials onto the counter, he looked up at Waynev.

“We do have another book, used to be a copy of a noble’s advancement technique bu-”

“Can I buy that too?” Waynev didn’t care about the price, she could work something out, waving away the words on his lips she saw his back moving further into the array of shelves.

Excited at the prospect of finally finding some way to advance herself, only Shadow who was disconnected from everything and able to see the world objectively could see the problem.

“The shopkeep was about to tell us something about the technique and I don’t think it’s about the price.” Shadow’s concerned tone slowed Waynev’s curve of her lips.

“Also even if it is a perfectly good advancement technique, how are we supposed to afford it?”

… Despite receiving funds, Waynev hadn’t counted how far away from the poverty she had escaped, the city had distracted her and from how fast Shadow had been speaking, it had distracted her as well.

Reaching into her newly acquired red coin pouch, she undid the string and counted the silver and copper metal coins.

12 and 5.

Would it be enough to buy a precious formula, able to enhance herself exponentially?

Would such a formula even have a price in her old world?

Poove

Several objects near the back of the store began wobbling, it seemed like a mass of junk from her angle. Perhaps that was on purpose?

Noticing the burly shopkeep walking towards her, she saw a small book in his large callused hand.

“Notice what’s wrong with it missy?” Not caring too much about the book, he almost slammed it down in front of Waynev, inciting a small jump and a step back.

Looking away from his amused expression Waynev fixed her eyes on the book.

Her smile withered as if in slow-motion.

“How did the book become…?” Edging closer she looked at the cover, the words were barely visible on the cracked visage.

[Hollowed] Principles - Growth To ******

The last words were faded, just like the book. Faded. Forgotten.

“A lynchpin of a book, important, lifesaving. Destroyed.”

“A mana inferno was cast on the former noble’s branch, this was one of the only books not turned to ash but the state of it is, well. It’s as you can see.”

Opening the cover her meagre hopes were fully extinguished, much like the fire that had raged inside the former nobles house.

“The pages their-” Shadows words were in sync with Waynev, a rare occurrence. One that hadn’t occurred for years.

“Ruined. The pages are all scarred, worse than even…”

“Elise was. Well-” Looking at the book closely Shadow realised something.

“Shit-” Waynev slumped forward.

“No wait it’s-”

“Sorry miss but it’s just kindling right now.” His hands already were covered in ash, he wiped them on his pants as he continued.

“Shame too, the technique would be perfect for your affinity.” The shopkeeper's eyes had flickers of mana coming into them, barely perceivable.

“My affinity? You mean Spatial Magic?” Her tone turning inquiring, she could tell Shadow wanted to say more but didn’t want to interrupt and lose a source of information.

“No, no. That's your ability.” He waved his hand, his head slightly shaking and his dark red beard bounced along.

“There are thousands of abilities and pairs but each one has a colour, an affinity. Yours looks to be purple, so something to do with manipulating the base elements, such as space.” Gesturing at Waynev he stopped speaking, letting her soak in the information and process it.

Unfortunately for the shopkeeper Shadow took this as an opportunity to tell Waynev that the book had a surprising element to it.

“The book is hand-written.” Shadow’s voice high-pitched, almost squealing.

“WE CAN USE IT!” Her voice echoed in Waynev’s mind, her emotions leaking through to her.

Causing her lips to threaten Waynev’s cover, rising at the corners they quivered momentarily then stopped as Waynev got control of her emotions.

“It’s usable, quick buy it, steal it, use it. We. NEED. It.” Threatening Waynev’s psyche again, on the odd chance that Waynev makes an idiotic choice, Shadow gave her no quarter and began mentally nudging her.

“So…” Looking up at the shopkeep, she gave an affirmative nudge back at Shadow.

Then remembering her affinity Waynev thought of a plausible reason to buy the book.

“My affinity is linked with this book… do you mind if I buy it even if it is useless?”

“I wouldn’t mind trying to read some of the burnt-out sections. Even if it doesn’t make sense but…” Considering her funds, she needed to make sure the book was kept cheap.

Even if she couldn’t think of a way to salvage the words, Waynev knew better than to doubt her Shadow.

“-But since the majority of the words are gone, the price should be close to what I’m paying for the paper as well.” Looking over at the quarter of a dozen pages, she corrected her order.

“Also can I order-”

“Make sure it’s at least 10 pages.” Shadow interrupted, her words slowing at the number 10.

“-Ten pages, instead of just three?” Rather than stumbling over her words like she did when Shadow normally interrupted her, this time she was fast enough to continue with the word ‘Ten’ nearly shouted at the shopkeep.

Looking surprised he pivoted and walked towards the pile of papers, grabbing 7 and also a small rectangular bag next to it.

“While he’s grabbing the bag, ask for some charcoal. Two pieces should be enough for now.”

Waynev asked for the charcoal, ignoring the shopkeeper's inquisitive look.

She proceeded to buy everything and graciously accepted the small leather bag to carry the paper in.

All in all, it cost 10 silvers. Would it be enough to avoid poverty?

Before leaving the store she turned to the shopkeep.

“Excuse me but are there any positions open at the store?”

Inside the Stabler Inn, the worn room at the of the small-ceilinged second floor, a figure laid cross legged on the shaggy sheets.

Waynev was sitting on her bed, her pack laid beside it. So far it had been a good evening, however, her money problems were becoming a real concern.

It had cost a silver to stay for the night and 3 coppers for the meal, the room came with a small washbasin and a deceitfully fluffy bed.

Which when Waynev jumped on turned out to be harder than the bed the Old Wolf slept on.

The washbasin had been used thoroughly and she had to replace the water herself at the well next to the back of the inn, which coincidentally was also where the stables were.

Thankfully she could only see horses, donkeys and for some reason an oxen around. If there had been a giant lizard or human-sized rabbit or some kind of monster used as transportation it would’ve given her night-terrors.

As Waynev was now, the burned book was in her hands and she was rubbing a piece of charcoal between the parchment she bought and the book.

Dinner had been stew.

During said stew Shadow had finally explained why the book was so important and unfortunately for Waynev that meant said stew had been choked on and nearly spilled everywhere.

Needless to say, the apologies to the innkeeper were numerous and yet his acceptance of said apologies weren’t anywhere close to the number of times he nearly made her pay double for her meal.